“I thought Mom would be more excited,” Akemi said, still looking at Dawn. “Since when is she so…”
“Uptight?” Anne suggested.
“Yeah!” Akemi turned to look at her. “Exactly! What happened to our hippie, can-do, tackle-anything mom?”
“We lost her along with Dad,” Anne said softly.
Akemi looked stricken. “I thought she was doing better.”
“She is!” Oakley said. “So much better.”
“But she’s still not her old self,” Anne said.
“I’m not sure she everwillbe her old self again.”
“Well that’s grim.” Akemi pushed at the sand with her feet, mounding it into a little wall in front of them. “I thought she might have some ideas for investors.”
“Do you need investors?” Oakley asked.
“I might be able to swing it on my own. I have enough money to cover the basics. I can fix the place up, buy an espresso machine and some basic furniture. My savings will cover that. I’ve priced it all out.”
“So what do you need an investor for?”
“I want to build something really amazing. A play room that will actually keep toddlers occupied. I want to pay someone to watch them so the moms can really relax. It could be a single mom who wants to make some money without leaving her baby, or even a teenager – I mean the moms will still be right there, it’s just to give them some support, you know? But I don’t think I could afford to hire somebody right away.”
“And you wanted to ask Mom?” Anne said doubtfully.
“She knows everyone in Pualena! I thought she might know some retirees who want to invest in the community. It doesn’t need to be a millionaire or anything, just somebody who might want to invest a bit of money in a local business.”
Anne pursed her lips in an expression that mirrored their mother’s dismay. “We can’t just go around asking people for money, Akemi.”
Oakley snorted a laugh. “You do a spooky-good Mom impression.”
“Whatever,” Akemi said. “It’s fine. I can do it myself. I’ll start simple.”
“You can do it,” Anne said, squeezing her hand. “I know you can.”
Akemi nodded, chewing on her lip.
“I’m going to get some food in those kids.” She put a sunhat over her bright red hair, picked up a paper bag, and picked her way across the river stones to where the kids were trying to start a fire.
Oakley looked at her baby sister, thinking.
Akemi might not stay forever, but Oakley wasn’t going anywhere. She wanted to put roots down, and she was sick of working two days a week up in Waimea.
Starting her own business could give her the freedom that she needed to juggle her life as a single mom while still being there for her girls. She saw no reason they couldn’t bring their workbooks to the coffee shop, and they would love playing with babies on their breaks.
She sat up and looked Akemi in the eye.
“I’ll partner with you.”
“Really?” Akemi rocked back in surprise. “You want to invest?”
“Not just invest. Full partners. Between the two of us, we could run the place ourselves. You and Kaleo can hang with the babies. I can take orders and pull espresso. And once we’re turning enough of a profit, we can hire some help.”
“You’re serious,” Akemi said, wide-eyed.
“Are you?”
