AllFreeNovel
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“The store I want to look at first opens at ten.”
“I’ll pick you up at nine-thirty then.”
“Okay. That works.”
Alana and I have an easy connection. I don’t know how much she knows about Alek and me, but she is a perceptive girl. I am just going to let our relationship grow organically. Think she is on board for that too.
“Things look good,” Alek says, surveying the property.
The place is starting to become something new. In the backseat, my brother takes in the surroundings and I see a look of hope on his face for his future. Forafuture.
“The paint job looks nice, Dad.”
“Yeah. It needed it desperately.”
“Just washing the windows made a huge difference. Your mom’s here already? There’s Lani’s car.”
“She asked him to do a taste test with her. The four of us will weigh in on the final selections.”
“I’ve never done anything like that before,” my brother says.
“All you have to do is listen to your tastebuds.”
“I can do that.”
Pulling into a spot, I grab my purse and Alek his cell. When we exit the car we are greeted by bird songs and blossom scents.
“What a glorious day,” I say, taking my love’s hand.
Funny how all things change when you love. I never have been in this state of mind before. My relationships were always pale versions of the real thing. I am not sure they were versions at all. What we have here is in a category of its own. All I ask each night in prayer is that our perfect come true is everlasting.
As we approach the open front door, laughter can be heard from the dining room. Nani’s.
Alek lets us pass first.
“Well it smells better than the last time we were here,” I say chuckling.
“Don’t remind me.”
“Oh, the pillars are gone!”
“The entry looks good, doesn’t it?”
As we round the corner, the half-finished room makes an impression. It is going to be beautiful when completed. For now, there’s fresh paint, new flooring, and no sign of Italian vibes in the middle of a tropical paradise. The chair cushions haven’t been recovered yet, or the artwork chosen. That’s where Hawaii will show up. But it is leaps and bounds better than what was here previously.
Lani and Nani sit at a round table for eight, and he is feeding her a bite. All other dishes are cleared, but water glasses remain. Her closed eyes and raised open palms give the review. The opposite scene from the previous visit. She has come alive as much as I have.
“Heavenly. That’s a keeper.”
“Here’s the kids!” Lani says.
It is good to still be considered a kid by anyone. Sure Alek appreciates it too, one month shy of forty.
“Hello! Wait till you taste Oscar’s creations. He is an artist,” Nani declares.
As the words leave her mouth, Chef walks out from the kitchen. Looking happy and in his element.
“Aloha. Sit down. I am going to bring you Nani’s favorites.”
