Page 40 of Big Island Summer
Lani stood with both hands around a hot cup of coffee, leaning against the kitchen counter and watching him in awe.The man worked in his cafe most days, quick to jump into the lineup in the kitchen whenever they were a man down, and yet he still managed to make healthy meals for his family every single day.
He caught her staring and winked, giving her a cheeky grin.
“Did you get enough to eat?”
“I’m good,” she assured him. Their little kitchen table only had four chairs, and so she and Tenn had eaten their breakfast standing up.
“Okay. I should head into work.” He kissed her – a real kiss, heedless of how it made the girls giggle – and headed out the door, pausing to say goodbye to the girls on his way out.
Lani watched him go, her heart full to bursting with love and gratitude.
Life was good.
“Auntie!” Luana said, her voice high and reedy. “Kiki spilled the syrup!”
“Did not!” Kiki shouted.
Lani hurried to mop up the sticky orange syrup that was slowly spreading across the table. She could clearly remember days when she was so stressed and overwhelmed that even a minor mess like this one would have felt like a big deal. Now, it didn’t even faze her. She cleaned it up with a smile on her face and a few words of reassurance to the girls.
“Ididn’tspill it,” Kiki insisted.
“You did,” her sister said.
“It was an accident,” Rory said.
“Yeah, but she still spilled it. You can’t lie about something just because it’s an accident.”
“I’m not lying!” Kiki shrieked.
“Maybe she didn’t even see she spilled it,” Olivia offered. “She was trying to reach the bacon.”
“I didn’t spill it!” Kiki shot up from the table and ran out of the kitchen.
“Now look!” Rory said. “You made her sad!
“It’s just the truth.” Luana shrugged, unfazed.
Rory made to follow her cousin, but Lani held up a hand.
“You eat. I’ll get her.”
She paused to wet a paper towel before going to find Kiki, who was crying behind the couch in the living room.
“Hey there, little cousin,” Lani said, sitting down next to her. “Let me clean you up.”
“No!” Kiki turned away, still crying.
“If we get mango syrup everywhere, the ants will come.”
“Good! Ilikeants.”
“No ants allowed inside. That’s the rule.”
“Just aunties!” Rory peeked around the couch and giggled at her own joke.
“Back to the table,” Lani ordered.
“But I’m done!”
