Page 87 of Big Island Summer
She walked into the kitchen. Slowly, her worries and insecurity began to fade.
They evaporated completely when he greeted her with a kiss to the cheek.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“I could eat.” She looked down at Theo, who was gumming on his fingers. “How about you?”
He replied at length, still chewing on his hand.
“Pop him in his high chair,” Ethan said. “I made him some scrambled eggs, and they’re just about cool enough to eat.
Fern lowered Theo into the chair, where he immediately started banging on the tray like it was a new set of bongo drums. She played along, drumming on the table, and he screeched happily. Whoever would have thought that such a shrill sound would bring her so much joy?
“Something to drink?” Ethan asked. “I bought every one of Juniper’s iced tea blends at the market today, so we’ve got lots to choose from.”
“Hibiscus?”
“I hear the bright purple one is hibiscus forward.”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“Here.” He poured her a glass of tea and pulled out her chair. “Take a seat.”
“Thank you,” she said again.
This solicitous, smiling version of her upstairs neighbor was so different from the brooding contractor she had shared the building with all summer. Was it possible that the bright smiles she had glimpsed here and there were the real him? Was that what he had been like most of his life, before grief had knocked him flat?
He set a plate down in front of her, a huge slice of lasagna and a side of island-grown sprouts.
“I bought a ginger dressing at the market too,” he said, putting a glass bottle down in front of her, “if you’d like to try.”
Fern just stared.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“You seem… different.”
She caught another flash of that boyish smile that she loved so much. Ethan grabbed another glass and plate from the counter, set them down, and then went back for Theo’s scrambled eggs. They were in a bowl that had a big suction cup on the bottom, and he pressed it carefully onto the highchair tray.
“I’m feeling more like myself these days,” Ethan said as he sat down. His expression was thoughtful as he reached for her hand. “It’s slow going, but I feel like the fog is finally starting to lift… like I can see what life might look like going forward, and I like what I see.”
Fern tried to take in one of her yogic breaths, but her lungs seemed to hitch and catch on her ribcage.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m okay.” She took another shuddering breath. “Just… would you be careful throwing those ‘we need to talk’s around? I thought you were going to tell me you made a mistake.”
“What kind of mistake?”
“When you kissed me.”
His eyes widened in surprise, and he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
“No,” he assured her. “No. Fern, I’ve made plenty of mistakes. But this,” he squeezed her hand, “whatever this is, it’s not one of them.”
“Good. Because I don’t want to lose you. Either of you.”
His grin was dazzling. “I feel the same way.”
