19. Emma
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 they woke 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.
As she padded across the damp grass in her bare feet, her little grandnephew continued to cry. She would make some food for Juniper as well – and if the crying hadn’t stopped by then, she would offer to trade her waffles for the newborn.
Emma had stashed about twenty ‘ulu waffles in the freezer, so breakfast was easy. While the first batch was reheating in the toaster oven, she started a pot of chai tea on the stove.
“Hello the house?” Ethan came through the front door carrying two bags of groceries.
“Good morning.” She peered past him into the brightening morning. “Just you?”
“Yeah, Fern and Theo are still sleeping. He was up half the night. I think he must have molars coming in.”
“Are you hungry? I have waffles.”
“No, I’m fine. I didn’t mean to crash your breakfast. Is Jun up yet?”
“She must be. Baby’s been crying a while.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’s fine. It’s a big transition, this whole being human thing. He’ll settle.”
“I’ll just go see if she needs a hand.”
“Of course. Tell her I have breakfast for her if she wants any.”
He left, and Keith came inside a minute later with an armload of blankets.
“Where do you want these?”
“You can just drop them on the sofa for now. Do you want some waffles?”
“Waffles!” Kai shouted, crashing into her. She laughed and put her hands on his shoulders.
“Yours are ready, Kai. Would you please set the table?”
“Okay. Can I have hot chocolate too?”
“Sure, I can make hot chocolate.”
“I can do that,” Keith offered.
“Thank you.”
He was just serving up the hot chocolate when Juniper came inside, followed by Cody and Ethan. The baby, finally quiet, was propped up against his mother’s chest. He looked towards Emma in quiet consternation, like he still wasn’t sure what to make of all this light and color.
“Hungry?” Emma asked.
“Always,” Jun said. Keith offered her a mug of hot chocolate, which she accepted with a grateful smile. Looking back to Emma, she said, “We decided on a name.”
“Tell us!”
“Roland Wilder.”
“That’s beautiful.”
Ethan reached for his grandson, and Juniper transferred the baby into his arms.
“Hello there, Roland Wilder. Big name for such a little guy.”
“He’ll grow into it,” Cody said.
He let out a huff of a laugh. “I suppose he will. And his last name?”
“Flores. Like his mom.”
“And his grandpa,” Jun added softly.
“And even his great-aunt Toni,” Emma put in. “Have you heard from her?”
“Yeah, she’s hoping to come out in a month or so. Right around the time I get back to work.”
“That’s early to be going back to the markets with a newborn.”
“Not if Toni’s here to help.” Jun shrugged. “We’ll see what happens. Could she stay in the tower room?”
“Of course.”
“Roland Wilder Flores,” Ethan said. “Welcome to the family, little man.”
“We’re getting married,” Juniper blurted.
For a moment, Emma was terrified that Ethan would drop the baby. It looked like he might. But he just put a second arm under his grandson and stood very still, looking down at Roland’s little face. A full minute passed before anyone spoke.
“Well,” Ethan said at last, looking up at the young couple. “I suppose you might as well.”
Juniper grinned in relief and slumped against Cody, who had an arm around her shoulders. They all crowded around the kitchen table and ate every single one of the waffles that Emma had frozen the week before.
“I’m going to need more ‘ulu,” she told Keith.
“Easily done,” he responded.
Ethan chatted easily with Keith, and he was cordial to Cody – but when the young couple finished their waffles and retreated to the cottage, he slumped back in his chair looking ten years older and deeply tired.
“It’s going to be okay.” Emma put a hand on his arm. “They’re solid. They have support.”
“It’s way too familiar, Em.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think I can hold it together and smile through all of this.”
“You can and you will.”
He sighed deeply and stood. “I need to get home. Fern’s got a class in an hour.”
“Okay. Dinner this week?”
“Sure. Sounds good.” He hugged her, shook Keith’s hand, and ruffled Kai’s hair on his way out. Kai was on the couch, lost in a library book.
“What did he mean?” Keith asked as he washed the breakfast dishes. “When he said this was familiar?”
“Laurel – that’s Juniper’s mom – was just eighteen when she married Ethan. They got married on her birthday, actually. And her belly was out to here.” Emma put her hands out to indicate a third-trimester pregnancy.
“And that didn’t end well?”
She grimaced. “Laurel passed away last year. Overdose.”
Keith shut off the water and dried his hands. Then he put his arms around her.
“It was a long time coming, too. Not her first overdose, I mean. Or her first relapse. Juniper’s had a rough go of it.”
“Good thing she’s got you.” His voice was a low murmur in her ear.
“Good thing,” Emma repeated hollowly. She sighed and leaned into his embrace. “Ethan flipped out when he found out about the baby. Completely pushed Jun away. He’s learned from his mistakes, I think.”
“He held it together pretty well just now.”
“Yeah, he did. I just hope he can hold it together for this wedding.”
“Everything will be okay,” Keith assured her, running a hand down her back.
Emma sighed and felt herself relax.
She believed him.