Page 4 of Keeping Kama

His annoyingly perfect blue eyes twinkled back at her.

Derek straightened himself. “Leia from Oahu,” he smiled, revealing those perfect bright whites again, “thanks again for saving my life.”

Leia stumbled a few feet back. She needed to get away from Derek, and his earthshattering smile. “Anytime. See you, bye,” Leia managed.

With a wave over her shoulder, Leia sprinted away toward home, refusing to look back.

Her soggy socks squished with each step. Resolved her feet would be covered in blisters; Leia tried her best to ignore the rubbing of her feet. Still soaking wet, water cascaded down her arms and legs, leaving a trail of water drops behind her. But Leia didn’t slow down. Running twice as fast, her legs and lungs screamed.

When her childhood home finally came into view, Leia slowed her run to an easy pace, trying her best to gather her breath. With each step, her breathing evened out and soon she arrived at the walkway leading to the front lanai of her parents’ home. Leia lived in a small one-bedroom apartment attached to the back of her parents’ garage. Sitting out on the front lanai was her mom, Teresa. Leia smiled and waved as she turned up the gravel walkway.

“Good morning, Leia!” Teresa’s gaze skidded over Leia’s soaked body as she climbed the front steps to the lanai. Once Leia stopped in front of Teresa, Teresa asked, “What happened to you? I know you sweat while you run, but you look like the cat dragged you in.”

“Umm. Thanks?” Leia lowered herself into the wingback chair next to Teresa and sat. Her hand roamed over the top of her damp hair, and Leia continued, “I had to save some idiot from drowning in Shark’s Cove.”

Teresa jolted forward. “Say what?” Her eyes widened.

Gingerly, Leia slipped off her hairband and put it between her teeth while she gathered her hair together. Through her teeth, Leia said, “Some guy, who almost hit me with his car while I was running, decided it was a good idea to take a morning swim by himself in Shark’s Cove.” Leia took the band and retied her long dark hair.

In an attempt to relax, Leia leaned back in her chair. But to no avail; nervous energy pumped through her veins. She tapped the armrests of her chair with closed fists. Her jaw twitched as she remembered Derek’s tauntingly perfect body. Ugh.

“And …” inquired Teresa.

“And, I couldn’t let him die, so I dove in after him. He was carried out past the safety of the cove.” Her eyes narrowed as Leia reviewed the encounter in her mind. “I swear when some of these tourists visit Hawaii all of their rational thought goes out the window.”

“I can’t believe you jumped in to save him. Why didn’t you simply call 911?” screeched Teresa.

Leia stared out at the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean from her parents’ lanai. Her parents and she lived on the North Shore. In fact, her family had lived there for generations and generations. And Leia understood why. It was the most beautiful place on the planet.

Shifting to meet Teresa’s gaze, Leia said, “He wouldn’t have made it. I didn’t think, which is probably for the best, I just went in after him so he wouldn’t drown.”

“Ahh, Leia.” Teresa reached over and patted the top of Leia’s hand with her own. “It brings back my memories of the times I worried about you when you worked as a beach lifeguard out at Waikiki Beach.”

“I was a really good lifeguard, and it helped me earn enough money to pay for college,” stated Leia.

With a smirk, Teresa replied, “And you were the only woman, so that certainly didn’t hurt. You loved hanging out with all those male lifeguards every summer.”

Leia smiled, remembering those summers so long ago. It seemed like yesterday and today wrapped up into one. “You didn’t hear me complaining,” stated Leia.

“Yes, but it didn’t stop me from worrying about you. But what were you thinking going after a grown man? You could’ve been killed.” Teresa turned her gaze away from Leia, folding her arms, she stared out at the view of the ocean. “Leia, you’re not young like you used to be. If you’re not more careful, you might injury yourself, or worse, die.”

“Hey, I’m only thirty-six,” replied Leia. “And I run marathons. I think I’m in decent shape.”

“Yes, but you haven’t been a lifeguard in like a decade and a half,” countered Teresa.

Holding up a hand in defeat, Leia said, “OK, it wasn’t my smartest move, but at least Derek isn’t dead.”

“I’m glad you andDereksurvived.” Teresa’s stiff posture slowly loosened as they both stared out at the view, admiring the idyllic setting of the crystal blue waters and sunny blue sky. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen which was exactly how Leia liked it. Interrupting the silence, Teresa asked, “Was the guy, Derek, at least cute?” Shifting in her seat, Teresa faced Leia.

“Mom,” Leia tugged at her wet shorts, avoiding eye contact. “I wasn’t checking him out.”Lie. A complete lie.

Leia wished she hadn’t found Derek attractive, not that she would ever see him again.

Teresa shrugged. “I know, but it sure doesn’t hurt if you happened to save a good-looking guy.” Then she chuckled, touching Leia on her forearm. “Remember how Dad and I met when he saved me when I was learning to surf?”

Her parents loved to retell the story of their meet cute. “Oh, I remember …” Leia smirked.

Teresa, a native Washington girl, went to the University of Hawaii for college to escape the cloudy depressing skies of her childhood. Noa, her dad who was a local, went surfing like he did every morning. That morning, Teresa was attempting to surf with some friends. Supposedly, after Noa helped Teresa get up on her surfboard for the first time, he knew Teresa was the one for him. After the encounter, they began dating and fell in love. Since then, they’d never wanted to spend a day apart from one another. Teresa stayed in Hawaii after college, marrying Noa. Leaving the overcast skies of her childhood for constant sunny weather, Teresa swears meeting Noa on the water that day was destiny.

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