Chapter 14
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
MIA
“See you tomorrow,” Mia called after Tama and K.J. as they left her classroom.
The two cute boys had stayed later than most to make sure the space was clean and ready for the next morning. So many of these island boys were taught chivalry from a young age and knew how to treat their teachers with respect.
Mia’s phone beeped, and she pulled it out to see the text she’d been waiting for all day.
It’s a done deal. See you Saturday!
And just like that, her favorite person on earth was moving to Maui. Temporarily, but Mia would take it. Having Nat close by. Mia’s eyes teared up. She needed her best friend, and good woman that Nat was, she was showing up in the most incredible way.
After their conversation a few days before, Nat had looked into travel nurse jobs, found an opening and made it hers. The only thing she’d been waiting on was the housing, and it looked like she’d made that happen as well. But that was Nat for you. If it was her will, she’d find a way.
Mia hearted the text, she’d text Nat back for real after she got home that afternoon and brought her attention back to the one little girl left in her classroom.
“Ms. Goodman,” Angel’s timid voice reminded Mia that it wasn’t just the boys who were good about staying behind to help. Angel had been there every afternoon as well.
“Yes, Angel,” Mia dropped to her haunches so that she was eye level with her pupil.
“I’m going to miss you,” Angel said.
Mia opened her arms to give the little girl a hug. Angel had let them all know it was her last day on the island and she’d be moving with her grandma to Oahu the next day. Mia was glad for Angel even as she wished things could have been different. She needed more care than her mother could give.
“I’m going to miss you too,” Mia said as she let Angel go.
Angel pushed the hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail away from her face. Every morning since her grandma had arrived, her hair had been done, she was clean, and she never went hungry.
“I’m a little bit scared to move,” the brave girl said, her big eyes blinking rapidly.
Mia nodded. “I can understand that. I was a little bit scared to move to Maui.”
Angel reared her head back. “You were scared, Ms. Goodman?”
Mia chuckled. “I was. Maui is familiar to you, but I had no idea what it was going to be like. I hadn’t even ever visited before I moved here.”
“I’ve visited Oahu,” Angel said with a little relief.
“And do you like it?”
Angel nodded her head vigorously. “They have a big, big mall. Me and my sister love the mall.”
Mia grinned. “I love malls too.”
“Then you have to go to Oahu. Their mall is way bigger than Queen Ka’ahumanu.”
“Is it? I guess I do need to visit.”
Angel nodded again. “And grandma got a new puppy. Just for us. She says every little girl should have a puppy.”
“Your grandma sounds like a smart woman.”
Angel pursed her lips. “But I’m worried for mama. Who’s going to take care of her if we leave?”
Mia’s heart broke. No seven-year-old should need to be concerned about a parent’s welfare. It wasn’t fair. Was this what it had been like for Koa?
“Your mama will be fine. Your grandma is doing the right thing by caring for you and taking you to a place where you’ll be safe.”
“And we’ll have lunch every day,” Angel piped up.
“Exactly.” Mia had lots more she could say but decided to just listen instead.
“Are you glad you moved to Maui, Ms. Goodman?”
Mia nodded. “I sure am. I got to meet you and the rest of your class. Moving is the best thing I could have done.”
“So moving might be the best thing I can do?” Angel asked, hope filling her every word.
“Yes,” Mia said softly.
Angel nodded once more as someone cleared their throat by her door.
Mia looked up to see an older Hawaiian woman, her eyes on Angel.
“Tutu!” Angel cried running to give her grandma a hug.
Yeah, they were going to be just fine.
“Go find your sister. She’s saying goodbye to the lunch ladies,” Angel’s grandma instructed.
Angel pulled away from her grandma. “Bye, Ms. Goodman,” Angel said happily before running down the hall.
Mia smiled after the cute girl. She’d miss her but knew this was for the best.
“I wanted to thank you for your kokua of my girls,” Angel’s grandma said when Angel was out of earshot.
“Oh, that wasn’t me…” Mia began.
“I know that Koa was the one who found my nephew. But I also know it’s because you were watching out for Angel. You gave my little girl aloha when she needed it.” Her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m just glad that I was here,” Mia said, feeling she hadn’t done anything more than any other teacher would have done.
Angel’s grandma nodded. “She’ll want to write you letters. Is that okay?”
Mia nodded. She couldn’t think of anything better.
“Take care of yourself,” Mia said when she realized this woman was taking on two youngsters when she wasn’t quite in her prime.
“I will,” came the quick response. “Those girls are exactly what I need.”
Mia watched as she left the room, grateful to know that Angel was in good hands.
The longer Mia was on Maui. the more she understood the saying it takes a village.
Here, helping hands were easy to find, love at every turn.
The aloha spirit was tangible, and Mia wanted to do her part to keep that spirit going.
Mia gathered her things and started for the teacher’s lounge.
She had a test to grade and lesson plans to finalize for the next day, but she could do all of that at home.
As much as she loved her classroom, she’d seen enough of it that day and wanted to head home ASAP.
It didn’t hurt that at home she could possibly run into Koa.
“Hi, Ms. Goodman,” Johnny called from down the hall.
Mia smiled. She was growing to adore their custodian.
“Hello, Johnny,” Mia said with a wave.
Johnny shook his head as he walked in her direction, pushing the giant trash can on wheels in front of him. “Not like that,” Johnny waved his hand back and forth. “On Maui we shoot da shaka.” Johnny held up his pinky and thumb, his middle fingers dropping.
“Right,” Mia said, her smile only growing larger as she sent Johnny a shaka.
Johnny shook his head once more, his disappointment in Mia clear. “Looser,” he showed her once more, and Mia noticed that his hand was a lot more relaxed than hers had been.
“Like this?” Mia tried once more.
Johnny was now just a few steps away, eyeing her shaka. “You can work on it,” he said happily before pushing the trash can around her and getting back to work.
Mia swallowed her giggles. There was never a dull moment in this place.
She walked the rest of the way to the teacher’s lounge, her mind trying not to dwell on the fact that in just a few minutes she might be seeing Koa.
She was being ridiculous. She was a grown woman. And a divorcee at that. Even before she’d been married, Mia wasn’t one to live in fantasies. She hadn’t ever let a man consume so many of her waking thoughts. And yet here she was.
But this was nothing more than a crush right? Just a pesky little crush.
No more thoughts of Koa, especially since he didn’t seem like he was ever going to ask her out. They’d already moved into the friend-zone. And that was a sad space to be dreaming from.
Mia’s lecture almost worked, but then she remembered the way it felt when Koa had carried her against his bare chest at the beach, and all good intentions flew right out the window.
She opened the door to the teacher’s lounge, wishing away her fanciful thoughts. Fanciful felt like it was going to lead her right to a broken heart.
“Long day?” Kristin asked from one of the tables in the lounge. Beside her sat a man who seemed familiar but Mia couldn’t quite place.
Aunty Gertrude sat at the other table, frowning at Mia.
Mia shook her head. “It was actually a good day. I’m just ready to head home.”
Kristin smiled, standing and directing the man sitting next to her to do the same. She was pretty sure the guy wasn’t Kristin’s husband and Mia felt like she should know who he was.
“Mia, I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Paka,” Kristin introduced.
“You’re one of the firefighters that was here on the first day of school,” Mia said triumphantly. She’d finally placed him.
Paka smiled, his dark brown eyes zeroing in on Mia.
Mia put out her hand for Paka to shake but he bypassed the offer and went in for a hug.
Mia, off kilter, attempted to return the hug when he pressed his lips to her cheek.
“That’s how we do it here,” Paka said.
Mia swallowed, trying not to frown. She’d appreciated Johnny’s lesson more than Paka’s. Their custodian knew how to give Mia personal space. Granted, if Koa had wanted to greet her like that...
“Paka,” Kristin scolded as she whacked his arm. “That lingering kiss is not how we do it, and you know it.”
Paka’s smile was unrepentant as he stayed in Mia’s personal bubble.
The man was handsome. There was no denying that.
His arm muscles rippled under his snug-fit tee, his chocolate complexion divine.
But Mia, even if she wasn’t crushing big time on someone else, just wasn’t interested.
There was something about his attitude, even though Mia had only witnessed it for the last two minutes, that reminded her too much of her ex.
“I asked Kristin to introduce me to you. I thought we could go out some time,” the man said. He didn’t ask, he’d pronounced it. Like it wasn’t a matter of if it would happen but when.
Mia blinked, taking a step back closer to the door.
Kristin looked at her with such a hopeful smile, Mia had to pause before she responded. Saying no to Paka would be easy. Saying no to Paka in front of her only teacher friend on Maui so far, not so easy.
“Um,” Mia tried to buy herself some time.
“Weren’t you just saying how nice it would be to make some new friends?” Kristin pushed.
There was nothing friendly about the way Paka was appraising Mia.
“I was,” Mia said.