Page 43 of Big Island Sunset
Toni put her hands on her hips and looked around. “The yard looks gorgeous, Em.”
“Does it?” She wrinkled her nose, looking from the messy pile of mulch to the weeds creeping in between tropical plants. Anywhere she looked on the property, she saw half a dozen unfinished tasks competing for her attention.
“It does! Everything looks so healthy. You’re taking great care of the place.”
“Thank you.” Emma put a hand on her chest, taking her sister’s praise to heart. Coming from someone who had devoted her whole life to growing things, her words meant a lot.
“Hello the house!” Toni called as they approached the lanai.
“Nia?” Juniper’s voice came faintly from inside. She came through the front door looking like she might burst into tears at any second. “Nia!”
“Hey, Junebug.” Toni started to say something else, but Jun rushed forward with such a fierce hug that she nearly knocked them both to the ground.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” she demanded.
“I told you I would!”
“You know what I mean!”
“I booked the flight late last night and left early this morning. I figured I’d just… come see what’s up.”
“You’re so weird,” Jun said affectionately. “Come on inside.”
They walked in through the living room to the kitchen, where four different teas simmered on the stove. Through the kitchen windows, Emma could see Kai running through the orchard and shouting the birds out of the trees.
“Mamaki?” Juniper asked, already ladling out three mugs of tea.
“Perfect,” Toni said.
“Thank you.” Emma picked up one of the mugs and sat down at the kitchen table.
“How are you feeling?” Toni asked Juniper, hovering by the stove.
“Better than I was.”
Toni unshouldered her backpack and set it on one of the kitchen chairs. Then she opened the top and started pulling things out like Mary Poppins.
“Have you been drinking ginger tea?”
“Forget drinking it,” Jun said with wry humor. “I’ve taken to eating straight ginger.”
“I formulated a new pregnancy blend.” Toni handed her a huge bag of dried herbs. “The main ingredients are oat straw and raspberry leaf, but there’s ginger and peppermint in there too.”
Juniper frowned. “Isn’t peppermint contraindicated in pregnancy?”
“You don’t want to overdo it, but small amounts in a blend is fine. It will improve the flavor – and help with your nausea.”
She nodded and hummed in response, still looking unsure.
“The main thing is to keep some food in your stomach,” Emma reminded her. “That’s what really helped me.”
“I know.” Jun sighed and sat down across from her, holding a mug of tea in both hands. “I’ve been trying, but it feels impossible once I’m already nauseous.”
“That’s why you have to eat often enough that your stomach’s never all the way empty. We’ll get some pest-proof containers for your room so that you can snack round the clock.”
“B vitamins help too,” Toni added.
“Not on an empty stomach, though. Only once you’ve been able to get some food down.”
