16. Emma
16
Emma
B y the second hour at the farmer’s market, Juniper’s energy started to flag. Her motions got slower, and her smile looked strained.
“You sit down,” Toni told her, pointing to the folding chair at the back of the stand. “We’ll man the ship.”
Juniper sank into the seat without protest, which was probably the greatest indicator of just how tired she was.
“Sorry,” she said with a weak smile. “I’m tired all the time.”
“I know the feeling,” Emma said. “I used up all of my sick days in my first trimester with Kai.”
“Puking or sleeping?”
“Both. Pick a tea and I’ll pour you a cup.”
“I’m not thirsty.”
“You need to stay hydrated.”
“Okay,” she said with a sigh. “How about the lemon balm lemonade?”
“Coming right up.” Emma poured a glass of lemonade from one of Juniper’s huge glass dispensers. Next to her, Toni was talking story with one of Jun’s regulars.
“Thank you,” Jun said as Emma handed her the cup.
“You’re welcome.” Emma sat down on a shady patch of grass beside her.
They were at the prettiest farmers market on the island, the Hamakua market way up the coast from Hilo. It was a smallish market, just a circle of tents on a wide green field overlooking the distant ocean. Towards the other end of the field, a live band played country music.
It was Emma’s favorite market, pleasantly busy without being overcrowded, but she rarely made the drive — it took over an hour to get there. Kai was with Nell for the day, freeing Emma up to spend some time with Jun and Toni.
“Auntie Em, you don’t have to sit on the ground.” Juniper stood up. “Take the chair.”
“I’m happy on the lawn. Anyway, I’ll get up and help Toni in a minute. You take it.”
Stubbornly, Juniper sat next to her on the grass.
“Where’s Cody today?” Emma asked, careful to keep her tone pleasant. She liked the boy next door well enough, and she didn’t hold the families’ current predicament against him, but Juniper was extra sensitive these days and very protective of her… friend? Boyfriend? Emma wasn’t willing to start a fight or provoke a crying fit by asking her niece about labels.
“He went to pick lychee at first light,” Juniper said. “From there he’s going to muck out Liam’s stables, and then he has meal deliveries for his mom.”
“On a Sunday?”
“Yeah. They have so many customers now that they had to add another delivery day.”
“He’s a hard worker.”
Juniper nodded, looking morose. She set her chin on her knees and stared out across the green hills at the distant blue Pacific.
“Have you heard from your dad?” Emma asked softly.
“Nope.” Jun spit the word out without shifting her gaze.
Emma sighed.
Ethan hadn’t picked up her calls or responded to any of her texts. She thought about just driving to his house — he lived so close by — but she wasn’t looking for a fight. Better to wait until he had cooled down instead of trying to force a conversation.
She had learned that the hard way over the years. They had been on the outs before, from petty childhood squabbles to more worrisome rifts surrounding Laurel’s relapses and subsequent reintegrations into family life.
Emma had withdrawn from him — from them — after Kai was born, as if Laurel were somebody she needed to protect him from. Maybe that was a valid concern and maybe it wasn’t, but she felt guilty about that now, because it also meant that she hadn’t been there for Juniper through the hardest years of her life.
She was doing her best to make up for that now, but Juniper still didn’t fully trust her — not with her worries, and not with her heart — and Emma knew that was a direct consequence of her not being there for her niece through her formative years.
“These folks have worked up quite a thirst,” Toni said breathlessly, pausing to wipe the sweat from her forehead with a bandana.
“Want me to tag you out?” Emma offered.
“No, that’s alright. I’m in my element.”
“Not much of a vacation, is it?” said Jun.
“I don’t mind. It’s time with two of my favorite people in a beautiful place. That’s what I came for, not to sleep the day away under an umbrella.” She turned away as another group approached their tent in search of a cold drink.
Emma turned back to Jun. “How about I go buy us some lunch?”
Jun just gave her a look.
“I know, you’re not hungry. But we’ve got to keep you fed, whether you feel like eating or not. So, what sounds edible?”
“The rotisserie chickens are okay.”
“Coming right up.” Emma rose to her feet and walked out into the blazing sunshine, heading straight for the chicken stand.
A familiar face pulled her up short.
“Keith!” She was surprised by her own smile – by how much seeing him lifted her spirits.
His eyes lit up, but then they took on a wary look. “Emma, hi.” He sounded pleased to see her in spite of himself, like she was an indulgence he couldn’t quite quit.
“How are you?”
“I’m well.” He looked at her for a moment, and his eyes softened. “You never called.”
“Oh!” With a sudden shock, she remembered the last time she had run into him. She had promised to call – and then with all the worrying over Jun, she had completely forgotten. “You’re right.”
Keith’s smile turned sad. “That’s alright. If you don’t—“
“I did mean to call,” she said. “Life’s just been so chaotic, I haven’t been able to get away. I’m only here today because I’m helping my niece run her stand. She’s — well, she hasn’t been feeling well, and worrying over her has taken up my every spare thought. I can hardly keep the grass from taking over the garden, never mind anything else.” She realized that she was rambling and petered out, looking at him apologetically.
“Do you need a hand?” he asked.
“What?”
“If you ever need help with your land…”
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean — you don’t want to do that. You already do that for a living, you don’t want to spend your spare time doing garden chores.”
“It’s my job because I love it. And I’m happy to do whatever gives me more time with you.”
“Oh.” Emma felt herself blush.
“I should get back. I’m manning a stand today too.” He gestured to the Pualena Permaculture stand across the way. “I don’t usually, but no one else was able to come today.”
“Okay. It was good to see you.” She was surprised to realize how much she meant it. The surprise and pleasure of seeing him had thrown her out of the fog of the past few weeks, and it was like the sun had suddenly broken through the clouds.
She was reluctant to say goodbye, reluctant to dive back into her everyday life of taking care of everything and everyone.
“Call me anytime,” he said.
“I can’t ask you to help me with chores.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered. You and plants, well… I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.”
“Okay,” she said, grinning like a fool. “Well, I’ll see you.”
He nodded and walked backwards for a few steps, smiling at her. Then he turned and walked away.
She got in line at the chicken place. There were several people ahead of her, so she got out her phone and texted Keith a pin with the location of the Kealoha place.
Garden chores tomorrow?
It’s a date, he replied.
She pocketed her phone, biting back another foolish grin.
A few seconds later, it buzzed with a text from Juniper: Keith and Emma, sitting in a tree…
Emma laughed.
If her niece was feeling well enough to tease her again, the kid was alright.