Page 86 of Big Island Sunset
“You’ll love that baby as much as you loved your own,” he said with a laugh. “It’ll be all of the joy and none of the pacing the house at three in the morning.”
She lifted her head and took a breath. She wasn’t ready to think about becoming a grandmother, not yet. In that moment, it was enough to stand with him in the gentle evening sunlight, enjoying the quiet sheltered hollow he had chosen for the macaws.
“It’s official,” she told him. “As of today, the house is on the market.”
He put a hand under her chin to tilt her face up and then kissed her, long and slow. When he finally broke away, he smiled down at her and said, “I’d better get this aviary up, then.”
“I’ll help.”
In the last of the day’s golden light, they set about building their new life. Together.
29
Fern
Fern spent the first morning of her fiftieth decade in a funk.
Her fortieth birthday had arrived without acknowledgement.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true, she corrected herself as she flicked on her blinker, waiting for a chance to turn onto the highway. A handful of friends had texted. Her mother had called to sing her their special birthday song and reminisce about long-ago memories.
But it had gone unacknowledged by Ethan, which left her feeling very low indeed.
He had begun the day with a busy sort of energy, though he didn’t seem to be working on anything in particular. He had been stable lately – going to therapy, doing yard work, taking her on hiking dates all over the island – so she decided to overlook the one off day… even if it did fall on her fortieth birthday.
They had only known each other a few months, after all. He had no way of knowing which day her birthday was. And given how much stress he had been under this year, she had to forgive him for forgetting to find it out.
It was her fault, wasn’t it? For not communicating expectations?
She had never told him that she wanted to celebrate her birthday – hadn’t even really known how much it mattered to her until it had gone unacknowledged. She might have even gotten through the day without having her feelings hurt if it had been a normal day with Ethan being as kind and considerate as he had been lately, if they had gone for a hike or a picnic at the park like they had been doing nearly every day for weeks.
But no. Today of all days, he was distracted and inconsiderate.
He had asked her to drive up to Hilo, where she had a PO Box – there was a long waiting list for the small handful of mailboxes in Pualena, and Ethan didn’t have a mailing address on the island at all, so he’d been using hers for a while now. And she didn’t mind… usually.
But really. For an unemployed man to send her on an errand on her birthday… it was infuriating. Exhausting, really.
One bad day, she reminded herself with a sigh.
She could forgive him one bad day.
Even if the timing was downright crushing.
Fern took her time in Hilo and treated herself a bit. She jumped into the water at her favorite beach park and went for a swim, then rinsed off in one of the outdoor showers and sunned herself on a rock like a sea turtle until she was dry. She stopped at her favorite restaurant for an ‘ulu cheeseburger and a glass of sugarcane juice, then bought a little box of fresh mochi and sat eating it in the sunshine with a view of the bay.
By the time she drove back to Pualena, her feelings were still a bit hurt, but on the whole she felt better. Maybe Ethan wasn’t the perfect boyfriend – not that they had even put a label on their relationship yet, and what a silly word to use at her age – but she liked having him in her life. Most of the time, at least.
Hurt feelings aside, this birthday month had been much better with him in it. She enjoyed hiking alone, but exploring the island with Ethan and Theo was ten times as joyful as going by herself.
At their age, she supposed they had to take the bad along with the good. Ethan had his baggage, but so did she. And he was working on it, actively healing. That was the key thing. Maybe next year…
Fern pushed the thought from her mind. She would focus on the present. What else could she do? He meant well, and it wasn’t his fault that she hadn’t communicated her hopes and expectations. Maybe if she said something now, he would make fresh lasagna for dinner…
Fern’s pulse startled and skittered when she turned onto her lot and saw nearly two dozen cars parked out front. Her first thought was that she had forgotten a class, but she never had this many people come for yoga, not all at once.
A slow suspicion began to dawn, a warm hope deep in her chest that she didn’t dare put words to.
The yard was quiet as she got out of her car and circled around to the big patio where she held her yoga classes. The only sound was the susurrus of wind through the trees and the distant chatter of mynah birds. Then she heard a high, happy sound from Theo.
