But he was so happy to see her.

And he wondered, for a moment, if she had tested his theory—successfully. And had walked all the way around the world.

No.

Impossible.

And he almost asked her if she had.

But didn’t.

And instead asked, “Where’d you go?”

Ginette had her hands in her pockets and shrugged. And then answered Pete. “I just … walked.”

“Where?”

Ginette nodded to the west.

And Pete looked toward where Ginette had nodded.

And then looked back at her. And wondered again if she had walked all the way around the world—so she could be close to him again.

And Ginette wondered, too, if she had walked all the way around the world in an instant—because that’s what seemed to have happened.

And then she smiled at the mystery of it all.

And just let it be a mystery.

And then she sat on the bench, in the spot Pete had been sitting in when she left him.

And Pete sat next to Ginette, in the spot Ginette had been sitting in when she left him.

And they looked at the northern lights.

They were the same northern lights that appeared in the sky when East started to repair Glory’s heart.

And the same northern lights that pulsed in the sky when Randy and Chad fell to the ground—as they fell in love with each other.

And the same northern lights that hovered over Almost when Marvalyn hit Steve with the ironing board the second time and made him say “ow” for the first time.

And the same northern lights that danced above when the waitress at the Moose Paddy introduced herself to Jimmy.

And the same northern lights that streaked across the sky when Michelle and Justin danced together and felt like they were dancing on air. And Aunt Belinda saw that they actually were.

And the same northern lights that glimmered and glowed above when Lendall gave Gayle her engagement ring.

And the same northern lights that shimmered and shone above when Marci’s other shoe dropped from the sky.

And the same northern lights that visited Almost, Maine, when Hope realized that the small man she had been talking to was Daniel Harding.

And the same northern lights that had flickered and fluttered above when Rhonda saw what Dave painted for her.

And the same northern lights that Ginette saw not long after her flashlight died.

Eventually the northern lights disappeared.

And Pete and Ginette were just looking up at the star-filled sky. Which, they had to admit, was a little less interesting now that the northern lights had vanished. But it was still pretty spectacular.

And Pete turned to Ginette and said, “I didn’t mean that I wanted you to walk around the world, you know. I wasn’t asking that. I was just … thinkin’.”

“Okay.”

“I was just saying I thought it was a cool idea.”

“It is.”

“’Cause now that I know that I love you and that you love me … everything feels bigger.”