Page 23 of Big Island Moonlight
Juniper’s cheeks warmed, and she smiled as she turned away.
They walked hand in hand back across the cliffs, and then he drove her home. He unloaded the van before he left, and she washed all of her market supplies before going inside. By thetime she was done, her feet and shoulders ached right down to her bones.
Emma was in the kitchen, assembling some sort of chopped salad in a giant plastic bowl.
“There you are!” she said brightly. “We leave for the potluck in about ten minutes.”
“I forgot that was today.” A fierce and sudden exhaustion overtook her, and she rubbed her eyes. Emma turned to face her.
“Do you still want to come?”
She shook her head. “No. Sorry. I’m beat.”
Emma looked at her with concern. “Are you feeling alright?”
Jun summoned up a wan smile. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
The concern on her face didn’t shift. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you. I just need to lay down for a while.”
“Have you eaten?”
“Yep, I had huli huli chicken at the market. Veggies and rice too. I’m good.”
“Okay. Go get some rest.”
Juniper nodded and started up the stairs. It was a serious workout just hauling her belly up to her room, and her muscles ached with exhaustion. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep going like this… but if she wanted to be able to afford the midwife who made her feel safe, she couldn’t afford not to.
She made it up the stairs and staggered to her bed, where she pressed her back to the wall so that her whole belly would fit on the narrow mattress. Seconds later, she was asleep.
9
Lani
It was an overcast day with low-lying clouds that obscured the sun and confounded Lani’s sense of time. She was so immersed in her work that she completely forgot to pick the girls up from soccer.
Her alarm – foolishly timed for the minute she should head out the door – found her curled up on the couch in her pajamas, working to get the curve of an Iwi’s beak just right. Unwilling to rush out the door when she was in her groove, she texted her cousin.
Hey, would you mind picking my girls up along with yours? I lost track of time.
No problem,‘Olena answered.
You’re a lifesaver. Meet you at the park?
Her cousin gave her a thumbs up, and Lani finished what she’d been working on. Eventually she set her tablet aside, threw on some outside clothes, and grabbed the jello that she andthe girls had made from scratch. It was bright blue – Juniper’s butterfly pea tea – studded with orange lilikoi stars that Rory and Olivia had made with little cookie cutters, and they were very proud of it.
Tenn came in just as she was headed out the door.
“Hey!” she greeted him with a quick kiss. “Where have you been?”
“Kaleo’s kid got sent home from school, so I had to cover in the kitchen. Where are you going?”
“The potluck is today.”
“Right.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I forgot. I was supposed to make something.”
“It’s okay. The girls and I made something.” She gestured to the covered tray that she’d set on the table by the door.
