Page 80 of Big Island Sunrise
Lani was working frantically in the kitchen, putting together food platters and party favors. This was Rory’s first real birthday party, surrounded by friends and family, and she wanted to get it right.
Whatever that meant.
Her brain was fried by sleepless nights and relentless stress, and the small task of pulling together a kid’s birthday party felt gargantuan.
Luckily, she didn’t have to do it alone.
“Thepiñata’s ready,” Emma whispered. “You bought way more goodies than I could fit into that little unicorn. They’re all on my bed, if you want to add them to your bags of party favors.”
“The same stuff in both?” Lani’s brow pulled into a worried frown, her default expression lately. “Won’t that be disappointing?”
Emma’s face quirked into a crooked smile. “How many piñatas have you seen come down?”
“Just the one.” She and Rory had seen a birthday party at the park recently. They’d stood and watched as a group of boys dismembered a paper-mache superhero and then fought over his candy innards. Lani had found the whole spectacle somewhat disturbing. But if her girl wanted a unicorn piñata, then by God she would get a unicorn piñata.
“It’s a mess. Kai usually ends up in tears because other kids got more or he didn’t get the thing he wanted. You can save the day by handing out goodie bags and nipping that jealousy in the bud.”
“If you say so.” Lani picked up the paper shopping bag full of goodie bags.
She had tried to find things that wouldn’t completely destroy everyone’s teeth, but the alternative was piles of plastic: bubble wands, stickers, temporary tattoos. Fodder for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The whole thing felt like a lose-lose.
“Are you okay?” Emma asked.
She smiled. It felt forced and foreign. “Not really.”
Emma squeezed her arm. “You’re doing great.”
“I’m still standing. That’s something.”
“That’s everything. Why don’t you go finish the goody bags? I’ll cover up these snack trays and find some room in the fridge.”
“Okay, thanks.”
‘Olena and her girls were the first guests to arrive. Mahina and Mano pulled up just a few minutes later, in the same car as Kekoa and his son ‘Iolani.
“Where’s the birthday girl?” Mahina asked. She made a show of looking around, even though Rory stood just a few feet away with her cousins.
“That’s me!” She hopped up and down in her excitement. “It’smybirthday!”
“Aurora?” Mahina played like she was shocked. “Rory King, is that you? So tall and grown up?”
Rory giggled. “It’sme, Auntie!”
“So it is! Hello, birthday girl!” She pulled aleiout from behind her back and draped it around Rory’s neck. “Hau’oli la hanau.”
“Wow.” Rory lifted the lower edge of the flower necklace with gentle reverence, admiring the spiral of white, purple, and pale green orchids. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Auntie ‘Olena has something for you too,” Mahina told her.
“This is ahaku lei,” ‘Olena said, crowning Rory with a ring of green leaves and white flowers that shone against her dark hair.
“I feel like a princess,” Rory said, eyes shining.
Lani’s own eyes stung with tears. They had missed out on so many years with family, but they were here now. Here in time for Rory’s fifth birthday and so many core memories yet to come.
And they weren’t going anywhere.
“Quick, take a picture,” Mahina said. “While she still has all her flowers.”
