13. Oakley
Oakley
On Kimo Kalama’s sixty-sixth birthday, they gathered at his favorite beach park to honor him with his favorite activity: a family barbecue.
It was the first time that all five Aloha Sisters had been together since Akemi got home, and that alone made the day feel like a celebration. Then friends started to show up, and it really started to feel like a party.
Oakley almost cried when she hugged Uncle Manō and heard his warm Hawaiian accent; he reminded her so much of her dad. The two men were as close as brothers.
The Kalamas and Madeiras had functioned like one big extended family when they were growing up.
She supposed they still did; just last year, Auntie Mahina had given Laurie a free place to stay.
Kekoa helped her turn the dance studio into a bookshop.
And now Pete and Mia were attending ‘ōlena’s homeschool co-op, which meant that a third generation was growing up together.
The whole crew went splashing into the water, including her daughters in the throng, and her heart constricted with a mixture of grief and joy. It must have shown on her face, because Anne walked up and put an arm around her.
“I wish he could have seen this,” Oakley said, her throat tight.
“Me too.” Anne’s eyes shone with tears. “I wish I’d moved home sooner.”
“Don’t do that to yourself. You couldn’t have known.”
“It did feel like he’d be here forever.” Anne gave her a watery smile and wiped her eyes. “But our time with everyone is limited.”
“I thought we’d have more than that, at least.”
“We all did.” Anne squeezed her shoulder and looked out at their kids, who were whooping and hollering and jumping off rocks. “We’re all together now, though. He would love that.”
Oakley felt a sudden need to be nearer to her girls.
“I’m going to go jump in,” she told her sister.
“I’ll come too. I just need to put my bag down. I’ll meet you out there.”
Oakley left her dress on the rocks and waded into the cool blue water of the lagoon. Fresh spring water fed into the pools, mixing with the salt water and making it even colder than the ocean waves.
She ducked under, letting the water soothe heat that grief and sunshine had brought to her face. Then she swam straight out to the rock where the kids had congregated. When she surfaced, the kids greeted her with a cheer.
“Mom,” Harper shouted. “Come jump with me!”
Oakley climbed onto the rock and went to the highest point with her younger daughter. Hand in hand, they looked out over the crystal-blue lagoon and the dark sapphire ocean beyond.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Count down from three.”
“Three… two…”
“One!” Harper shouted as they jumped.
She stayed out with the kids for a long time, but Anne never joined her. When she looked back, she saw that her sister had been waylaid by Noah. They stood in the shade, apart from the others, talking and laughing.
A sudden spike of jealousy twisted in her chest.
Oakley put a hand over her heart, surprised at herself. She loved Anne and Noah both. She was happy that they had found each other again.
Maybe she had just hoped that on this one family day, she would have her sister to herself. But that was a silly thing to expect. Kimo had always drawn a crowd, and Noah was family; he had loved their dad as much as any of them.
She stayed out a while longer, playing with the kids until hunger drove Hayden and Harper back to shore.
Kekoa had fired up the barbeque, and there were enticing smells wafting out across the lawn.
Oakley swam back, scrubbed the salt water from her skin, and pulled her dress back on over her bathing suit.
“I brought Kimo’s favorite,” Manō announced, pulling something from a cooler.
He held up a big bag of ‘opihi, the Hawaiian limpet. They were a delicacy that locals risked life and limb to pry from the rocks at low tide.
“Where did you find them?” Akemi exclaimed.
“Bought them from a cousin, what do you think? I’m too old to be scrambling around the rocks anymore.”
“Not old,” ‘ōlena said. “Wise.”
“Both.”
Akemi’s grin was bright. “Remember when that rogue wave came and nearly sent us all into the rocks?”
“It did send us into the rocks,” Anne exclaimed. “Oakley and I ended up clinging to the cliffs!”
Akemi threw her head back and laughed. “I forgot that part.”
“That’s because Dad grabbed you just in time.”
“Perks of being the littlest.”
Once the kids had their food, Oakley made herself a plate and sat in the shade with Anne and Akemi.
Halia was deep in conversation with Mahina and Dawn.
Little Kaleo was asleep in his grandmother’s arms. Laurie stood off to the side with Kekoa, and Oakley blinked in surprise when he put a hand on her waist.
“Is that a thing?” she asked, turning to her sisters.
“If it is,” Anne said with a grin, “it’s about time.”
“Good for her!” Akemi said. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Well, look at Laurie. She could be a supermodel.”
“Isn’t she older than him?” Oakley asked without thinking.
“So?” Akemi challenged. “I’m older than Lorenzo.”
“And how’s that going?” she shot back. Akemi looked away.
“Oakley,” Anne’s voice carried a warning.
“Sorry,” she muttered. She glanced back at Laurie and Kekoa. “We all grew up together. He’s basically our cousin.”
Akemi rolled her eyes. “This is Hawaii. Everyone we grew up with is a ‘cousin’.”
“He’s a good man,” Anne said. “I’m happy for them.”
Oakley watched them for another minute, taking in the smile on Laurie’s face. When was the last time she had seen her little sister looking so content and carefree? She couldn’t remember.
Suddenly, and for the second time that day, she felt ashamed of her jealousy. Laurie deserved this; she deserved to be with a good man who treated her well and helped her to feel safe.
“I just hope it lasts,” she murmured, thinking aloud.
“Bitter much?” Akemi muttered.
Oakley gave her a wounded look. “I mean it. She deserves this.”
“We all do.” She stood up and walked away.
“Is she okay?” Oakley asked Anne.
“You shouldn’t have said that. About her and Lorenzo.”
“Yeah, I know,” she snapped. Then she sighed and gave Anne an apologetic look. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know you’re carrying a lot right now. But so are we.”
“I know.” She reached out and took Anne’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Are you okay?”
“Not really.” She took a deep breath and then gave her sister a wry smile. “It’s so Anne of you to suss out something I hadn’t even admitted to myself.”
“You’ve had a rough year, and today is a hard day.”
“Is it just me, or does this family still feel… fractured? Without him?”
Anne squeezed her hand. “It’s not just you.”
“How do we fix it? Fix us?”
“Time?”
“It’s been a year and a half.”
“That’s not much time at all to get used to the loss of a man like Dad.”
“I guess that’s true,” Oakley said.
“Especially when all of us have had so much else going on at the same time.”
“How do we help each other? What would Dad say?”
“He would tell you to go apologize to Akemi.”
Oakley wrinkled her nose. “Ho’oponopono.”
Anne nodded. “Make it right.”
She sighed and set her plate aside. “Okay, okay. I’m going.”
Anne kissed her cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you more.” Oakley stood and went to find their baby sister.
She found her sitting on a lava-rock wall, staring out across the water.
“Hey,” Oakley said, and Akemi looked up. “I’m sorry.”
“Okay.” Akemi looked back out at the Pacific.
Oakley stepped up onto the wall and sat down next to her sister, bare feet hanging out over the water.
“Forgive me?” she asked.
Akemi let out a huff of breath. “Sure.”
“Thank you,” Oakley said, and Akemi’s face softened into something approaching a smile. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Akemi leaned into her.
Oakley put an arm around her sister and rested her cheek on her black hair, hot from the sun.
“I miss him.”
“Me too.”
They sat there for a long moment, and then Akemi straightened up and reached for her food.
“How are things going between you and Lorenzo?” Oakley asked carefully.
“They’re not.”
“Not going?”
“Not going anywhere. Adrift at sea.”
“You sound… less than thrilled about that.”
“I am less than thrilled,” Akemi echoed.
“He’ll be here soon, won’t he? For Kaleo’s birthday?”
She nodded.
“So? Tell him how you feel.”
“I would if I knew. I haven’t even seen him in six months.”
“That’s a long time.”
“I know.”
Oakley sighed, looking at her beautiful little sister. “Whatever happens, we’re here for you.”
“I know.” Akemi nudged her leg with one sandy foot.
“I’ll kick his butt, if you want.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” she said with a grin, “but I appreciate it.”
“I’ve got you.”
“I know. I’ve got you too.”