Page 23 of Big Island Summer
“Also I’m hungry.”
“Okay, okay, I’m up.” Emma pulled Adam’s old robe on against the morning chill and followed Kai down the stairs.
Juniper was pacing in the kitchen with her baby brother, trying unsuccessfully to hush his cries.
“Auntie Em, I don’t know what’s wrong with him!” At the sound of Juniper’s distressed voice in her ear, Teddy scrunched up his little face and wailed. “His diaper’s dry, and Dad just gave him a bottle a couple hours ago!”
“Sometimes babies cry,” Emma said for the second time that day. She held out her arms, and Juniper relinquished the screaming baby with relief. His whole body went tight with indignation at the handoff, and he wailed even louder. Emma cradled him in one arm, moving the screaming down away from her ear.
“I want waffles,” Kai whined.
“I can whip up some waffles,” Juniper volunteered.
“We still have some of Tara’s ‘ulu wafflers in the freezer,” Emma told her.
“Perfect.”
Emma grabbed a fuzzy blanket that was hanging over the back of one of the kitchen chairs, wrapped it around Teddy, and stepped outside.
The sky was bright behind a thin layer of clouds that looked as though they might actually burn off when the sun got a bit higher. The air was full of birdsong.
She rocked from side to side, humming and rubbing her nephew’s back.
Gradually, he quieted.
“Rough week, huh?” She smiled down at Teddy as she looked into his hazel-gray eyes. “First your mama disappears, and then your dad brings you to a whole new place full of new faces. You’re safe here, baby boy. I promise.”
Teddy’s breathing hiccuped and juddered, then slowly smoothed out as she continued to rock him and hum. Eventually, even the scowl above his owlish eyes relaxed.
“There you go, sweetheart. You’re okay.”
Slowly, his eyelids began to droop. A few minutes later, he was asleep. His body was warm and relaxed in Emma’s arms. She stood outside a while longer, watching a charm of saffron finches hop across the lawn and relishing the feeling of a baby in her arms.
She and Adam had always planned on having at least one more.
Now, she had accepted the fact that she never would.
Babies were so easy to love. Emma loved each of her nieces – and now her nephew – as dearly as her own son. Taking care of Teddy would be a joy.
But he wasn’therbaby. He was Ethan’s. And if anything could pull her brother back to the land of the living, it was his son.
She walked back up the steps and into the kitchen, where she was greeted by the warm smell of breadfruit waffles and the tang of lilikoi syrup. One of Juniper’s teas simmered on the stove, adding spiced steam to the air.
Kai and Juniper were at the table, their plates piled high.
“There’s more if you want it,” Jun said.
“Thank you.” Emma shifted Teddy’s weight in her arms. “Where’s your dad?”
Jun shrugged. “In his room, I think.”
Emma walked through the open door to the guest room and found her brother sitting in the dark. She paused for a second,then crossed to the window and opened the curtains. Weak morning sunlight filtered through, pushing back the recalcitrant gloom.
The curtains were old and musty, and she made a mental note to run them through the wash and hang them outside as soon as the sun broke through the clouds. Nearly everything in the house had been there for decades, and a stubborn mildew had settled into half of it. Emma had put most of her efforts into saving the garden, but now that she had decided to stay for good, it was time to give the inside of the house some love and attention too.
In all my free time,she thought wryly.
The garden and goats alone were a full-time job. Between that and homeschooling Kai and serving the community where she could, her days were full.
