Now buck up and stop feeling sorry for yourself, Mandy thought as she changed her little one’s diapers. Living here isn’t so bad, and you have much to be grateful for.
Baby Isaac gurgled and kicked his tiny feet. “Look at you, my little sweetie. You just wanna go, don’t you?” Mandy chuckled, in spite of her melancholy mood. Her bundle of joy overwhelmed her heart with happiness. She loved watching everything about her tiny son: his smiles, when he slept, and even his healthy cries, letting her know he was hungry. Isaac was two weeks old, and other than when he was hungry, he hardly ever cried.
Mandy, Ken, and Vickie were good about taking pictures of the newest family member. Mandy planned to mail pictures to her parents, so they could share in the things they’d be missing as this little one grew.
Vickie had sold her car a week ago and bought a minivan so she could carry more passengers. This morning, Vickie had driven Mom and Dad to the port in Lihue so they could begin their return trip to the mainland. Of course, Mandy, Ken, and the baby went along. It had been difficult saying goodbye to her parents, especially because Mandy didn’t know when she might see them again. Their future was uncertain, but at least she and Ken had been blessed with a healthy child.
Mandy was grateful for Vickie. In addition to paying off the remainder of Ken’s hospital bills with the money she’d earned from the sale of the farm, Ken’s mother had provided an income for them by buying the B&B. She was a good grandma, loving mother, and the best mother-in-law a girl could ask for. It was a shame Vickie’s other son didn’t care enough to come see her or his brother, not to mention his first nephew.
Mandy lifted Isaac into her arms and kissed his soft cheek. If my folks could come here all the way from Indiana, surely Dan could fly to Kauai from California. She’d been praying since the time Dan and his wife left Kauai that things would work out for the best for all of them. She just never expected Dan would stay away so long.
As Mandy headed down the hall toward the living room, she spotted Rueben’s baseball hat on the entry table. In addition to taking Mandy’s folks to the ship, Vickie had dropped Rueben off at the airport.
Ken had told Mandy about his conversation with Rueben last week, and how Rueben had asked God to forgive him. She wondered if Rueben might end up staying in Pennsylvania. Either way, she hoped things worked out well when he met with Arie’s family.
“Where would you like me to put this vase after I throw out the wilted flowers?” Kamilla, the woman who’d taken Ellen’s place, asked Vickie as they worked together to clean one of the guest rooms.
“I keep all my vases in the lower cupboard on the right side of the kitchen sink,” Vickie responded. Since Kamilla had only been working here a few weeks, she hadn’t learned where everything should go.
“Okay, I’ll take care of that now.” Kamilla sent a smile in Vickie’s direction and hurried from the bedroom.
Vickie hummed to herself as she opened a window to air out the room. She inhaled deeply, watching the sheer curtains blow inward as the breezes filtered through. It had rained yesterday, and the fresh air felt cleansing.
Things were running smoothly at the B&B, with the new people she’d hired to replace Ellen and fill in for Rueben while he was gone. Even, so, it didn’t feel right without them. Ellen was always so cheerful and didn’t have to be asked to do the chores. Kamilla, on the other hand, sometimes seemed unable to make a decision on her own. Perhaps, being new, she was overly cautious, not wanting to overstep her bounds.
In some ways, Vickie wished Ellen could have stayed on, but it was unrealistic to expect her to remain when her family was on the mainland. Besides, to stay would have meant Ellen would have to give up her Amish way of life, as Mandy had done. Only Mandy had never joined the church, so that made it easier.
Pilipo, the man taking Rueben’s place, was a hard worker, but he rarely said anything unless spoken to. The only time she heard him talking was when he had his cell phone up to his ear.
Rueben, who’d once seemed like an introvert, had become outgoing and made conversation with the B&B guests when they were in the yard.
Pulling her thoughts in another direction, Vickie picked up the feather duster. She was about to tidy up the top of the dresser, when Kamilla called her from the kitchen. “You’re wanted on the phone, Mrs. Williams.”
Vickie stuck her head out the open doorway. “Can you take a message?”
“It’s your son.”
Vickie pushed an errant piece of hair away from her face. “Did you say someone needs to speak to my son? If so, Ken’s on the lanai with Mandy and the baby.”
Kamilla stepped into the hall. “The call’s not for Ken. The man on the phone said he’s your son, Dan, and he wants to speak to you.”
Vickie’s heart raced as she dropped the duster and rushed down the hall. Her hand trembled when she picked up the phone. “Aloha, Dan.”
“Hi, Mom. How’s it going? Are you, Ken, Mandy, and the new baby doing okay?”
“We’re fine.” Vickie took a seat at the table. It was good to hear Dan’s voice. “Ken’s getting by with the use of his cane. Mandy and little Isaac are doing well too. How about you and Rita?”
“We’re both good.” Dan cleared his throat. “Uh, the reason I’m calling is because I owe you a long-overdue apology.”
“Oh?”
“I let you down by leaving Kauai soon after Dad died, and I’m sorry. I’ve been afraid to come back and face the loss I felt when he died.” Dan paused, and Vickie heard him blow his nose. “Rita’s settled in here with her family, so it wouldn’t be fair to uproot her. But we’d like to come to Kauai for a visit soon, if that’s okay with you.”
Joy bubbled in Vickie’s soul. She’d almost given up on her son returning home, even for a visit. His apology moved her to tears. “I forgive you, Son. You and Rita will always be welcome to come and stay for as long as you like. We have a room we don’t rent to our guests. It’s for family and close friends when they visit. Please let us know whenever you’re free to come, and we’ll roll out our Hawaiian welcome mat.”
Dan chuckled. “Since we have that settled, I’d like to talk to Ken now, if he’s available.”
“He’s on the lanai with Mandy and the baby. I’ll take the phone out to him.”
“Okay. Mahalo, Mom.”
Vickie stepped onto the lanai and smiled when she saw Ken stretched out on the hammock with the baby across his chest. Mandy sat on the porch swing, reading a book.
“Your brother’s on the phone. He wants to talk to you, Ken.” Vickie went to the hammock.
Ken’s eyes widened. “Okay, Mom. Would you mind taking Isaac so I can sit up?”
She leaned over and swept her precious grandson into her arms. The warmth and sweet scent of the little guy’s baby lotion brought back pleasant memories of when her boys were babies. Oh, how she missed those days when she and Charles raised their children together. But now she had something else to look forward to.
Ken sat up and swung his legs over the side of the hammock, while Vickie took a seat on the swing next to Mandy. She patted the baby’s back and was rewarded with a burp.
“Hi, Dan.” Ken held the phone close to his ear. “How are things in California?”
“Everything’s fine here, but I didn’t call to talk about me. I called to tell you how sorry I am for running out on you and Mom after Dad died. I was selfish and should have had the courage to stay and help out—not leave you stuck with all the responsibility.” Dan paused a few seconds. “I should have been there for you after the shark attack too. Will you forgive me, Brother?”
Ken swallowed, in an attempt to push down the lump in his throat. “’Course I forgive you. I just wish you didn’t live so far from us now.”
“I know, but Rita’s family is here, and …”
“No need to explain. I understand where you’re comin’ from.” Ken smiled when Mandy came over to stand by his side. He appreciated it even more when she put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“We hope to visit Kauai soon,” Dan said. “I’m looking forward to holding that new nephew of mine. Is it him I hear gurgling in the background?”
“Yeah, that’s my son. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
“I’m anxious too. As soon as we get reservations made I’ll let you know.”
“We’ll look forward to that.”
“I’ll call again soon. It was great talking to you and Mom.”
“Same here. Oh, and be sure to say hello to Rita for us.”
“Will do. Please tell Mandy I said the same.”
When Ken hung up he took Mandy’s hand. “I think things are gonna be okay with me and Dan. That’s one burden lifted from my shoulders.”
She bent down and gave him a kiss. “I’m so glad.”
Over the Pacific Ocean
Rueben fidgeted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position. He’d booked his airline ticket in coach, and there wasn’t much leg room for a man of his stature. Looking beyond the extended seats and into first class ahead of that, he wished he’d spent the extra money for a better seat. He’d only have to put up with the cramped quarters a few more hours. Then he could get off the plane in Seattle and stretch his legs.
Rueben glanced at his Hawaiian-print shirt. Then he got to thinking about the hat he’d left behind. No problem. I’ll get it when I go back to Kauai. Unless things went better than he hoped, Rueben probably wouldn’t stay in Pennsylvania.
He had mixed feelings about seeing his family again. While it would be great to visit and catch up on their lives, they might criticize him for running off to Hawaii instead of staying home and dealing with Arie’s death.
Rueben dreaded more than anything seeing Arie’s folks and not knowing what their reaction would be. He hoped they’d forgive, but his nerves were on edge. Oh man. Rueben glanced at his cell phone to check the time. After punishing myself since the accident, getting criticized by Arie’s folks can’t make me feel any worse. But thanks to Ken, I decided to go home, and I plan to see it through.
The man sitting next to Rueben began to snore, so Rueben slipped on his earphones to drown out the aggravating noise. He could have paid to watch a movie, but right now all he wanted to do was close his eyes and try to relax. Rueben had made a mess of things in his young life, and if nothing else, he needed to make things right with Arie’s parents. Unfortunately, it may be too late for him and Ellen.