28. ‘Ōlena

28

‘ōlena

‘ōlena wiggled her toes in the warm black sand and rolled her shoulders backward and forward, working out the knots that had settled in between her shoulder blades.

She watched the surfers take turns on the long ways that rolled towards the rivermouth, enjoying the cool wind in her face and the sun on her back.

Far out past the shorebreak, the newlyweds bobbed side by side in the lineup.

Nate came up behind her and started rubbing her shoulders, his fingers cool against her sun-warmed skin. He dug into the exact right spots, working out the knots of tension that had been softened by the heat of the day.

"I thought our reception was laid back," he drawled, "but this is next level. They saw our tables scattered in an orchard and said, forget the chairs, we'll eat on the ground."

"I like it."

"Me too." He stepped forward and slipped his arms around her waist. "Next time we get married, let's do it at the beach."

"There's no next time," ‘ōlena said, her voice relaxed and languid even as she scolded him.

"Fine by me." He kissed her temple and then stepped away, pulling gently on her arm. "Come get some food while it's still fresh."

She allowed herself to be led up the sloping sand to the tents that had been erected at the base of the cliffs. One housed a table full of food, and the other sheltered a small wedding cake, plus four different iced drinks that Juniper and Cody had lugged down the stairs.

"That cake is gorgeous," ‘ōlena told Tara. It was snowy white, adorned with plumeria blossoms she had constructed out of fondant or marzipan. "You could make a living at this."

"I'd only do it for friends and family," she protested, smiling. "It's a lot of work, and I don't like baking nearly as much as cooking. I'd get so bored making wedding cakes on repeat. I'd much rather make nourishing, island-grown meals."

"Well you're equally talented at that," ‘ōlena said as she loaded her plate up with Lau Lau and ‘ulu sweet potato salad.

"It's work I enjoy," she said modestly. "Speaking of which, my girls have been asking if they can join you five days a week instead of three. Would that be alright?"

"Of course! We don't have much time left before summer break, but they're welcome to join us five days a week for the time we have left."

"Perfect. They hated missing out on things." Tara walked off with three cups of iced māmaki tea to find her twins and tell them the good news.

"Over here." Nate steered ‘ōlena to the right of the tents. "I set up some shade for you."

He had put up a huge umbrella next to an old quilt, and ‘ōlena settled into the cool with a contented sigh.

The moment she took her first bite, Kiki ran up with a spray of sand, her face dripping with water.

"Mama, can I play in the river?"

‘ōlena swallowed. "What have you been doing the past hour?"

"I've been swimming in the pool part, but I want to go with the big kids where the river goes fast . Piper said I can use her board."

"I just sat down to eat."

"So? I can go by myself with the big kids. I swim so good!"

"You're a great swimmer, but not nearly old enough to go on your own."

"I've got her." Nate hauled himself to his feet and stepped out of the shade.

"You just sat down," ‘ōlena protested, feeling guilty.

"I'll rest when they're grown," he said over his shoulder, following Kiki to the river.

She relaxed and enjoyed her food in the shade, watching Lani and Tenn catch wave after wave. After a while they paddled out past the break to relax on their boards, just two distant dots of serenity out in the ocean.

‘ōlena had just set aside her empty plate when Nate plopped onto the blanket beside her, dripping and content. She put a hand on his arm, still icy from the river.

"Where are the girls?" she asked.

"Your dad lured them away with butter mochi."

"Is he eating butter mochi?"

"Let the man live a little. You mom's had him on chicken breasts and salad ever since he got home from the hospital. The occasional indulgence won't kill him."

"No, but my mom might."

Nate just chuckled and turned his face up towards the sun, letting it bake the water off of his chest and shoulders. ‘ōlena sat admiring him for a minute, still adjusting to the fact that this man was hers for good. He opened his eyes, caught her staring, and gave her a cocky smile.

"Where should we go on our honeymoon?" she asked.

"We get a second honeymoon?" Nate sat up and scooted closer. He put one arm across her lap, bracing himself with one hand on the blanket, and leaned in close.

"The wedding happened in such a rush that we didn't even talk about it. But yeah. I'd like to get away, even if it's just for a little while."

"When would that be?"

"I have a bit of a break coming up, in between regular Playschool hours and the summer session. Any chance you could get away from the orchard?"

He was silent for a moment, pressing his cheek to hers and he thought it over. "I don't think Juniper and Cody could keep up with harvesting on their own, even for a few days. But if we could get someone to stand in for me, that might work. Kekoa, maybe?"

"How about Emma?"

"Emma, really?"

"She loves gardening, and she just took a whole course on food forests and stuff. I think she would be happy to cover for you for a few days."

"Where would you want to go?" he asked.

"I don't really care. I just want a few days alone with you."

"On island, then? A staycation?"

"Get a nice room somewhere, maybe a vacation rental. Hiking during the day and a plush place to sleep at night?"

"You're speaking my language."

"Good. We'll find something."

They were quiet for a long while, just enjoying each other's company and watching the surf.

"Did you enjoy your yoga class the other day?" Nate asked. "You never said."

"I don't know if ‘enjoy' is the right word, but yeah. I think it was good for me to get out of my comfort zone and do something just for myself."

"You don't have to do everything yourself anymore," he said quietly. "I'm sorry that you ever did. But I'm here now, and I want to make your life easier."

"You already have."

"I've been busy with the orchard, but I'll have more free time once lychee season is over."

"You'll be working on all sorts of other projects, planting trees and leveling the hilltop."

"True, but there's no ticking time bomb on other projects. I'll be able to spend more time with the girls. You can figure out what you love to do that's just for you."

"That's a foreign concept at this point. And honestly, I'd rather spend time all together as a family."

"We'll have plenty of time for that too," he assured her. "There's time for everything."

She leaned into him and looked out over the ocean again, feeling her body fully relax for the first time in ages.

He was right.

They had plenty of time.