“You said that we’re not allowed.”
“I said thatRikkican’t come to the table when guests are here. That doesn’t mean that you can’t come eat whenever you’re hungry.”
“What? And just leave him?”
“Yes.” She set a plate down in front of her son. Rikki was balanced on his shoulder. She wondered how much longer they would keep doing that; the mongoose was getting big.
“I can’t,” Pete said dramatically. “It’s too cruel.”
“How about you come down when you’re hungry, and you can both have your breakfast on the back porch?”
“I guess we could do that.” He paused with a fork halfway to his mouth. “Are you and Zoe done fighting?”
Anne bent and kissed the top of his sandy blond hair.
“I hope so,” she told him… but she knew that they weren’t.
The dynamic between Anne and her daughter wasn’t going to change… not unless she found a way to change it.
19
Laurie
The moment she walked into the big kids’ classroom at New Horizons Community Center, Laurie knew that it was the right place for her daughter. Pualena Playschool met there five days a week, and it seemed to provide the perfect balance of structure and freedom.
The walls were covered in gorgeous, colorful murals, and the shelves were well stocked with art supplies. Three kids lounged in the corner on beanbags, reading books. Another trio was taking turns looking through a microscope in the corner. The rest were still out on the playground, burning off some energy before coming inside.
Luckily for Laurie, the program was also affordable.
‘Olena had offered her a discount on the condition that she chaperone the class outing every Thursday, and she was delighted to agree. She didn’t like being away from Mia even four days a week, but it would be better for her daughter to getplenty of time with other kids while she was working online and running the bookstore. Laurie couldn’t afford to hire anyone, and spending weekends at the store with her mom was already plenty.
She hovered for a while, chatting with ‘Olena and the other teacher, but eventually she waved goodbye to Mia and left them to it. When she left, Mia and Pete were working on a tiny clay village – and a comparatively enormous green dragon.
It was just a short walk from the community center to her soon-to-be bookshop.
Standing in the doorway of the old dance studio, Laurie felt a sense of awe at how quickly the space was coming together.
The floor was still open, but the bookshelves along the walls were complete. Laurie didn’t know how much Kekoa had spent on wood, because he refused to tell her. She insisted on assigning a portion of the profits to him as well; if he refused, she would just give it to his mother instead.
She walked the length of the space, running her fingertips along the polished wooden shelves. Now she just needed to fill them.
In addition to the bookcases that spanned the walls, Kekoa had constructed a beautiful counter near the front door. The top was one solid piece of wood with a front edge that still showed the natural curve of the tree. Variegated honey tones ranging from brown to gold curved across the surface.
The wall behind the counter had low cabinets built in, but above the level of the counter, the wall was empty. Kekoa’s cousin Lani was painting a small mural in the open space. She’d sketched native Hawaiian flora and fauna spilling out of an open book; Laurie loved it.
“Can I ask you a question?” Laurie asked when Lani paused to clean a brush.
“Shoot.”
“How much is Kekoa paying you?”
Lani gave her an odd look.
“He won’t tell me how much he spent on anything,” she explained. “I’m trying to keep track so that I can pay him back when this place is up and running.”
Lani set her brush aside and walked around to the front of the counter. She leaned against it, crossing her arms over the swell of her belly. Second trimester, Laurie guessed.
She was younger than any of the Aloha sisters – mid thirties, probably – but she carried herself with the poise and confidence of a woman who had survived a great deal without letting life make her bitter. Laurie found herself wanting to get to know this person better – a rare sensation for her, introvert that she was.
