Page 54 of Big Island Moonlight
Lani knelt in front of her stepdaughter. “I still have to go to those stores in Kona. Do you want to come along, just you and me?”
She brightened. “Yeah!”
“We’ll get some burgers for lunch, and you can pick the beach. Sound good?”
Olivia surprised her with a hug, squeezing tight. The almost eight year old was much less demonstrative than Rory, in someways still shy around Lani despite all of the time that they had spent together.
Lani missed her daughter already, but suddenly she was grateful to have a full day of quality time with Livie.
“Come on,” she said when Olivia finally stepped back. “Let’s go have a Kona beach day.”
19
Emma
Riotous birdsong woke Emma at first light.
She lay still, watching the sky go from deep purple to an otherworldly shade of lavender. Kai breathed steadily to her right. When she turned to the left, she found Keith’s eyes already open.
“I bet you always wake up at dawn,” she whispered.
“I’m usually up before the sun.” Slowly, without moving their trampoline bed, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face.
Their first sleepover had been just that – sleep. They had simply rested side by side, his arms around her, and Emma slept deeper than she had in a long time.
This time, they’d slept out under the stars, and Kai had joined them.
Emma found Keith’s patience with her snail-like pace deeply touching. But when she’d said as much, that first morning theywoke up together, he’d corrected her. Lying there now, looking into his eyes in the first silvery light of day, that conversation replayed in her head.
“I’m not patient, Em.”
“You’re not?”
“No. Patience is for when you’re putting up with something unpleasant. Is that how last night felt to you?”
“No. It felt… safe.”
“I’m not in a rush, Em. Moving slowly… it’s not a burden to me. Everything moves and grows in its own time. I’m happy just to be near you.”
“Being near you makes me happy,” she whispered, echoing what he had said that first morning. “The real kind of joy. The deep, steady kind. I haven’t felt that way in a long time.”
Slowly, he closed the space between them and kissed her.
She settled her head on his chest, and he wrapped both arms around her. They stayed that way for a long time, staring up at the lavender sky and listening to the birds.
Then a newborn wail rose up from the ‘ohana, and Kai stirred.
“My hair is all wet,” he said groggily. “Did it rain?”
“Hey there, kiddo.” Emma rolled over and brushed fine drops of water from her son’s forehead. “That’s just the morning dew.”
He made a sleepy sound and cuddled into her. When he opened his eyes a moment later, he looked across her and said, “Good morning, Keith.”
“Good morning, bud.”
“Mama, can I have waffles?”
“Sure, I can make waffles.” She navigated her way out of the mess of blankets and then through the netting that surrounded the trampoline.
