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“Huh,” Akana said. “Had a sister. She could’ve been anything. Smart, pretty, popular in school.” He shook his head. “Got mixed up with an older guy when she was sixteen. Ended up pregnant. Our parents kicked her out of the house. They told her to get her boyfriend to man up and take care of her and the baby.”
Kiana leaned toward the man, her gaze intense. “Do you know what year that was?”
Akana closed his eyes and tilted his head. “I was a senior in high school. Must’ve been around thirty or thirty-one years ago.” His eyes narrowed. “Why? Do you think my sister was your friend’s mother?”
Kiana sank back in her chair, shaking her head. “Meredith was abandoned as an infant. She’s only twenty-eight years old.”
“That wasn’t the only kid my sister had,” Akana said.
“No?” Kiana sat up straighter.
“Several years after my parents kicked her out, she showed up at my apartment. She wanted me to help her. She said she was pregnant and had nowhere to go. I had a roommate. I couldn’t let her live with me, especially if she was going to have a baby. I was working at my first job in a warehouse and barely made enough to pay my half of the rent. I told her to go to our parents. She shook her head and said they wouldn’t speak with her.”
Kiana’s hand pressed to her chest.
Dev could tell she was upset for the young teenager whose parents had turned their backs on her when she’d needed them most. He wanted to go to Kiana and hold her. The woman had a big heart that extended to a woman she didn’t even know.
Akana continued. “I asked her what happened to her boyfriend and the other baby. She said that her boyfriend had left Hawaii over a year before, saying he’d be back for them. But he quit paying the rent as soon as he left, and she was evicted. She gave up their child for adoption. If that wasn’t bad enough, she showed up at my door pregnant with another man’s child. It was a one-night stand; he’d only been in Hawaii on business. She didn’t know where he was from or how to let him know she was pregnant with his child. I wanted to help her, but I couldn’t. I gave her what little cash I had and told her to go to a women’s shelter. I haven’t seen my sister since then.”
“The timing could have been right for my friend Meredith,” Kiana murmured. “She could be your niece.”
He shook his head from side to side. “It would be nice to know my sister’s kids turned out all right. I never forgave my parents for kicking her out when she was sixteen. They passed several years ago. They never got to know their grandchildren. I never had any of my own—that I know of.” He shrugged. “I did have a few girlfriends along the way, but they all ended up marrying other guys.”
The man’s shoulders sagged.
Dev could sense the older man’s sadness.
“It would be a nice surprise to find out I had a son or daughter,” Akana said. “Hell, it’d be nice to know my nieces or nephews. And I’d love to see my sister again to tell her I’m sorry. Will you let me know if your friend is actually my relative?”
Kiana pushed to her feet and dug into her purse. “Meredith would come to see you herself. She’d be beside herself to know she had an uncle or cousin. If you think of anything that might help us find Meredith, would you call me, please?” She handed him her business card. “Thank you for taking time to talk with us.”
He looked up at her with sad eyes. “I don’t feel like I helped.”
“You did,” Kiana said.
“Do you think your friend is looking for her mother?” Akana asked. “My sister?”
“We don’t know,” Kiana said. “Meredith is the only one who can answer that question.” She met Dev’s gaze. “Ready?”
Dev nodded and held out his hand to steady her as she descended the stairs.
“Miss Williams,” Akana called out. “Does your friend look anything like you?”
Kiana’s brow wrinkled. “She has dark skin and dark hair like mine. Very much like most native Hawaiians. And she’s tall and has green eyes.” Kiana smiled. “We get mistaken for sisters.”
Akana smiled. “Martina wasn’t as tall as you, but she was just as beautiful—only she had brown eyes like mine. If you find Martina, tell her I love her and wish her a good and happy life.”
“I will,” Kiana promised.
Dev led her to the car and opened her door for her.
Kiana sank into her seat and buckled her seatbelt, her gaze on the man who could be Meredith’s uncle.
Joe Akana remained in his seat, watching them as Dev backed out of his driveway.
“It breaks my heart,” Kiana said softly, “when a family who knows each other and says they love each other falls apart. If I knew my family, I’d fight to keep us together. The world can be a lonely place. Why make it lonelier?”
“Yeah. I was lucky to grow up knowing I was loved by my parents and my siblings, even when we weren’t throwing punches at each other. I’d do anything for my brothers and my folks. And they’d do the same.”
