Page 20 of Big Island Horizons
“The ones over on the west side are like ten feet long. They come up to the surface at night to feed. It’s amazing. I went years ago, and I’ve always wanted to go back.”
“That sounds incredible.”
“We could arrange a sleepover for the girls, stay the night in Kona?”
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
“Daddy!” Olivia ran across the grass and crashed into Tenn, knocking him backwards. “Will you spin us?”
“You’re doing a good job spinning yourselves.”
“No! We’re too slow. I want to go really fast!”
“Okay, okay.” He let his daughter pull him up off of the ground and over to the rope cone that stood at the center of the playground on a rotating platform.
Kids flocked to the rope web or fled, depending on their preference for speed, and Tenn started it spinning. Rory clung to Olivia and cackled with laughter.
Lani sat in the shade and watched them, smiling.
When her phone buzzed, she checked it out of habit and then immediately wished that she hadn’t. Another new number. Another message from Zeke.
You think you can just pretend I don’t exist? You promised me. For better or for worse.
She blocked the number, knowing that he would only get another burner phone to harass her from. It was exhausting.
Why couldn’t he just let her go?
8
‘Olena
‘Olena was the first to arrive for the New Horizons community workday. It was a typical Pualena morning: clear blue skies, grass and leaves still glistening from the rain that had fallen overnight. The whole world was freshly washed and shining.
Was it any wonder that she had never wanted to live anyplace else?
She put a big bowl of mac salad on a picnic table in the shade and then stood nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot as she watched her daughters on the swings.
Plenty of people thought that fixing up the community center and running it as a local nonprofit was a great idea. But how many would actually show?
The spirit ofalohawas strong in Pualena.
Punctuality, though? Not so much.
She would be glad if anyone showed up today at all.
Slowly, though, people began to arrive.
Nell was the first, carrying a loaf of banana bread all the way across town. She had her baby in a carrier on her chest, a backpack on her back, and her daughter’s hand in hers.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t make it to the co-op this week,” she said as she put her offering on the table. “Our family only has one car, and my partner uses it to get to work. Once you’re based here at New Horizons, we’ll be able to walk.”
“You should have told me. If you want to come to the beach with us on Monday, I’ll pick you up.”
“Really?”
“Sure, we have room. At least on Mondays we do. There are other carpools in the neighborhood too. We’ll figure it out.”
“Thank you.” Nell’s amber eyes shone with tears, overly grateful for this negligible act of kindness. ‘Olena wondered again what her home life was like and whether she had any support system in place at all… but Nell would share those details of her life when and if she chose to.
