Page 24 of Big Island Summer
She settled Teddy in the hand-me-down crib she’d brought in and then turned to look at Ethan. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring into space, insensible of anything going on around him.
“Hey, little brother.” Emma was Twin A, born ten minutes first, and it was something she had lorded over him their entire childhood. At some point, it had become a term of endearment instead of a taunt. “How are you holding up?”
Ethan straightened and blinked. It was a few seconds before his eyes finally focused on her.
“Oh. Hi, Em.” He glanced at the open curtains. “Good morning?”
She sat down next to him and asked, “Did you sleep at all?”
“Yeah, I slept hard. That’s the easy part. It’s waking up that’s tough.”
Emma patted his back and looked out the window. Dio walked by with his nose to the ground, tail wagging behind him. The yard was turning from gray to gold as the sun climbed higher.
“The memorial’s today,” she said.
“Yup.” Ethan cleared his throat. “Her dad organized it. That’s half the reason I’m here, I think. Couldn’t face it. Couldn’t face him.”
“I get it. Going to Adam’s was awful. It felt like having my skin flayed off.”
“But would skipping it have been even worse?”
Emma watched through the window as Dio ran at a pair of doves, who took to the air with their usual dramatic racket.
“I don’t know.” She took a breath and stood. “We’ve got waffles in the kitchen. Come and eat while Teddy’s asleep.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I know.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Come and eat anyway.”
He sighed heavily, but he rose to his feet and followed her through to the kitchen.
“Mom, I’m done eating!” Kai shouted. “I even put my plate in the sink? Can I go next door? I’ll go the fence way. Piper said she’d show me the new bunnies.”
Emma glanced at the clock. In California, she never would have let Kai bother the neighbors before seven in the morning – not that they’d ever had kids next door to bother. But they lived in rural Hawaii, she knew that Tara’s whole household had been up since first light.
“Sure, that’s fine.”
“Thank you!” Kai raced out the kitchen door, and she closed it behind him.
“I’m headed out too.” Juniper stood by the stove, filling a travel mug with tea. “Cody and I are headed up to Nate’s place to pick lychee for a few hours, and then I’m meeting up with Lani.”
“Have fun.” Emma squeezed her arm in passing and put waffles into the toaster oven.
“I want you to come straight home after work,” Ethan said.
Juniper gave him a blank look. “What?”
“I think you should spend some time with me and your brother.”
“I just spent the whole morning with Teddy while you stared at a wall!”
“What ‘whole morning’, Jun? It’s not even seven o’clock.”
“I have to go,” she muttered and started for the door.
“Tell that Cody kid that he can bring you straight back here after work.”
She stopped to look at him, nostrils flared in irritation. “No.”
