Page 92 of Big Island Summer
She kept pace with Kai as he swam across the pool, giving Juniper a high-five in passing.
Maybe someday she would let romance into her life again. The idea felt a bit more tangible, a bit less farfetched, than it would have a few months ago.
She was open to the possibility, but she wasn’t in a rush.
For now, summer sunshine and the sound of her son’s laughter were all she needed.
26
Nell
The mood in the car was tense as they drove south to Punalu‘u.
Over the past few weeks, Hugh had spent countless hours negotiating with his ex-wife. She claimed that she was open to giving him primary physical custody, but every time he gave in to another one of her demands, she came up with new ones.
Nell didn’t know the woman, so she didn’t know if she was actively trying to torture him or just loath to let go of her little girl… at this point, it seemed like a bit of both.
Hugh was slowly losing hope as the weeks wore on.
With the end of summer approaching, he was faced with a choice: send Daisy to the mainland to start school in Washington state or take his case before a judge. Either option would be hard on his daughter and probably a nightmare for the whole family, and so he was holding out as long as he could.
He tried to keep his spirits up, tried to smile and play with his daughter in the time that they had left, but Nell had watched his mood deflate until he was driving around with a soul like a flat tire.
When the main road turned west, they followed a narrow road to the coast. Thick greenery swallowed them for a minute, plunging the car into shade, and then they burst back out into the sunlight of the beach parking lot.
ALOHA!Over by the picnic area, bright yellow letters shone a greeting against a deep blue backdrop. The beach itself seemed to soak up the sunlight. It was pitch-black on the shadowy side and dusted with golden light on the sunny side of the tiny hills and dunes that scalloped the surface of the sand. A thick line of palm trees angled towards the horizon, leaning eagerly towards the ocean waves.
“There’s Tenn’s truck,” she said, pointing. “And Emma’s car. Look, they saved us a spot.”
Hugh pulled into the free spot in the smaller parking lot that doubled as a campsite. All of their friends were there already, saltwater in their hair and smiles on their faces.
“Finally!” Daisy threw open the door as soon as the truck pulled to a stop. “I’m going swimming!”
Hugh sighed and looked apologetically at Nell. “Will you keep an eye on her while I unload everything?”
“Sure.” She glanced uncertainly at Daisy, who had been waylaid by Emma, and then turned to look at the plastic mirror affixed to the backseat. Her toddler was sound asleep in his rear-facing car seat.
“I’ll be right here with Everett,” Hugh assured her. “All the windows are down, but I’ll move him into the tent if it starts to get too hot.”
“Okay, thanks.” She turned her attention to Cassie. “Want to go down to the beach?”
“Yes!” She threw her door open and ran after Daisy.
Down on the beach, the girls squealed and laughed when their feet hit the water. It was a rough beach with a strong rip tide, and Nell stayed close.
Hawaiian green sea turtles dozed in the sunshine farther down the beach. She admired them from a distance, her gaze flicking back to the girls every few seconds to make sure they didn’t go too deep.
Kai and Emma splashed past them, headed into the rough surf with their boogie boards.
Up the beach in the afternoon sunshine, Lani and her two girls lounged on a giant picnic blanket with sketchbooks and watercolors. Behind them, bright purple flowers carpeted the surface of the lagoon.
Nell’s nerves gradually unwound as the beauty of the black-sand beach and lush green coast seeped into her soul.
Whatever happened, she and her babies had what they needed. They lived in the most beautiful place on Earth, and they had good people around them.
She didn’tneedanything else.
She wanted Hugh – wanted a life with him so badly that it scared her. But his daughterneededhim. And whatever he had to do for her, whether that was moving to Washington or getting into a legal battle to keep her in Hawai‘i, Nell would understand.
