Page 54 of The Seashell of ’Ohana

“Look. How cute is this?” I flipped my phone to show Kate and Stella.

“Awww. That’s … Wait.” Stella narrowed her eyes. “Who sent it to you?”

I suddenly felt self-conscious. I flipped the phone back over and said, “Ian.”

I should have lied. Stella’s eyebrows raised so high her eyeballs almost popped out. I leaned back and continued eating. But Stella and Kate exchanged glances. My face burned hot red at the thought. I slid my phone into my lap and texted Ian.

Abby: Thank you for this picture. I love it.

Ian: I thought it would make your day.

He had been making many of my days, lately. I put away my phone and ignored the others.

Chapter Twenty-One — Zip-Lining

Kate, Lee, and Bridget took one car while Ian picked up Tyler and me from my house. We met at the Skyline Kauai office. The instructors, Tim and Kevin, introduced themselves and went over the rules and what to expect. Then we tried on helmets. The children were practically hopping in their excitement.

Lee clapped his hands once. “Are you ready to have fun?” he asked the kids.

“This is my first time.” Tyler pointed at me. “Mom wouldn’t let me, before, and she was afraid something would happen.”

Lee bent lower and tapped Tyler’s helmet. “I know. We’re going on the easy one. This will be Bridget’s first time, too. You’re both going to love it.”

“I don’t know about my mom. She’s afraid of heights.” Tyler patted my back as if he was the parent consoling his child.

Who was acting like the adult here? I almost laughed.

“Your mom will be fine. I promise.” Ian massaged Tyler’s shoulder with one hand and then mine with his other.

I gave Ian a nervous smile. His sly grin made my heart speed up, but it had the double effect of making me less nervous about the zip line.

“Come on, sis.” Kate swung her arm around me, leading me out the glass doors behind the instructor. “The zip-lining course is a little hike up the hill. The first time might be scary, but afterward, you’ll be begging for more.”

I raised an eyebrow and leaned closer so only she could hear. “Sounds like what our cousin Susan told us about sex.”

Kate burst out laughing. When I had been a junior in high school and Kate a freshman, our cousin had told us all about losing her virginity to her boyfriend, and their sex life.

My sister and I had been horrified and intrigued.

Kate readjusted her camera bag over her shoulder. “I still recall the expression on your face, like the one you have now.”

I snorted. “You know how scared I am of heights. I can’t even climb a ladder.”

“I know, but I promise you’ll love it.” She tapped my helmet.

“I better, or someone is going to owe me big time.”

My tennis shoe scuffed on the dirt path, then I stepped on a walkway of dead grass. A few dandelions had sprouted alongside the track. I looked over my shoulder. Tyler and Bridget were walking between Lee and Ian.

“This was your idea, remember?” Kate reminded me.

“No, I believe it was Ian’s.”

Kate had wanted to take me zip-lining, but I had turned her down every time. I didn’t see the point of going when I knew I’d turn right back and go home as soon as I set foot in the place. But zip-lining was on my bucket list, and I guessed I needed a good reason to take that plunge. Besides, I wanted to be the one to give my son his first zip-lining experience. I wanted him to remember that we’d gone together.

Grassy hills surrounded our group with patches of darker green and dried areas. That unique island scent of saltwater and lush tropical plants surrounded me with a sense of calm. Palm trees stood tall among hedges and thickets, their fronds bobbing in the wind. The clouds foamed over the rolling mountains like whipped cream on an ice cream sundae.

This view wasn’t anything spectacular, not even unusual in Kauai, but it felt like it was the first time I’d seen it. Perhaps new experiences threw familiar things into a new light.