Chapter 43

ONE MONTH LATER

Relaxingafter a vigorous post-work swim at Ohia Bay, I leaned back on my elbows on my beach towel, enjoying the late afternoon sun on my body. The days were getting longer, and that meant more time for fun after the post office closed.

I watched a pair of ‘iwa, enormous black frigate birds,as they wheeled and dove above the turquoise water, performing an elaborate dance. Were they courting? It seemed like they might be. Every flap of their wings was filled with purpose and grace.

I couldn't help thinking of Keone as I watched the seabirds' spiraling flight. We continued our own dance, and right now, the steps seemed to be in tandem.

Therapy with Dr. Kinoshita was going well. She had me practicing "touch desensitization" daily. Keone was my main helper for this. He now had permission to surprise me with hugs, kisses, back rubs and more; my job was to lean into whatever he came up with. I smiled, remembering a recent surprise he'd planned involving edible massage oil. He was definitely taking his part in the therapy seriously.

I had passed on many of the techniques I was learning to Elle. She had taken to meeting me at the beach, working up to actually touching the water. Maybe she would be able to get her toes wet today. We'd see how long she lasted.

Elle was the one who'd come up with a solution to what to do about Maile Ortiz's living situation. Elle L. Beane wasn't just a highly trained medical researcher and event planner, she was also something of a matchmaker.

"Maile's such a delight," Rita Farnsworth had said to Elle after she'd been introduced to Maile at Edith and Josie's reception. "She reminds me of my child at that age." Rita's daughter had died of cancer as a young woman and Rita mourned her loss, finding comfort in helping cats but still experiencing a void in her life.

"Yes, Maile's so sweet. And that's what makes it so horrible, what's happening to her." Elle had said. She sensed an opportunity was about to present itself as they watched Maile, Sandy and Windy dancing in their party dresses to the music the DJ played for the reception.

"What's happening to her?" Rita frowned.

"This poor kid who's survived so much will be heading back into the foster care system," said Elle. "And you know firsthand how that worked out for her before. What she needs is a place where she can be safe and secure, maybe even adopted someday."

"Sending her back to any old foster situation is unacceptable," said Rita, straightening her red hat and firming her lips. "I'm going to check into becoming a qualified foster parent."

Candace the social worker made sure Rita Farnsworth was fast-tracked into getting approved as a foster care provider, and Rita took Maile home from the Nakasones' house within a week of the girl being found at Hotel Hana.

Theirs was a match made in kitty heaven. "I love cats!" Maile exclaimed when she saw Rita's backyard cat sanctuary. "And you have lots and lots of them."

Maile and the Nakasone girls now went to the same school, and the three girls were inseparable—either spending the night at Rita's house in Hana or playing with Sandy and Windy's kittens at the Nakasone home in Ohia.

For Hugh Dragoon the outcome wasn't as upbeat. After his arrest for all the charges associated with the home invasion at Barbara Long's, the DA tacked on an arson charge for good measure. Dragoon pled guilty to all of it, seeming not to care what happened to himself now that he'd been captured. Maile had asked if she could visit her "dad" in prison when she went to see her mother on planned visits, so maybe that would have a positive effect on him.

They say some people are just too mean to die. That saying applied to Barbara Long. She was discharged and, according to the coconut wireless, sold her home and moved to Honolulu to get a fresh start. No one on Maui was sorry to see her go.

For the moment, everyone in our little part of the world was either well or on the mend. Artie had a new treadmill and was walking daily to strengthen his heart. Keone's mom Ilima was regaining her speech and mobility with ongoing physical therapy. Aunt Fae was trying a new medication that helped with the dizzy spells that had been worrying us.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the sand of Ohia Bay, peace filled me. The air was filled with the salty tang of the sea, and the occasional cry of the "iwa seemed to echo the rhythm of my own heartbeats—steady, content.

Elle finally arrived; her expression was tentative but determined. She rolled up her pant legs and took off her fancy running shoes and set them beside my towel. "I'm going in this time," she stated.

"You got this!" I said. "I'm right here to support you." I watched as my new friend approached the waterline. She paused at the edge, then took a step forward until the waves were lapping gently at her feet. After a moment, she took a deep breath and stepped in deeper, allowing the cool Pacific to wash over her ankles.

"This isn't so bad!" Elle's lovely face lit up with a mixture of surprise and delight. I couldn"t help but cheer for her small victory. She kicked her feet; the waves splashed her and she giggled. "I have a new goal, Kat. A triathlon! I have to swim a mile in the ocean to participate."

"You can do whatever you decide to do, Elle. I believe in you," I said.

"Glad to see that Elle"s making progress." Keone had arrived. I was expecting him but had been too distracted by Elle's antics to notice his approach. He tugged off his tee and, very deliberately and with a grin, stretched out beside me on the towel, his body touching mine all along one side.

I breathed out the desire to move away even as my abs crunched up and goosebumps rose all over. I closed my eyes and focused on the sensation of his warm skin against mine; it was pleasant. Nothing bad was happening. I liked him. No, loved him. Therefore it followed that I enjoyed the feeling of being physically close.

"Yeah, she"s really trying. It"s not easy, but she"s getting better," I said, and I was speaking of my own progress too.

Elle told us she wanted to get in a run before she lost the light, and we waved goodbye as she picked up her shoes and left.

The evening sky turned into a brilliant array of oranges and purples that lit clouds moving gently along the horizon, a picturesque end to another day in our little part of paradise.

"We"re lucky, you know," Keone murmured as we stood to leave. "Maui no ka oi."

"Maui is the best," I translated, proud that I knew the saying. I felt the truth of Mr. K's words deep in my bones. "It's not perfect, but it"s home, and filled with people who genuinely care about each other."

We walked back to our cars with the shush of the waves and rustle of palms a gentle background music.

As we drove to the house in New Ohia for dinner with Aunt Fae and the sunset faded behind us, I reveled in gratitude for everything—our community, our friends, our challenges, and our triumphs.

Each element was a thread in the tapestry of our lives, making up a patchwork of pain, joy, loss, and love. Like the ‘iwa birds, we were part of a dance that intertwined us, no matter the storms we faced.