She puts her glass away and brings her face closer to the camera. “Thank you so very much for doing this, chérie. For doing this for us.”

“Thank you for staying in my Airbnb and messing with the smoke detector so you could meet the owner.”

“The pleasure’s all mine.”

The rental apartment was snapped up two days after it went on the market. The house will go on sale soon—finally. Rebecca and I will divide the money, and I will have no more property left in Australia, or anywhere in the world. But the only practical matter on my mind right now is that ticket I just booked. I open my mail app and see the new email that has just come in: Confirmation and E-Ticket Flight Itinerary from Sydney to Paris.

“Now we can really start making plans.”

“It will be all we do when you’re here next month.”

“Hm, I do hope we do some other things as well.” Camille picks up her champagne glass again.

“Of course, we’re going to Perth where I will introduce you to my parents and my brother and his extremely loud family. It will be three weeks of utter bliss.”

“Your parents who dislike me already because I’m taking their daughter away from them.”

“I’ll make sure they’ve properly warmed up to you by then. Besides, one glance at you and they’ll know why I want to move to France so badly. They’ll fall in love with you so quickly they won’t know what hit them. Just like I did.”

“And I with you, my love.”

I stare at the email with my ticket for a bit longer while Camille chats and I wait for any sign of doubt to set in, but none shows up, and by the time we end our Skype call, every part of me is utterly convinced I have made the right decision.

Epilogue

As I travel back in time, because that’s what flying away from Australia feels like, the journey feels so different from the two previous times I undertook it. The first time I was so nervous and unsure about what my future with Camille would bring, and if there would even be one after the trip. The second, quick trip to Paris, back and forth in five days to not jeopardize the flow of my show too much, I was nervous and elated at the same time. Elated to be able to steal some time with Camille and nervous because even though I’ve been interviewing people from all walks of life for years, traveling to Paris to interview Stéphanie Mathis felt special. Not only because of her partner, or because of her connection to Camille, but mostly because of the impression she made on me when we first met. I was charmed and intrigued and inspired all at the same time.