Page 7 of Big Island Horizons
“It doesn’t have to be too late, Lei. We could try again.”
She just shook her head.
“Daddy!” Luana had come around the corner with a pie plate full of muck, which she tossed to the ground in her excitement.
“Hey there, Lulu!” His voice was deep and rich, all traces of sorrow gone as he stood and opened his arms to their daughter. She ran into them, followed a moment later by Kiki.
An unwelcome yearning vibrated through ‘Olena’s chest, like a chord struck by the sight of the three of them together. Their girls were big now, but Nate still stood easily with one in each arm. The sheer size of him made them look younger than they were, almost like babies again.
For a second, ‘Olena could almost let herself be fooled into thinking that they could start over. They could reset the clock, be a family again.
But no. She was too old and too wise to fall for his promises.
It always started out this way, with heartfelt words and the best of intentions.
And he always left.
No more. She had worked too hard and come too far.
“Can we spend the night at Daddy’s house?” Luana asked.
“Can we, Mama?” Kiki added. Her arms were wrapped tight around his neck, her round cheek pressed against the broad line of his jaw. “Please?”
“Sure,” she consented.
She hated an empty house. But it was what it was.
For years, she had wanted him to step up and take the girls more. Now he finally was, and she half wished that hewouldjust go get on another ship.
“I have to get Honu!” Luana wriggled out of Nate’s arms and ran inside to find her stuffed turtle. Kiki would usually be right on her sister’s heels, but instead she seemed to be relishing the unexpected luxury of having their dad all to herself.
“I’ll see you at the beach park tomorrow?” ‘Olena asked.
“We’ll be there.”
She nodded and said her goodbyes to the girls, then picked up her last bundle of hibiscus cuttings and headed to the back yard. She was going to make this house a home, one twig at a time.
3
Tara
“Okay, are you ready?” Tara opened the passenger-side door for Paige.
“Ready!” Her hair was in two long braids today; they shone like burnished copper against her blue shirt. She was nearly vibrating with excitement, eager to start her twice-weekly lessons.
Piper, who enjoyed riding but didn’t love horses with quite the same single-minded passion as her twin, would be hanging home with Cody.
The sixteen year old walked past them now. As Tara started the car, he opened the long front gate that stretched across the end of their driveway.
“Good luck today,” she said as she drove through. He was due to give a powerpoint presentation today in his online biology class.
Well, he certainly had plenty of real life experience to draw on. At a signal from Cody, their farm dogs herded a flock of chickens up the driveway so that he could close the gate. A curious goat tried to nose her way out at the last minute, but he pulled her back by one horn.
Paige found the next CD of an audiobook that she had checked out at the library and popped it into the car stereo, leaving Tara’s thoughts free to wander as the narrative of a girl and her horse faded to background noise.
Her thoughts were fully focused on their destination – or rather, on the man who was there waiting for her.
Tara, I’ve loved you for years.
