Halia drove Dawn home after sunset, but the remaining sisters sat around the fire late into the night. Anne felt a sense of perfect contentment and peace – and she was surprised to realize that, for the first time in decades, that feeling of happiness and ease had become more common for her than the constant stress she had lived with for years.
Finally, long after the kids had fallen asleep, they buried the remnants of the fire.
Anne crawled into the tent between her sisters and fell asleep to the sound of the sea.
26
Oakley
Sunrise came slowly to the western side of the island, with the sun cresting the mauna long after it rose over Pualena.
Oakley was up at first light. It was chilly at the beach, but she enjoyed the brisk morning air. She pulled a sweatshirt on over the comfortable clothes she’d slept in and went to check on the kids.
Hayden and Harper had slept just a few feet away, in a big tent with their cousins, but to them it was an exciting adventure. Luckily a day of swimming and playing in the sun had overpowered the novelty of a night in a tent, and they had still fallen asleep at a decent time.
They would be up again as soon as the sun hit the beach, Oakley was sure, but for the moment they were still sound asleep.
She filled a kettle and set it over the camp stove so that everyone could have something hot to drink when they wokeup: coffee for the aunties and hot chocolate for the kids. She’d brought a healthy hot chocolate mix that she’d made herself, organic cocoa with raw sugar and collagen protein. She tried not to be overbearing when her girls were with their cousins, much as it pained her to see them eating junk – but she still snuck in the extra nutrition wherever she could.
The high whine of a tent zipper cut through the quiet, and Anne crawled out into the cool morning air. Her dark red hair was an adorable mess, and her eyes were half closed with sleep. She pulled on a sweater and zipped the tent shut behind her.
“You’re up early,” she said as she tiptoed across the cold sand in her bare feet.
“I usually am.”
“Me too.” Anne yawned. “But we were up late last night.”
“Coffee’s almost ready.”
Laurie joined them, and then Zoe. Oakley made mochas for everybody, blending her homemade cocoa mix with the fresh coffee.
“This is phenomenal,” Anne said after her first sip.
“You like it?”
“I love it! My guests would too. Where’d you get it?”
“I made it.”
“You made the cocoa mix? From scratch?”
Oakley nodded.
“Will you send me the recipe?”
“Sure.”
“Awesome. Between the ocean view and the breakfasts I make, we’ve gotten some glowing reviews so far. These mochas would put those breakfasts over the top.”
Oakley glanced at Zoe, waiting for her to say something sour about the bed and breakfast that her mother was running out of their family home. But she didn’t respond. She looked content, staring out at the water with a tranquil expression. Her palegreen hair was a mess, and the oversized sweatshirt that she wore nearly swallowed her whole… but she looked more serene than Oakley had seen her in a long time.
“Hey Annie Oakley,” Laurie said, and they turned to look at her. She pointed to the surfboards that were stacked behind their tent. “Who brought those?”
“I did,” Oakley said. “I thought I might try to get the girls out surfing, but these waves are too big for them.”
Laurie grinned and signed,Not too big for us.
Oakley bit her lip and looked out at the breaking waves. A thrill went through her at the thought of paddling out and catching one. She hadn’t gone surfing in ages, and there was nobody out there. They would have the break all to themselves.
