Page 50 of Big Island Summer
“I guess… I wanted to look at the colors and be happy. I was fixing up.” He looked up at her, dark eyes shining with guilt. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s your wall, kiddo.” She tip-toed through the lego obstacle course, sat down on Kai’s bed, and opened her arms. He rushed into them, and she pulled him onto her lap, holding him in a hug.
“I don’t even like them,” he admitted. “I was just mad.”
“Why were you mad?”
“Because you asked Jun if she wanted to help pick colors, even though I was right there.”
“Oh, Kai,” Emma sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m not mad anymore.” He paused. “Are you mad?”
“No, I’m not mad.” She squeezed him tighter.
“That’s good.”
“I have a plan.”
“What’s the plan?” He wriggled away until he could see her face.
“We go downstairs and eat. Then we come up here and work together to wash the wall.”
“We can wash it?”
“They’re washable markers.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
“Then we can go to the store together and get a bunch of paint samples. We’ll bring them back here, and you can decide which color you want on your walls.”
“Really?” he exclaimed.
“Good plan?”
“Ilovethat plan.”
She grinned and kissed his cheek. “Good. Let’s go eat some breakfast.”
15
Lani
“They’re home!” Kiki unbuckled and opened the door before the truck had even come to a complete stop.
“Hey!” Lani snapped. Her tone was sharp enough to make her little cousin freeze. “Wait until the truck stops moving.”
“Sorry, Auntie.”
The second she put the truck into Park, both girls were out the doors and racing up the drive.
Lani got out too, but she paused and stretched, relishing the heat of undiluted summer sunshine on her skin. The persistent cloud cover had finally relented, allowing summer to shine down on Pualena in all of its blue-skied glory.
And she would be spending the day indoors. Typical.
Oh well. At least Rory was out enjoying the sunshine.
The front door to ‘Olena’s house opened, and she laughed as both of her daughters barrelled into her.
