Page 54 of Big Island Sunset
Olivia dove in for the last of the photos, excited now. But the next picture elicited a puzzled frown.
“Who’s that?”
“That’s my mom and dad,” Lani said softly.
It was her favorite photo of her parents, taken just before her mom got sick. Her dad was wearing a faded old Hawaiian shirt, and her mom had on her favorite sundress. Knowing how the rest of that year went for them, their carefree smiles just about broke her heart.
Olivia watched her for a long time, her expression thoughtful.
“Your mom’s dead too? Like mine?”
Lani nodded, swallowing her tears. “Yep.”
“And your dad too?” she asked, looking between Lani and the picture.
“My dad too.” A tear fell, and Lani brushed it away.
“We visited them,” Olivia remembered. “At the gravepark.”
A one-note laugh escaped through Lani’s tears. “Yeah, we did.”
“Your grandparents are there too.”
“Yeah.”
Olivia reached out and patted her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
When Olivia reached in and pulled the next frame from the bottom of the box, she gasped.
“It’s me! It’s me and my mom! I mean, my first mom.” She looked uncertainly at Lani, who smiled softly and nodded. “My grandma has this one too.”
“I made a copy so we could have one here.”
“Yougot a photo from my grandma?” Devilish humor glinted in Olivia’s eyes.
“Yes,I got a photo from your grandma. We get along now!”
“Kind of,” she teased.
“What do you think?” Lani asked, gesturing to the framed photo.
“I think that’s good!” She looked back at the photo and giggled. “I have no hair at all.”
“That is one bald baby,” Lani agreed, leaning closer to look at the photo. Olivia’s mother had a mass of curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. Her face shone with happiness.
“You think she liked me?” Olivia asked, her voice quiet.
“Your mom?” Lani asked in surprise.
Olivia nodded, still looking at the picture.
“She liked youandshe loved you,” Lani said with certainty.
“Are you sure?”
“Sure I’m sure. Look how happy she is just to be holding you.”
