Page 86 of Pallas & Kawehi

"Oh, shit." Maile put her glass down with a soft thump as she walked over to her. "I'm sorry."

Kawehi barely felt the hug, but she appreciated the gesture. "It's okay," she reached her arm across her body to rub at her cousin's arm. "It's okay, really."

Maile lifted her head and set her chin on Kawehi's shoulder. "Not to say I told you so, because I didn't, but do you remember that judge that married you guys?"

Lifting an eyebrow at her cousin, not that Maile could see it, Kawehi smiled. "Not that I like to think about it, but yeah. He came over to the offices at Restaurant Row on his lunch from the First Circuit Court building across the street, but I'm guessing that's not what you were thinking about."

Maile lifted her chin from her shoulder and moved so she could get her glass off of the counter. "Yeah. You and I pay attention to different things. It's cool but can be so damn frustrating." She took a sip. "What I was talking about was what he said before he put his seal on your marriage certificate."

Kawehi knew that her cousin wasn't trying to upset her but thinking back to anything about Nick upset her no matter what. "Why? What did he say?"

Maile looked at her over the lip of the cup with a raised brow. "He held that embosser thing with the certificate in it and he looked at you, not Nick, but you. 'Are you sure? 'Cause I haven't put the seal on it yet.'" Maile sighed and gave her a weak smile. "I remember because while I was there for you as your bridesmaid. I was also hoping that you'd take the judge's offer and change your mind."

"You knew better than I did. I thought Nick was a good guy."

"He was all about you, Cuz. That's the thing. He poured all that love all over you and was constantly telling you all the right things. And I wanted to believe he was all in for you, too."

Kawehi turned and put her back against the counter beside her cousin. "Are you saying I shouldn't be with Dom?"

Maile shook her head. "He's a good guy." She put her free hand over her heart. "I don't get all the yucky feelings with him that I got with Nick."

"Yucky feelings. That's a strange diagnosis."

Maile bumped her with her hip. "I'm serious."

"I know," Kawehi countered back. "That's why I love you. You were there for me no matter what. I hope you know that I'm going to be there for you the same way."

Maile let out a breath. "What's going to happen when Dom gets transferred halfway across the world? All of our lives, we've been living a couple of blocks away from each other. What's going to happen when you leave?"

Kawehi lifted her arm and wrapped it around Maile's shoulders. "Things are different now than they were just five or ten years ago. We have facetime and we can call across the world without crazy fees. I know that no matter where I go in this world, I'm going to love you like crazy where I am. And no one said Dom's going to ask me to go with him if he gets transferred to a different base."

Maile looked up at her with her jaw dropped. "Are you kidding? He's head over heels for you. I bet he's just waiting for all this crazy with Nick to get figured out before he drops down on one knee."

Kawehi shook her head. "I think you've been reading too many romance books."

"And I think you haven't been reading enough." They stood together in companionable silence for a moment before she spoke again. "I think it's time we break out Princess Bride."

Kawehi groaned. "You're trying to kill me."

Maile shook her head. "If I wanted to kill you, I'd break out The Lake House."

Kawehi sagged against the counter. "You're trying to make me cry."

"Never. I just want you to be happy. I want you to believe in Happy Ever Afters."

Hugging Maile against her side she sighed. "I want you to believe in them, too."

Maile gave her a nudge with her elbow. "I believe in them," she sighed.

"Then why are you fighting with Axl so much?"

"Axl?" Maile lurched away and stared at her. "Him? That's not a Happy Ever After thing!"

Kawehi shrugged her shoulders. "Why not?"

"He's a... He’s a neanderthal! And his Marine name? Whatever they call it. Axl? You know what that is?"

"It's a car thing, right?" Kawehi had no idea.

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