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ONE
ELIANA
“Phil was well-loved throughout our community. He cared for all people as if they wereohanabecause, to him, they truly were.” Dave, an old friend of her uncle Phil’s, addressed the grieving crowd. He sighed deeply, shook his head, then cleared the stage so someone else could talk.
Eliana never wanted to think that this would come to pass. Her beloved Uncle Phil was being laid to rest. Making it through the funeral today was one of the most difficult things she ever had to do.
“Phil had always given so freely of himself to the community, both his own wolf pack and the other shifter communities on the island,” a shifter from another pack added. “He used to say ‘Pili pu na mea a pau.’ Everyone belongs together.”
“He felt a strong desire to care for people who needed it, which might have been the reason he took Eliana and Bria so easily,” an elder praised next.
Aunt Reta stepped up to speak. Eliana’s aunt was devastated by the loss of her dear husband. Her voice was thick with emotion as she began.
“He was such a loving man. I could give examples that would keep us here all day. But one you’ll all remember is how he had a particular fondness for the elderly communities. ‘Because they had cared for so many in the community already, we need to care for them in their senior years,’ he liked to say.”
Aunt Reta sobbed, struggling to get out the words. Eliana’s heart twisted to see her aunt’s pain. All Eliana had left in this world were her Aunt Reta and her mother, Bria.
Bria reached out and helped her sister Reta off the stage. Now was Eliana’s turn.
She stepped onto the platform with bloodshot eyes and looked over the grieving faces. She had been crying off and on all week.
“My uncle, Phil Hal, was a remarkable man. As others have said before me, he was kind, gentle, giving, and loving. My family is devastated by this loss, as I am sure many of you are. We will never forget the laughter, the kinship, and the wisdom that Uncle brought to each of us.”
“I was so blessed to be taken in by my uncle and aunt after my own father’s passing. Uncle was warm and inviting and made me feel like I was at home. I was young and felt lost, but Uncle gave me a solid foundation once more.
“He will be sorely missed, but his light still shines on at Aloha ?Ohana Hanai, which will be reopening soon. Thank you all for celebrating his life with us.”
* * *
“Welcome to Aloha ‘Ohana Hanai,where we believe everyone belongs together.” Eliana felt like a broken record. She had been greeting diners at the restaurant the same way all day.
But now was not the time to fall apart. It was the time to honor her uncle by keeping his business running … for as long as it had left, anyway. Since her uncle passed away, it has been a struggle to find someone to manage the family business. It seemed that the job had fallen to her.
And she wanted to step up for him the way he had for her.
When Eliana had lost her own father years before, Uncle Phil was the saving grace for Eliana and her mother, Bria. She could still recall the moment as if it were yesterday, even though it was nearly twenty years ago.
She was only a child when she and her mother came walking up the pathway at night toward the restaurant. All the possessions they had left in this world were stashed in their car.
Aunt Reta opened her arms to her sister, who collapsed in tears. Devoid of feelings, Eliana stood by, watching her mother and aunt.What was going to happen now?
The question was immediately answered when Uncle Phil swooped her into his arms. “We have you, ku’uipo, all is well.”
Naturally, his death hit her hard.
Not only was the immediate family experiencing a loss in the wake of Uncle Phil’s death, but he had also led the local wolf pack, and his passing left the community without a leader. Now, the wolves weren’t sure what to do.
Unfortunately for the Hal family, Uncle Phil was a little too generous. He had neglected to save any money in his many years running the restaurant. That meant the restaurant continued. In fact, it needed to increase revenue more than ever if they were to keep paying the bills.
So only three days after the funeral, they had decided to reopen the restaurant. They were as busy as ever between the locals who had been waiting for the restaurant to reopen and tourists who kept steadily wandering in from their adventures. It helped to keep the grief at bay.
“Welcome to Aloha ?Ohana Hanai, where we believe everyone belongs together.” It had become Eliana’s mantra.
The guests were greeted, then seated, and breakfast flowed. Doing this for a long time, Eliana was used to the rush of traffic. But her aunt was really struggling this first morning back, so Eliana sent her home only an hour into the day to take a long rest.
“How is everything?” she asked as she floated from table to table.
The customers were happy and quickly serviced, making her job easier as she checked in. As she finished her rounds with her tables, she turned to find an older, stylish woman walking into the restaurant.
