Page 40 of Big Island Moonlight
“A bit tired,” she admitted.
“We have comfy chairs set up in the orchard,” Emma told her, taking her arm. “Come on through.”
Cody held the gate open for them, then waited for Fern and Ethan to walk through before closing it behind them.
“Is this all for me?” Juniper asked as they came into sight of the gathering in the orchard.
“All for you,” Emma assured her. “Keith had to teach, but he dropped by with a couple of botanical gifts. I’ll show you later.”
Behind them, the sound of Cody and Ethan making small talk eased Emma’s heart.
A moment later, the sight of Tara embracing Juniper did the same. Even Cody looked about ready to cry in relief. It had been an emotionally fraught time for both families, and Emma felt deeply grateful that everyone had come together that day to show their support for the new parents.
“You’re not mad at me anymore?” Juniper asked in a small voice, too quiet to be heard beyond the circle of their immediate family.
Tara’s eyes went wide. “I was never mad at you.”
“You weren’t?” she asked skeptically.
“No! I was… mad at myself, maybe. Disappointed in Cody, if I’m being honest. But mostly upset with myself for not being around more. I was scared for you, for both of you. But I was never angry. I’m so sorry if I made you think that I was.”
Juniper nodded. She looked near tears, overwhelmed by relief and exhaustion and hormones.
Tara put her arms around Jun, who leaned into her and let out a small sob. The older woman looked at Emma, her expression laced with guilt and grief. But when she spoke to Jun, her voice was soft and calm.
“Why don’t you sit down over here? I’ll bring you something to eat.”
“We just had a picnic,” Jun said, chuckling and blinking away tears at the same time.
Tara glared at her son. “You knew I was cooking for the baby shower.”
“I had to get her away somehow. What was I supposed to do,notfeed her?”
Juniper laughed again. “It’s okay. I’ll be hungry again in a minute anyhow. I’m always hungry these days.”
“With good reason,” Tara said. She still had an arm around Jun’s shoulders.
“How about some lemonade?” Emma offered.
Juniper caught sight of her big glass drink dispensers and grinned. “Sure. Sounds great.”
Tara settled Jun in the throne they had constructed from an oversized beach chair and blankets and cushions, and Emma joined them a moment later with a tall glass of pink lemonade.
The baby shower was a success, with all of their community in attendance, plus a crowd of friends that Cody and Juniper had made working the farmers markets all up and down the island’s eastern coast.
The market crowd presented the young mother with all sorts of local goodies, including big bags of macadamia nuts and gallon-sized jars of honey. ‘Olena, heavily pregnant herself, gave Jun a basket full of practical everyday essentials. Fern announced a postpartum yoga class that would start the next month, and Tara promised a lifetime supply of island-grown meal deliveries.
When Juniper opened her card from Ethan and read what was inside, she burst into tears. Cody’s eyes went wide, and he knelt next to her chair.
“What is it?” He had one hand on her shoulder and the other on her knee, like he could shield her from the world. “What’s wrong?”
Juniper couldn’t speak. She just shook her head and handed him the card. He read it quickly, then looked at Ethan with a solemn expression.
“Thank you.”
Emma moved closer to Ethan and gave her twin a questioning look.
“I paid for her midwife,” he said quietly.
