Page 18 of Big Island Summer
Mourning Adam in the house that they’d shared had nearly killed her.
In California, Ethan had to face reminders of his life with Laurel everywhere he looked. There was no outrunning grief, but sometimes the weight of it felt less crushing in a new place – especially a place as beautiful as Hawai‘i.
Nell had been kind enough to watch Kai again so that Emma didn’t have to drag him across the island and back. Usually when she picked someone up from the airport, they would make a day of it, hit up the beaches and stock up on food at Costco. This time, though, she just planned to pick her brother up and headhome. It was already a rough travel day for her little nephew without adding hours of sun and sand and shopping.
“We’re running early,” she told Juniper as they coasted past the airport. “Let’s pick up some lunch for everybody.”
“Sounds good.”
Emma took Jun to her favorite burger joint on the island. The buns were baked fresh every day, and everything inside of them was island grown. Juniper was unenthused, but her first bite seemed to revive her.
“So ono!” she exclaimed. “California drive throughs have got nothing on this.”
“Good, right?”
“Best burger ever.” Her eyes went to the screen mounted on the wall, which showed pro surfers in Portugal, tiny dots shredding the front of sixty-foot waves.
They lapsed into silence, but it felt easier now, less weighted with things left unsaid. Emma was learning that keeping her teenage niece fed was the best way to help her cope with her grief. A missed meal was enough to pull her under.
When they pulled up to the airport, Ethan was waiting out front with baby Teddy and one giant duffel bag. Emma parked in the loading zone and jumped out to greet her brother. He went for Juniper first, pulling his daughter into a one-armed hug. She extricated herself by pulling her baby brother into her arms and lavishing him with attention.
As soon as Emma put her arms around her twin brother, his chest started to shake with silent sobs. She held him tighter, and he clung to her like a drowning man.
After a couple of minutes, the car behind them started to honk.
“We should go.” Emma patted her brother’s back and dropped her arms.
“Right.” Ethan straightened, glanced at his kids, and cursed under his breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot Teddy’s car seat.” He scrubbed the tears from his face with the sleeve of his plaid shirt, which looked way too heavy for a summer day in Kona. “I put it in Mom’s car for the drive to the airport but I forgot to get it out. He didn’t have his own seat on the plane and I completely–”
“It’s okay,” Emma interrupted. “I have one.”
Ethan bent double and looked through the back window of her car. “You just assumed I would forget a car seat for my own kid?”
“Didn’t you?” Juniper muttered.
He gave her a sharp look. Before he could say anything, Emma put a hand on his arm.
“I have a mom and two kids living in the ‘ohana unit, remember? She doesn’t have a car, so we share. There’s always a seat in my car. Her baby’s bigger than Teddy, but we can adjust the straps and lean the seat back a bit.”
She went into the back seat and made the necessary adjustments while Juniper rocked the baby. The impatient driver behind them honked again, and Ethan stared him down.
“Okay Jun,” Emma said, “put Teddy in so I can get the straps right.”
Juniper sat in the back seat with her brother and clipped him in as Emma slid back into the driver’s seat. Ethan got in next to her, every muscle in his body tight with misery. She felt heartbroken for him and annoyed by him at the same time, like she wanted to hug himandslap him upside the head. Typical sibling stuff.
“Has Teddy eaten?” she asked as she put the car in Drive.
“I gave him a bottle on the plane just before we landed.”
“Okay, good. So we can drive straight home, maybe stop halfway if he needs a diaper change or anything. We have a burger for you.”
Juniper passed the bag up from the back seat, and Ethan accepted it with a mumbledthank you. Emma’s anxiety eased slightly as she turned onto the highway.
The car was quiet as Ethan devoured the burger.
