15. Nell

15

Nell

" N ow will you tell me where we're going?" Nell asked when Hugh finally found a parking spot. They were parked in front of a cute little boba place, but she didn't imagine that was where they were headed for dinner.

"It's my favorite restaurant." He hopped out and circled around to open her door. "I made the reservation weeks ago. They have less than a dozen tables, and they're always booked up."

They walked hand in hand down the street, and Nell enjoyed the still-novel sensation of being out on the town without her babies. She loved them, and she was deeply grateful that she got to be with them ninety-eight percent of the time, but she was also learning to enjoy time away from them. There were some things – like surfing – that she just couldn't do with a baby strapped to her chest.

They turned right, towards the ocean, and walked a bit farther. Tucked away on a Hilo side street that she had never explored was a restaurant called Hoku Hono, marked with a sign of a sea turtle swimming past a full moon.

"Here?" she guessed.

"This is the place." He opened the door and ushered her into the small restaurant.

The hostess showed them to a corner table and left them with two menus. A low, pleasant chatter melded with the music that played on hidden speakers. Local art hung on the walls, gently illuminated by glowing golden light fixtures.

"It's lovely," Nell said. She smiled at Hugh and then finally turned her attention to the menu, which listed just five small plates and two entrees.

"One of everything?" he suggested.

She laughed. "Are you that hungry?"

"The food is that good." He relayed the request to their server, plus a bottle of wine for the table. When the man was gone, Hugh looked at Nell and reached for her hand. "How have you been?"

"Life is good these days." Fresh gratitude filled her as she thought of just how drastically her life had changed in recent months. "Cassie loves Pualena Playschool, and she loves living in the little ‘ohana unit at the Kealoha place."

"And Everett?"

"He's always happy."

"As long as he has you." He squeezed her hand. "I can relate."

"How about you? How was your week?"

"It was good," he said, but something in his eyes told her that he wasn't being entirely honest.

"Was it?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. Her red hair fell like a curtain on one side of her face, cutting her off from the rest of the room. She saw a deep affection in Hugh's dark eyes, but something else too. Worries that he hadn't told her about.

He seemed about to answer when their server returned and poured two glasses of wine. Hugh thanked him and raised a glass when he was gone.

"To us," he said.

She raised hers and clinked it lightly against his.

"I'm worried about Daisy," he admitted after he had taken a long sip and set the glass down again. "She's being bullied at school, and it seems like her mother isn't doing anything about it."

"I'm sorry. Schoolyard dynamics can be so difficult. Cassie would have had a terrible time of it, I think, if she had to go to public school alone."

He nodded slowly, looking glum. "I might have to fly over myself to have a conversation with her teacher. And the other parents, if they're willing."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'm sure Daisy would love to see you."

"I miss her like crazy. I wish I could be there for her at the end of the day. We talk on the phone, but it's not the same."

She could only nod. More than once, she had wondered what was keeping him on the Big Island when his daughter lived on Oahu. She had nearly asked a time or two, but the question carried too much judgment and implied disapproval.

Still… if her ex had moved off island with her babies, nothing could have stopped her from following them. But maybe mothers were different that way.

She tried to put it out of her mind. The fullness of their lives would reveal themselves in time without interrogation, and she didn't want to spoil a rare night out.

Three of the small plates were centered on local ahi; one was sashimi served with chile pepper water, another was the chef's flash-seared take on poke, and the third was pan-fried ahi belly. The flavor profile of each was unique, and every one of them melted in her mouth.

The fresh tuna dishes were followed by a phenomenal Caesar salad and pesto tortellini.

"I'm not going to have any room left for the main dishes!" she said as she paused for a sip of wine.

"You'll change your mind when you taste their mushroom risotto," he told her.

Nell leaned back in her chair and looked around, admiring the general ambiance. She so rarely drank that just half a glass of wine had left her feeling lightheaded and giddy.

Hugh's phone buzzed, and a line appeared between his eyebrows when he checked the screen.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured to Nell. "It might be an emergency."

She nodded for him to go ahead.

"Hello?" He put the phone up to his ear and kept his voice low. As he listened to the person on the other end, the worry lines on his forehead carved themselves deeper. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

He put his phone away and looked at Nell with a mixture of disappointment and resignation.

"It's my mother," he explained. "She's unwell."

"Here's your risotto." The server chose that moment to approach, cheerfully oblivious. "And your catch of the day."

"We'll need these to go," Nell told him.

"If you want to stay and finish your dinner," Hugh began, "I can come back and pick you up, or call you an Uber."

"I don't want to stay without you." She looked back at their server and confirmed, "To go. Please."

"And the check," Hugh added.

They were out the door a few minutes later, leaving the wine bottle nearly full on the table and carrying warm boxes of food in their hands.

"They have amazing desserts too," he said with strained levity. "We'll have to go back."

"Sure. I'd love to go there again."

He paused by his car and raked a hand through his dark hair. "I'm sorry, but I really don't have time to take you all the way back to Pualena. I could order you a ride if you want to wait here in the tea shop, or… you could come with me?"

"Let's go." She was in the passenger seat with the door closed before he had time to rethink his offer. Whatever was happening with his mother, she wanted to be there to support him.

Going slow was wise in theory, but casual dating was the last thing that Nell truly wanted.

She wanted this . Doing life together. Confronting hard times together.

That's how their relationship had been from the beginning, after all. As much as they might try to put the brakes on, take things slow, get to know each other better… there was already a depth to their relationship that went far beyond the early dating phase.

Nell had already met his daughter, and he knew her kids. Their daughters had played and painted together. He'd held her baby, and he had held her while she cried.

She wanted to be there for him too.

Nell had expected him to drive towards the hospital, so she was surprised when he passed it and continued on to the edge of town. He parked in front of a small, private elder care facility and gave her a long look.

"It can get rough in there," he warned her. "If you want to wait in the car…"

She just smiled at him and hopped out onto the sidewalk, where she waited for him to walk around. They went up the front path hand in hand, and he punched in a key code at the door. Before it was even open, she could hear a woman yelling inside.

"I want to go home!" Her voice was several times louder with the door open. "You can't keep me here! I didn't do anything! I have rights!"

"Good evening, Mr. Kahele." The woman sitting at the front desk gave them an apologetic look. "I'm sorry that I interrupted your evening. They've tried everything. She just won't settle."

"It's fine," Hugh said, but his voice was flat and sad. He released Nell's hand and walked through to the next room with her close behind.

A middle-aged woman had backed herself into a corner. She had a fork clutched in one hand, raised over her head like a weapon.

"I want to go home!" she shouted at the woman in front of her.

"I hear you," the woman said, her voice placating. "I'll help you pack. Why don't we put your clothes in the laundry, and then–"

"That's a trick! That's just a trick! You can't keep me here!"

"Donna," Hugh called out, his voice soft. "Can I help?"

She peered at him across the room and slowly lowered the hand that held the fork.

"It's a beautiful night," he said, walking forward. "The moon's almost full. How about a walk?"

The fork fell from her hand, and she didn't appear to notice the orderly who swooped in and picked it up.

"Hugh?" Donna still looked confused, but her eyes cleared somewhat as reason and memory returned. Grief flashed across Hugh's face, and there were tears in his eyes even as he smiled.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hugh! There you are! I was so worried!" She hurried across the room and hugged him. "I know it's been a couple years now, but I will never get used to you being taller than me."

It was like a switch had flipped. The confused, angry old lady was gone. This woman was full of energy. When she spotted Nell, her eyes were happy and bright.

"Is this your date?" she demanded.

"Mom, this is Nell." He turned to include her in the conversation, and she took a hesitant step forward.

"You are so beautiful! Look at that hair! You live in Pualena?"

"I do."

"It's lovely to meet you, Nell." Donna smacked Hugh good naturedly on the arm. "This one never brings his dates home. He must like you a lot!"

"I do." Hugh held a hand out towards Nell, and she slipped into the shelter of his arm.

"Don't you make a pretty couple. Enough of that now." She pushed Hugh lightly away and took Nell by one arm. "Come and see my garden. You've never seen hibiscus like mine. It's like they're lit from within, my word to heaven."

There was a sizable walled garden in the back, and they walked in circles through the tropical plants as Donna chattered on about neighbors who had moved away and businesses that had closed. Nell did her best to keep up.

"How is it I don't know your parents?" Donna asked after a while. "I've never even seen you in town. I would remember that hair, you know."

"I grew up in Kainaliu," Nell explained.

"Ohh, you're a Kona girl. You just transferred to Pualena High School?"

"Yeah, I just moved to Pualena not too long ago."

"She's friends with ‘ōlena and Nathan," Hugh volunteered. All through the garden, he was two steps behind them.

"Well that explains it. Didn't take you long to snap up the most handsome guy in school, did it? You've got good taste, I'll give you that much."

Eventually, they settled her in the main room in front of an easel and said goodbye.

"Hey, Hugh," Donna said in a stage whisper, pointing at Nell, "I like her."

He laughed and bent down to kiss her cheek. "Thanks, Mom. Me too."

"You kids have fun. No later than midnight, you hear?"

"Okay, Mom." He took Nell's hand and headed for the front door.

"Will she be worried when we're not back by midnight?" Nell asked once they were out of earshot.

"She'll have forgotten the visit five minutes from now," he replied.

Outside, he collapsed onto a bench and put his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry. I just need a couple minutes, and then I'll drive you home."

"Don't be sorry." Nell sat beside him and rubbed a hand up and down his back. She looked up at the moon, which was nearly full. A low smattering of clouds shone silver beneath the stars.

"That hasn't happened in a while," he said eventually.

"She's the reason you haven't moved to Oahu," Nell guessed.

"I've thought about going. But I'm all my mom has. And if I moved, the custody arrangement would change. I'd have Daisy half of each week, but I'd lose half of her vacation time. I'd rather spend all summer with her than fight traffic getting her to school every day. And I fly over as many weekends as her mom will let her spend with me. I just… as much as I'd like to, I can't be in two places at once."

He straightened and looked up at the moon. "There are times that no one can calm my mom down but me. Sometimes she recognizes me, but usually she thinks I'm my dad. Or her brother. But one way or another, seeing me always seems to ground her. She always settles. So far, at least. I hate the thought of her having an episode like that when I'm off island. It happened once when I was visiting Daisy, and they had to sedate her."

"I'm sorry, Hugh," Nell said softly.

He shook his head quickly and scrubbed a hand over his face. "No, I'm sorry. That was bad timing. I can drive you home now, if you'd like."

"I'm in no hurry." She leaned into him and looked up at the night sky.

He put an arm around her, and she leaned against him.

They sat like that for a long time, looking up at the moon.