Page 53 of Big Island Moonlight
“I’ll show you!” She wiggled out of his arms and ran to her room.
“What are you doing here?” Lani asked.
He looked at her with concern. “I am visiting our daughter.”
“You can’t just show up without calling.”
“Scusami, Lani, but I did call. You did not receive my messages?”
Lani went searching for her phone, which was still buried in the oversized tote bag that she used as a purse. Sure enough, buried in two days’ worth of chatter and group texts, there were unread messages from Lorenzo saying that he was comingto visit followed by messages saying he had landed and then arrived in Pualena.
“Right. Sorry.” She ran a hand over her eyes, overwhelmed and tired. “I’ve been trying to spend less time on my phone, but I should have checked.”
“I am sorry for the late notice. I suddenly had some time free from work, and I missed her very much, so I found a last-minute ticket. I am here only for two weeks.”
“It’s okay. I get it.” She could hardly imagine spending two days away from her daughter, never mind months on end.
“Look, Babbo!” Rory ran out and presented him with the bracelet she had made. It was a mix of pink and orange plastic beads, and Lorenzo accepted it like it was the most precious item he had ever received. He immediately slipped it onto his wrist.
“Where are you staying?” Lani asked.
“I am again renting a room from the Kalama family.”
“Dawn and Kimo?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” She blinked in surprise. “I didn’t realize that you were renting from Dawn. When you were here before.” But then, she had never let him take Rory back to his place… a measure that had felt self-evident at the time but seemed overbearing in hindsight.
Dawn Kalama was a friend of the family, one of her many aunties growing up. All of the Kalama sisters were older than Lani, but she knew them in the way that everyone in Pualena knew each other. The oldest sister, Halia, ran the local women’s shelter that had given Nell and her children refuge when they needed it.
“Are they still in that big house down by the cliffs?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Nice. They fostered some of my classmates growing up, so I was in and out of that house a bit. Birthday parties and stuff.”
“It’s a beautiful home. I would like to bring Rory there for a visit, if you will let us. There are many things there for her to play with. They have granddaughters close to her age.”
“Can I go, Mama?” Rory grabbed her arm and clung to it, picking her feet up off the ground to hang on her.
“Sure, baby. That’s okay.”
“Yay!” She released Lani and launched herself at Lorenzo.
“I’m driving to Kona today.” A low anxiety simmered in Lani’s chest. She reminded herself that Lorenzo had earned her trust. “I can come by the Kalama place and pick Rory up around bedtime, if that’s okay? About an hour after sunset?”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
“Okay.” She steeled herself and forced a smile as she patted Rory’s shoulder. “Have fun today.”
“Bye, Mama! Bye, Livie!”
Lani turned to see Olivia standing behind them in the hallway looking sad and confused.
“Hey, sweetheart.” She moved towards Olivia as Lorenzo carried Rory out the door. “We had a surprise visitor. Rory’s going with her babbo for the day.”
“Does this mean that we’re not going to the beach?” she asked.
