Naomi hurried to Kieran's blue truck with her weekend hiking bag over one shoulder and a tent in the other hand. She tossed both in the box, and he hopped out to help her load the rest of her belongings. In Gimli, they'd be sharing a tent and separate sleeping bags, but they'd wake up next to each other, which had butterflies dancing in Naomi's stomach. She wasn't worried about his expectations but was looking forward to cuddling all morning until her nephews invaded the backyard.
It wasn't your ordinary camping trip, but she'd held the tradition for ages with first her sister then her friends. They'd sleep outside every Icelandic Festival weekend. Back then, their grandparents had owned the house, and it was too crowded for all the families to have rooms inside. Then they would brave the crowds to catch the reenactment battles, check out the Viking Village, and challenge the Islendingadunk, where one opponent knocked the other into chilly Lake Winnipeg.
As Kieran loaded the camp chairs and the bag of pillows, he grinned at her. "Are you excited?"
She nodded with a grin to match his. She couldn't wait to share all of these experiences with him.
"I can't remember the last time I slept in a tent. Brinny and Jake aren't campers."
Naomi tried to ignore how much more often Brinny's name came up in conversation lately. "Shivanna and I go out every year, so you're in expert hands. Plus, we'll be about twenty feet from the house, so we're not quite roughing it."
Naomi tucked a few shopping bags full of snacks and a cooler behind her passenger seat as he put the cover on the box. She sat in the truck and drummed her fingers on her leg as he hopped in beside her.
"Thanks for spending your long weekend with me and my family," she said.
"A fun getaway with my incredible girlfriend or a weekend without her. A real hard choice."
Naomi laughed, and Kieran's eyes darted to her lips. He rarely initiated kisses, but she sensed when he wanted to. She leaned over and captured his soft lips with hers. After a month, their kisses weren't always as intense as in the beginning. Yet Kieran remained as happy and supportive as ever. When she lingered on his lips, he threaded his fingers through her hair and kissed her more deeply, making her stomach somersault.
The hour-long drive flew by as they sang, and he shoulder-shimmied to a road trip playlist she'd created. He held the wheel with his left hand and clenched the other in front of his chest dramatically as he serenaded her with the end of 'These Eyes'. She fought not to burst into laughter.
The next song was more upbeat and catchy, prompting Naomi to sway along with a smile. This was so easy, relaxed, and happy. Was this what it was like to find the right person?
He reached over and swatted at her ponytail. "You're adorable when you dance."
She frowned and stilled, even if her cheeks grew warm. "Eyes on the road and hands on the wheel."
"Have you driven in Manitoba before? It's completely flat, and the only thing stopping me from seeing the end of this street is the horizon."
"Okay, Mr. Life is Better in Ontario."
He chuckled. "It's not so bad here. I've got you."
"You should quit your day job and write Hallmark cards. Dearest significant other, after much consideration, I've determined that you are, in fact, not so bad."
Kieran laughed. "I didn't realize Hallmark cards were meant to be read in terribly butchered British accents. I've been doing it wrong my entire life." He put an arm around her shoulder. "And you are the best part of moving here. I wouldn't trade this for anything."
She reached up to squeeze his hand and rested her head against his. "Me neither."
Once in Gimli, they drove down the quaint small-town streets with generous front yards and simple bungalows. They found Jodie's back lane and parked near the two-car garage. Her oldest nephew, Jason, looked up from the raised deck and scrutinized the truck. It wasn't until Naomi poked herself out the window to holler, 'Hello,' that he shot up and ran toward them.
"Aunt Mimi!" He threw his arms around her in a hug. "Do you have more cinnamon buns?"
She laughed and ruffled his hair. "Those made an impression on you. I don't, but I have something you'll like even more." She dug in a reusable bag until she found a large container. "Auntie Shivanna baked cookies since she couldn't come this year."
Jason grinned and eyed the lid.
"Only one for you and one for Leo before you give them to grandma, okay? We'll save the rest for later."
She and Jason reached in and lightened the container.
"Hey, you took two!" he accused.
"Drivers get grumpy if you don't feed them."
Her nephew looked at Kieran with narrowed eyes before heading into the house. Naomi extended the cookie to Kieran, who took it and sighed. "Damn, that woman can bake."
"I've tried learning, but I'm hopeless."
"Invite me over. I'm a quick study, especially with food. Then I'll make them for you anytime."
"If Shivanna agrees, you're on." She handed a bag of groceries to him and carried the other one inside.
The house had cabin vibes with a cathedral ceiling painted white to brighten up the room. A long black wood-plank table contrasted it, alongside stainless steel appliances and grey blinds in the open kitchen, dining and living room area.
"You two made it. Welcome." Jodie came to give them both hugs. "Camping in the backyard is Naomi's tradition. We have the couch or the spare bedroom if the bugs are awful."
"We'll be fine. Thanks for hosting us," Kieran said.
"Any time. There's ice fishing up here in the wintertime, and I promise we won't make you camp."
He chuckled, looked at Naomi and raised his pierced eyebrow. "Sounds fun."
She pictured him in a red toque and a plaid jacket, somewhere between a lumberjack and hipster. They'd snuggle on the couch, drink hot chocolate, and skate. She squeezed Kieran's hand and smiled up at him.
After lunch, they headed to the festivities in the 'downtown' area, which was a handful of streets facing the beach on the edge of Lake Winnipeg. While Jodie drove Peter and the kids to explore the Viking Village first, Naomi and Kieran wandered the shore. Since Lake Winnipeg was a remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz, the shores were lined with a mix of small rocks near the water and fine, golden sand despite being in the middle of the continent, far from any ocean. They walked past a familiar rocky section at the start of the trail where the sand met the soil, and she looked away.
She and Kieran strolled hand-in-hand, bumping shoulders too often for it to be accidental, and his grin was a major giveaway. They passed a park where spectators cheered as a tall woman spiked a volleyball over the net that the other team couldn't block. Naomi had played in the tournament once or twice, her height boosting her mediocre skill.
"Brinny mentioned she had fun at the softball game," Kieran said.
How much time did he spend with Brinny? When he and Naomi had first hung out, he had almost avoided the woman, but he seemed closer to her now. Was that Brinny's doing or Kieran's wish?
He can have female friends, just like you have guy friends. This man offered to learn a cookie recipe to treat you and was interested in a winter holiday together, which is half a year away.
"Yeah, she warmed up to it by the time we took the lead, and Ian relaxed."
"And he's a good guy, right?" Kieran stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Yes, very dependable, nice, too much ego, but he knows when to tone it down. They're very into each other, don't worry."
Kieran's eyes flitted to her then ahead to the beach volleyball area. "She said you and Greg were kind of friendly." Kieran's voice held no trace of accusation, but it wasn't upbeat either.
So Naomi wasn't the only insecure one. She squeezed his hand.
"He apologized about how he treated me, and it helped bring me more closure."
"That's good." His hand relaxed in hers. "We're still keeping this quiet, right?"
She chewed her lip. She could tell him next week. Greg was in a better emotional place to process it.
"I want to invite you to softball and out for drinks. At the game, I tried to tell him, but Ian didn't want to lose. I planned to say something to Greg afterward, but he left before I could." Or she'd dawdled because they were getting along like they used to, and he was happy for once. It felt cruel to ruin it. She would say something next week.
"We're not a secret. Your parents, sister and friends all know. Don't stress yourself out over one person."
She kissed him on the cheek, as he was the best. The air was warm and dry as the sun alternated between shining and resting behind small puffy clouds dotting the azure sky. They couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.
The crowds grew larger as they neared downtown. Some families were picnicking on the beach, while other kids screamed and splashed in the lake on giant inflatable flamingos, tubes, and unicorns. On the benches along the sidewalk, others ate their festival treats like sugary BeaverTails that smelled like fried dough, pizza, or bowls of pierogies topped with sour cream and bacon.
Kieran still wore the ghost of a frown despite the jovial scene around them. Perhaps he was as shy to ask about Greg as she was about Brinny. It wasn't healthy to keep that bottled up.
"Do you worry about my past with Greg?"
She and Kieran cut up a street near the arts center filled with more pedestrians and parked cars than traffic.
"I'm not upset. If that hadn't happened, we might not have met and gotten together, but if I'm being honest, I worry."
Her stomach swirled unpleasantly.
"You said physical attraction isn't a big deal, but I'm not active like you or him. I don't own a house, and I live with my younger brother. Your friends probably look at me and wonder why we're together. I doubt that crossed their mind with your ex."
"No, they assumed I was a rebound, and I was. They know I like you for who you are, and they notice our connection."
Kieran rubbed a gentle hand over her back but remained quiet.
"I get worried too," she added.
She pulled Kieran toward a local store that had been in the community for ages. The brown building with white trim was unassuming from the outside but housed a variety of goods. She brought him inside and to the quieter clothing section. There was hardly enough room to move without bumping into racks of beach dresses, plaid shirts, and sun hat displays.
"Why do you worry?" he asked.
"When you mention Brinny, I wonder if someday you'll decide she's a better match for you than I am."
"You are jealous of Brinny?" He looked at her like she'd grown horns.
"You two have history. She was there for you when you moved here. You have nicknames for each other. Plus, she's cute and fun, and you're both allosexual. So yeah, I get jealous too."
Naomi admired the tie-dye pattern on a long beach dress to ignore the tightness in her chest.
"Your asexuality doesn't change my feelings for you. It's an invitation to explore and create our version of intimacy. Other people's journeys might follow those well-worn allo bases, but we get a custom relationship unlike anyone else's. That's exciting."
She swallowed the lump in her throat. His tone matched his words, making her eyes tear for a second before she composed herself with a deep breath.
"I never thought of it that way."
They wandered into the section with local soaps, dishes, and candles. Lavender, rose, and lemon scents wafted toward them.
"I hadn't either until Felicity mentioned it. She said there are things she didn't even know she liked until she dated Austin, and they explored intimacy in new ways."
Kieran kept surprising her with the care and time he invested into understanding how their relationship succeeded, and it melted Naomi's heart.
"We should hang out with them more."
He smiled. "We should."
"And you never have to worry, either. I've never felt this accepted and cared for in my life. I've had athletic boyfriends, and 'hot' ones and nice ones and funny ones, but none of that matters if they don't think and accept our relationship like you do. No matter what happens, you'll always have." She grabbed a heart-shaped bar of soap. "My heart."
Kieran both chuckled and smiled at the item in his hand. He reached to a shelf filled with Viking stuffed toys that had oversized gnome-like noses.
He held one up to her and moved its hand, which held the long-handled axe. With a high-pitched, cartoon voice, he said, "I will always fight for you and us."
With her heart thudding in her chest, she embraced him tightly. His arms found her waist, and he pulled her close. She squeezed him tight against her and leaned her head against his neck. Could he sense the love flowing through her bloodstream?
The front door bells jingled, and the shop's door slammed shut. The wind must have been picking up. It also reminded her that there were festivities to attend nearby. Naomi pulled away.
"We should check out the events."
"After we get these."
"Do we really need them?"
"I planned to give you Magnus, but he'll stay at my place if you're rejecting him." Kieran put on a sad face and held the stuffed Viking up beside it.
She shook her head. "If you're that set on it, Magnus can come home with us and stay with me."
"Thanks, Nomes," he used his high-pitched voice for the Viking even though it hardly seemed fitting.
"Nomes?"
He carried the gnome at his side. "You mentioned we don't have nicknames, and that's not because we're distant. I wanted something just for us. Your friends call you Nomi, your nephews Mimi, and my name for you could be Nomes."
"Like that Viking gnome?"
"No, it rhymes with homes. When you're over at my place or I'm at yours, it feels like a home I never want to leave."
With his sweet and vulnerable expression, Naomi couldn't help herself and drew him into a kiss. When she pulled away, she whispered, "I love it," which put the biggest smile on his face.
Thanks for reading! Naomi and Kieran will take on the Islendingadunk competition and more of the festivities in next Wednesday's update.