“I see. They take a more passive approach.”
“Yep. But that doesn’t move books. You’ve gotta have gumption.”
Halia held back a laugh. “Good word.”
“I know lots of good words,” she said offhandedly.
Pete came back dripping, having managed to get the whole front of his t-shirt and most of his sun-gold hair wet at the fountain.
“Much better,” he said.
“Should we head to the bookshop?” Halia asked.
“We can’t go to the bookshop,” Mia exclaimed, horrified. “He’s all wet!”
“He’ll dry on the way.”
“Could we get shave ice first?” Pete grinned winsomely. “It’ll give me time to dry off.”
“Sure,” Halia chuckled. “We can stop for shave ice.”
“Yes!” He jumped in the air and pumped his fist in victory. “Let’s go!”
Kekoa’s shave ice shack was just down the street from the park. There was a teenaged kid at the window, and Halia let the kids put their orders in first.
“Strawberry ice over chocolate ice cream, please,” Pete said.
“Do you still have lychee syrup?” Mia asked.
“Sure do,” the young man confirmed. He was a sweet kid, with kind eyes and a bright Hawaiian shirt that just about matched the rainbow-colored mural on the wall outside.
“I’d like lychee and dragonfruit, please. Just ice, no ice cream.”
“You’ve got it.” He looked at Halia, and his smile turned shy. “Auntie?”
“I’ll try the white pineapple.”
“Coming right up.”
“Thanks.” Halia tapped her card to the little machine in the window and then joined her niece and nephew at the table they had chosen.
When their shave ice was ready, the kid carried it out instead of just shouting from the window the way they normally did.
“Thanks very much,” she said to him.
“Auntie Halia.” He put her bowl down in front of her and paused, looking nervous. “You don’t remember me.”
Halia frowned. She was usually good with faces.
“It’s been a long time, and we moved to Hilo for a while, but we’re back in Pualena now.”
“Ikaika!” Suddenly she recognized him – more from how much he resembled his mother than from any resemblance to the eight-year-old boy she had known. “You’re all grown up!”
“You do remember me.” The smile on his face was so childlike and sweet that it warmed Halia’s heart.
“Of course. I remember everyone who comes through A Place of Refuge.”
“That’s a lot of people.”
