“She left us two years ago. Never said goodbye or gave us a reason. Divorce papers were on the kitchen table with her signature. She wanted nothing, so we didn’t need lawyers. All I had to do was sign the papers and mail them.”
“Was that her on the phone?” I ask, feeling a pain my chest, wondering what she could want if itwasher, and if it’shimshe wants back. I haven’t known Denver long enough to be confident that he’d give up a past to be with a potential future.
“No, it was my sister,” he tells me.
I want to say that eases the tension I’m feeling, but it doesn’t. Denver wouldn’t have brought his ex-wife up unless whatever the problem is related to her in some way. “Oh, okay.” I don’t want to push him. His silence is deafening, and it’s clear he needs a minute.
“She wants custody of Aya. She’s hunting me down and knows I’m somewhere in Hawaii.”
His words gut me—not just for him but for Aya. How could this woman consider putting her child through that after disappearing the way she did? “I don’t see a court ruling in her favor, Denver.”
“There’s so much to consider, Kai. The courts always rule heavier on the mother’s side. That part isn’t in my favor. My job is not in my favor, either.”
“Being an absent mother for two years is not in her favor,” I add in.
“I will do everything I can to keep full custody of her.”
“I know you will,” I tell him.
“I’m unlisted, but the damn Internet more or less shows where people are standing at any given moment.”
“Has this happened before? Has she tried to come back?”
“No, but I changed my phone number last year. The year prior, there wasn’t one attempt to reach me. Isla, my ex, she hurt Aya so much, Kai. I can’t let Aya go through that again.”
“Can I help you in any way?” I don’t know what I can possibly do for him, but I know I’ll do whatever he needs.
He takes my hand and holds it between his, then pulls in a long inhale. “I don’t know. I have to find a lawyer and a new job real fast.”
“The front desk just had an opening for the morning shift. I know it wouldn’t be as much as you were making, but the hotel pays fairly well.”
“I don’t know. Standing in a suit every day doesn’t feel like a good fit for me. Plus, I have nowhere to take Aya.”
“What about security for the beach?” It’s not through the hotel, but the county is always hiring security for the beaches.
“I didn’t even think of that.”
“I know someone who can help,” I tell him. Dad worked for the police force in Maui. He was friendly with the security branches for the public recreational areas. They’ve kept in touch over the years to make sure Lea and I were okay and getting by.
“Kai, that would be amazing.”
“I’ll make a phone call tomorrow,” I tell him. “I also know of a good law firm downtown. I had to go through them when dealing with my parents’ will. They were very accommodating.”
“Good. Okay. The court can’t take her from me, can they?” he asks.
I fold my free hand over his. “Denver, I have never seen a dad as caring as you are. That little girl absolutely loves you, and any judge would see that. Your ex-wife hurt her, and maybe it wasn’t physical pain she caused, but everyone knows emotional abuse can be just as bad.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d have to worry about this. I figured she was gone for good. It’s been two years—two fucking years without seeing her daughter. What kind of person can do that?”
“An unstable one,” I tell him. “Remember that.”
He leans over and places a soft kiss on my cheek. “I don’t want to put you through my crap, Kai.”
“You’re not going to put me through anything. I told you I was in this to try and make something good work between us, and that wasn’t conditional.”
“You haven’t even known me that long, and you’d stand beside me with this? I don’t understand what I did to deserve that much care.”
“Does time matter when your heart can’t decipher between a day and forever? I feel like my parents died yesterday, yet it was ten years ago. All that matters is what we feel in the moment because no amount of time can define that.”
