Page 60 of Big Island Moonlight
Lani’s guilt dried up in an instant.
“Lorenzo’s a good man,” Mahina said levelly, patting her grandson’s back. “He’s a good dad to Rory.”
“Oh sure,” the auntie said, “he dotes on her.”
“I didn’t know he was coming for a visit,” ‘Olena said. She opened her arms to Luana, who had been hovering at the edge ofthe conversation. The lanky ten year old climbed into her mom’s lap and curled up against her chest.
“Neither did I,” Lani replied. “It was very last minute.”
“We saw them out walking together,” Mahina told Lani. “You can see he adores her.”
“He does. He’s a great dad.”
“You know who else he’s been walking out with,” the auntie cut in. “One of the Aloha sisters.”
“Who?” ‘Olena said.
“You know, the Kalama girls.”
She rolled her eyes. “Those ‘girls’ are in their forties.”
“He’s renting a room from Dawn and Kimo,” Lani said.
“Oh, that’s nice,” said Mahina. “You know they stopped fostering when Kimo’s health took a turn. They must love having Rory around.”
“They have plenty of grandbabies,” the auntie told her. “That house is never empty.”
“You said that Lorenzo is walking out with one of their girls?”
“Mm-hmm.” Her silver eyebrows crept towards her hairline. “He’s been going out with Akemi.”
“Halia’s baby sister?” ‘Olena asked. Halia ran the local women’s shelter that had taken Nell and her children in, along with Alohi and countless other families in need of a place of refuge.
“That’s the one.”
“Akemi’s back on the island?” asked Mahina.
“Oh, you know her. Always traveling. She’s an influencer, you know.”
“I always hated that word. Sounds like influenza…”
“It is an epidemic of sorts, isn’t it? All these girls posing in bikinis. Shameless.”
“Is it serious? This thing between Lorenzo and Akemi?”
“Well who can say? A couple of restless souls like that, who knows where they’re off to next. But they’ve certainly been spending a lot of time together. Jen says that they were spotted at Green Sand Beach, and Nani saw them in Volcano!”
Lani could only laugh and put a weary hand over her eyes. In her years away, she had forgotten just how ridiculous life in a small town could be – and how small the Big Island really was. She felt a sudden, surprising longing to be somewhere (anywhere) else.
“You okay, Lani?” the woman asked, her tone more gleeful than concerned.
“I’m fine,” she replied with a genuine smile. “I’m happy for him. It can’t be easy, traveling all this way to see Rory and still only getting her part time.”
“Well,” Mahina said, “if this thing between him and the Kalama girl is serious, maybe he’ll move here.”
“That would be weird,” ‘Olena said.
“Good for Rory, though. To have her whole family in Pualena.”
