“Right. Sorry. I’m just…” She looked down the road after Halia’s car. “Scattered. I don’t like being away from my kid. And I’m never really hungry anymore.”
Kekoa put his hands on her shoulders and gently steered her back onto the property.
If any other man had done that – with the exception of her late father, or maybe Kekoa’s dad – she would have immediately frozen or stepped away. But she didn’t feel threatened by Kekoa.
As soon as she started walking towards Mahina’s house of her own accord, he let go.
“Family get-together?” she asked. People were coming and going from the house. Some she recognized, some she didn’t.
“Just a normal weekend,” he said. She craned her neck to see what he was saying. “My sister and her family. Our cousin Lani andherfamily. Some other friends and family. Neighbors coming and going. You know how it goes.”
Laurie veered right and walked around the house instead of into it. Kekoa jogged around in front of her and walked backwards.
“You’re family too,” he said and signed. “Come inside, have something to eat.”
She shook her head and grimaced apologetically.Too many people.
OK,he signed. “I’ll get you a plate.”
Before she could argue, he was striding up the back steps. She hesitated for a moment, half wanting to follow him, half wanting to call out and tell him that she didn’t need any food. In the end, she just turned and continued back to the ‘ohana.
She sat on the little lanai and admired the garden, trying to let the peace of it calm her nerves.
Green-and-gold saffron finches were scattered across the dark brown mulch of the ground. Everywhere she looked, there was a different color of flower.
Kekoa was back a few minutes later with a huge plate of food and two glasses of hibiscus tea. He set everything on the small table next to her and gestured to the other chair.
Can I?
How can I say no when you ask in ASL?she quipped.
I understand!He smiled, looking delighted with himself. It was such an adorably innocent expression that she had to laugh.
“I’ve never seen anyone pick it up so fast,” she said and signed.
“Careful.” He pulled the chair away and turned it towards her. “If you keep telling me that, I’ll get a big head.”
“You already have a big everything.”
Kekoa grinned, and blood rushed to her cheeks.
“I didn’t mean– You don’t– I mean that you’retall,” she babbled, flustered. He laughed, and she swatted his arm. “Shutup!”
He pantomimed zipping his lips, then pushed the plate of food an inch closer to her. She sighed and picked up a musubi.
“Is Mia with her dad today?” he asked.
“You got every sign right,” she approved.
He waited patiently.
“Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “She’s with her dad. Or she will be in a minute. Halia’s driving her to meet him at the zoo.”
“Do you have a custody agreement yet?”
She shook her head and took a bite of the seared spam on rice. They sat in silence, both looking out at the garden while she ate.
“We have mediation soon,” she said eventually. But I don’t want to put her back in school in Hawi, so if he doesn’t budge on that… I guess it’ll be up to the judge.”
