Page 3 of Big Island Horizons
“You’d better,” Lani joked, “or else I’m selling the goats.”
Emma laughed and opened the back door. “Okay, kiddo. Time to go.”
“I don’t want to go.” Kai clutched the seatbelt to his chest and shrunk back in the seat.
“We have to go into the airport now.”
“I want to go home. I want to stay with Dio.”
Emma and Lani exchanged a look.
Lani said, “We’ll take good care of Dio. I promise.”
In her brightest voice, Emma added, “Harper and Kylie are so excited to see you!”
“Who’s that?” Rory demanded.
“His cousins.”
Her little face scrunched up in indignation. “I’mhis cousin!”
“He has cousins in California too.”
“And Juniper,” Kai added with a sniff. “Juniper’s my biggest cousin.”
“That’s right, Juniper’s waiting for us. And her new baby brother!”
“Okay.” His voice was tragic as he unbuckled his seatbelt and slowly opened the door. “Goodbye, Rory. Bye, Auntie Lani.”
“Aloha,” Lani said. She circled back around to the driver’s seat
“A hui hou,” Rory added through the open window, her voice forlorn.
“Okay,” Emma said through the window once she’d gathered her luggage. “I love you both. See you soon!”
“Now what?” Rory asked in a miserable little voice as Lani drove away.
“Beach?” she suggested.
Rory let out a little sigh. “I guess.”
There was a lovely beach near the airport. Like most of the best beaches on the island, it was hidden away. She drove past the harbor and parked in a nondescript little dirt lot, then led Rory down a short path to the beach.
“Mama, look!” Rory gasped, back to her usual self. “Honu!”
She sprinted towards the sea turtles that rested on the rocks, stopped a respectful distance away, and crouched down to look at them. By the time Lani caught up, Rory was done with that and ready to jump into the water.
They swam and played until sunset, and then Lani wrapped her shivering baby girl up in an oversized beach towel and settled her onto her lap. They sat there for a long time, just them and the turtles, watching the sky go through every shade of pink and orange and gold.
They grabbed a quick dinner in town, and Rory passed out before they were even halfway up the mountain.
Lani took advantage of the drive to play an audiobook that she had been listening to piecemeal for weeks, instead of the usual Disney songs andPete the CatCD from the library that were their staples on long drives.
Tara was looking after the goats tonight, so there was no rush. She drove slowly through the thick fog that had gathered on the high plateau of the saddle road. And when she did finally arrive in Pualena, she didn’t drive home.
She drove through the drizzling rain and unlit streets, passing hers by, and turning onto the street that held Alfred Lord Tennyson Nakamura.
Tenn had left the porch light on. When she parked, he came out with an umbrella and held it over her as she carried her sleeping daughter into the house. Olivia was already asleep in the top bunk, and Lani tucked Rory in below.
