Same,he signed, and Anne felt a small burst of pride. Her kids didn’t know as much American Sign Language as she would like, but they tried their best. That particular sign looked like the Hawaiian shaka, making it Pete’s favorite.
“They’re so grown up.” Anne signed as she spoke, taking comfort in the visual language of her sisters and their shared childhood.
“It’s good to see you,” Laurie told her. “All of you.”
Anne blinked back tears. “I really missed you.”
“We missed you too.” Laurie pulled her in for another hug and then said, “We should get going. I went to Costco already and got a bunch of stuff for the house.”
Laurie looked fit and healthy… and even so, there was a depth of exhaustion in her glass-brown eyes that made Anne want to ask what was wrong.
“Thank you,” she said instead. Questions could wait. The real catching up always came after the kids were in bed.
“Daddy let us have the car!” Mia told Pete as they climbed in.
“Heletyou, huh?” Claire arched one red eyebrow.
“It’s his car,” Mia said matter-of-factly.
Anne glanced at Laurie, but she was already loading bags into the back. Anne hurried to help her. Then they were off, leaving the Kona resorts behind and crossing the desolate wasteland of black lava rock that stretched out along the western coast of the island.
It was a quiet drive, with Claire listening to music on her headphones and both of the younger kids plugged into the same audiobook. Laurie kept her eyes on the road, and Anne stared out the window at the ever-varied landscape of the Big Island. The resort area was similar to Southern California, hot and dry, and she found herself yearning for the lush greenery of her hometown.
Anne’s heart grew lighter as they made their way up the side of themauna. Plants appeared out of the barren blackness of the lava rock, then eventually overtook it. Wild goats grazed here and there along the roadside.
The Pacific Ocean fell away behind them as they drove up the mountain, and the scorched Kona landscape eventually gave way to wide golden plains and endless blue skies. After the chaos of recent months, Anne felt as though she had the space to finally breathe.
They drove through another stretch of black lava rock spotted with pink and red vegetation, then finally dropped into the green jungle that covered the Hilo side of the island.
Growing up in Hawaii, Anne had taken so many things for granted. After more than twenty years driving California’s mega-highways through the desiccated hills of San Diego, she had a new appreciation for the lush tropical landscape of her childhood.
The overcast sky shone silver-bright as Laurie skirted downtown Hilo and merged onto the highway. Walls of green rose up on both sides of Route 11, branches waving in welcome as they sped south towards Pualena.
Life spilled over every which way she looked, from the overgrown jungle to the family of wild pigs that was walking along the side of the highway. Up ahead, the clouds parted to reveal a spectacular rainbow streaking down over the town of Kea‘au – an everyday occurrence on the windward side of the Big Island.
They passed through town, and Anne was surprised by the revival that she could see on Pualena’s main street – the only commercial street, really. The cafe had gotten a facelift, the shave ice place had a gorgeous new mural, and the sidewalks were busy with people. It was a far cry from the run-down speck of a town that she’d fled as a teenager.
They cruised down Paradise towards the coast, where their family home stood on the black cliffs like a tired old sentinel watching over the Pacific.
The white paint had faded to a dingy gray, and it was peeling in places to reveal a deeper layer of paint the color of an old bruise. It was worse than she’d thought… houses deteriorated so quickly in the tropics. They needed constant upkeep.
If the big house was looking a bit run down, it was nothing compared to the change that the past few months had wreakedon the woman who sat on the front porch. The lines on her face had grown deeper in the year since her husband’s death, and the light was gone from her eyes.
Seeing her mother looking like a shell of herself popped the small bubble of cheer that had formed around Anne over the course of the beautiful drive.
“You’re here,” Dawn said as they climbed out of the van. She didn’t sound particularly happy about it.
“We’re here,” Anne echoed.
“I need a nap.” Without so much as a glance at her grandchildren, Dawn rose and walked inside.
Anne turned to Laurie and signed,What the hell? Is she mad at me?
“It’s not you,” Laurie said sympathetically. Signing silently, she added,She’s not the same since Dad died.We’ve done our best to help her, but… some days are harder than others.
Anne’s chest constricted as she looked at the front door.
Laurie tapped her on the shoulder.
