Sunday May 4, 1986

        Sundays were the best.  Waking up snuggled next to your husband was even better.  Husband.  Margery sighed inside as she thought the word. That the big, handsome man next to her was her husband was still a concept she had trouble accepting as real. After nearly three months, it still seemed like some fantastic sort of dream—one from which she sincerely never wished to wake. He stirred, his arm crossing over her body, his hand resting on the mound that housed their unborn child.  “Morning,” he whispered gruffly.

        “Good morning,” she replied, wiggling herself closer to his warmth.  “How long do we have before you have to go to the airport?”

        “It’s half past eight,” he told her.  “Kai’s plane doesn’t arrive until two-thirty.  So, three hours?”

        “That sounds about right,” she said, sighing as his hands moved over her stomach.  The baby moved inside her, one foot—or elbow jabbing back against Kal’s hand.

         “Shhh, there, baby mine,” he whispered.  “Don’t be kicking your daddy until we can go one on one.  Mama doesn’t deserve to be your punching bag.”

        “Ow,” Margery said, adding, “Not the baby, my back.  I think I slept wrong. I just couldn’t get comfortable.”

        “I’ll rub it for you,” he offered, nuzzling her neck.  “Just tell me where.”

        “Near the middle.”  His hands slid down her spine, and she moaned slightly as the pressure of his fingers eased her tight muscles.  “Oh, yes.  There.”

        He kept up the massage until she reluctantly pulled away, her bladder’s need overcoming her preference for remaining in his arms.

12:09 p.m.

        “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” Kal asked for the fourth time.

        “I’m positive,” Margery told him.  “I want to make sure the rooms are ready for Kai and Tiare, and I expect the girls to be home in time for a late lunch.” She winced a little as her back tightened up again.  “Tessa and Diana are planning to go riding, and Trixie and Honey might join them if they finish helping Helen get her seedlings started in good time. Even if they don’t, we’ll all have dinner together.”  She smiled.  “It’s good for Honey to be around the Beldens, especially with her parents away.  I can’t tell you how much she’s grown and flourished since Matthew Wheeler bought this estate for her.”

        “I believe you,” he said, dipping his head to kiss her. “I think there’s something in the air here.  It’s one of the few mainland places that doesn’t make me itch.” Stepping back, he gave her a smile.  “Of course, that could be because you’re here.”

        “Go on,” she scoffed, but she could feel her cheeks flushing. “Tom’s waiting, and it’s at least an hour to the airport.  More if there is traffic or road work—which there will likely be.”

        “Yes, ma’am,” he said, snapping her a mock salute.  He kissed her again and said, “Don’t overdo it, Maka mine.  Kai spends a good part of his time sleeping on cots and in bunks.  I imagine his girl does the same.  You take it easy.”

        “I just want them to be comfortable.”  He raised an eyebrow, waiting.  “Fine,” she said with an exaggerated sigh. “I’ll leave the heavy lifting to Celia and the girls.  Now go!  The sooner you get on the road, the sooner you’ll all be home.”

        He wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on the small of her back, exerting pressure as his fingers moved in small circles across the sore spots.  He kissed her forehead and headed out.

        She watched him leave.  Once the door latched, she headed upstairs.  She had just reached the landing when she heard the front door open and shut, followed by the sound of giggling, and Tessa calling out, “Anake? We’re home!  Was that Uncle Kal leaving?”

        “I’m up here,” she called back.  Tessa, with Diana hot on her heels, bounded up the stairs. “I want to make sure the rooms are ready, and yes, that was Tom and Kal.  They’re off to meet Kai and Tiare’s plane, but Kal wants to make a stop on the way.  He wouldn’t tell me why. Don’t tell your cousins, but he was being rather mysterious.”

        Tessa giggled, and Diana moaned, “Not the M word! Please.  I’ve barely recovered from the Mystery of the Pilfered Parrot.”

        Margery had to laugh.  “Is that what you’re calling it?” she asked.

        “Mart and Dan,” Tessa answered, rolling her eyes.  “Although, I dare say Mrs. Lemke was glad to get Skutters back.” Her eyes narrowed, and Margery knew the girl had noticed her wince.  “Are you okay?”

        “I’m fine,” she answered.  “My back is bothering me a bit.  It’s not unusual, considering the bowling ball I’m carrying around.”  Tessa didn’t look convinced, so she opted for a subject change. “Are you girls hungry?  Cook made up some sandwiches and snacks.  They’re in the refrigerator.”

        “Thanks, Anake, but Diana’s mom made pancakes. Cinnamon chip pancakes with maple syrup and walnuts, plus bacon and eggs.  Maybe we can take the sandwiches with us on our ride?”

        “Of course.  Your uncle made waffles, so I can understand not wanting lunch quite yet.  We’re having lamb for dinner, though, so try not to eat so late it spoils your dinner.”  Another cramp hit her in the small of her back, and she rubbed at it.  “When are you planning to ride?”

        “Not for an hour or so,” Tessa answered.  “Dan’s in the stable right now.  He’s turning out the horses since Regan’s in the City.  Once he finishes mucking stalls, he has to saddle Kestral and Cowboy for us.  Hopefully by then, Mart and the girls will be done with the seedlings, and we can take out the other horses.”

        “You aren’t helping him with the horses?” Margery was a little surprised.

        “Nope.”  Tessa shook her head and grinned.  “Not this time.  Dan made a bet, and he lost.  Fair’s fair.”

        “Do I want to know?” she asked.

        “No.”  It was Diana who answered, her silky dark hair fluttering as she shook her head. “Let’s just say that the boys were stupid, we were not, and now Dan has to do the prep and Mart has to do the clean-up.”

        “So we’re free to help you,” Tessa proclaimed cheerfully.  “What needs doing?”

        “I just want to make sure the rooms are ready for your cousin and his friend.  Celia made up the beds last night, but I want to make sure everything is in order.  Kal brought home some flowers last night, and I’d like to make sure there are enough towels and toiletries.”

        Tessa grinned.  “You are the hostess with the mostest,” she said, adding, “You do know that Kai does a lot of sleeping in boat racks and army cots, right? An actual bed with real sheets is more than he’s used to.”

        She had to laugh, despite the nagging ache in her back.  “That’s exactly what your uncle told me.  But, since this is the first time we’re meeting Tiare, I wanted to put our best foot forward, so to speak.  Besides, I want to present the house at its best, especially since your aunt and uncle aren’t here.”

        “Do you think they’ll make it back before Kai leaves on Wednesday?” Tessa asked as she and Diana followed Margery down the hall.  “It would be great if they could meet him.”

        “I know they’d like that,” she told the girl, “but it depends on how the contract negotiations go.”

        Tessa pulled a face.  “I’ve seen the contracts,” she said.  “Uncle Matthew is being more than generous.  Barkling is just being difficult. No one gives a guarantee without permits in place.  That’s a ridiculous demand that’s just a stall…”

        Diana covered her yawn dramatically with one hand, her lavender polished nails catching the light.

        Tessa laughed, cutting herself off mid-sentence.  “Sorry, Princess Di.  No more busy-ness talk, I promise.” She looked at Margery.  “Why don’t you sit down and direct us?”

        That sounded like a good idea.  Margery sat down on the tufted chair next to the vanity and mirror.  The two rooms she had chosen for her stepson and his guest were large and airy, connected by a shared bathroom. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that the two grown adults slept separately, but certain proprieties needed to be maintained.  It would not be proper—nor a good example to the children—to allow an unmarried couple to openly cohabit under the Wheeler roof.  She believed that her compromise would be accepted by Kai.  He was a sensible man, after all.

        Sitting in the chair, she watched the girls bustle around, checking for enough hangers in the closets.  The connecting bath was spacious, and Tessa laid out fluffy towel sets while Diana artfully arranged the decorative soaps.  It didn’t take long, as the rooms were rarely used and well maintained.

        “Where are the flowers?” Tessa asked.

        “Oh! They’re in our rooms.”  She heaved herself up out of the chair and moved out the door with what she just knew was a waddle.  “I’ll get them.  There should be vases in the laundry closet.”  She had just reached for the handle to her door when she felt another, sharper twinge in her back, and her belly tightened.  Then, she felt liquid trickle down her leg.  At first, she feared she’d lost control of her bladder—pressure from the baby had made trips to the bathroom much more frequent of late—but then the tightening happened again, and she put two and two together.  She was in labor.

        “Anake? Are you okay?”

        Margery turned to face her niece and Diana. “I…I think my water just broke.”

        Panic. Six words from her aunt nearly sent Tessa into a full blown panic. Her mind went blank, and the words her tongue released made her want to bang her head on the wall. “Are you sure?”

        “No,” Margery answered.  “I’m not positive, but I think so.  I’m going to go check.”

        Tessa turned to Diana.  “I’m an idiot.  Are you sure? Geez.”  She pressed her fingers against her temples.  “Think.  Think. What do we do?”

        “Well,” Diana said, more than a hint of laughter in her voice, “you might want to calm down.  Take a breath, Tess.  I’ve never seen you like this.”

        Tess glared at her best friend.  “I’m the youngest,” she retorted.  “I am the baby in my family.  You have four younger brothers and sisters.  I’ve never done this before.”

        “Neither has she,” Diana pointed out, inclining her head toward Margery’s quarters. “Come on, Tess.  You went to some of the classes with her.  You know what to do.  Do it.”

        She breathed in through her nose and expelled the air through her mouth.  It took three rounds before her brain defogged enough to function. “You’re right,” she said.  “First, we get Maka’s stuff and get her to the hospital.  Birthing center, I mean. Well, it’s attached to the hospital.” She shook her head in disgust at her rambling. “Okay.”  She took another deep breath and steadied her voice.  “Di, would you please help Margery?  Have her call the doctor and tell them she’s coming in.  Her bag should be packed. I’m going down to the stable and tell Dan.  We need to get hold of Uncle Kal, and if one of us doesn’t tell Honey, she’ll murder me.”

        Diana nodded.  “True.  Okay.  You go get Dan and the car.  I’ll take care of Ms. Margery, and I’ll call down to the Beldens.”  She smiled.  “Are you okay?”

        She nodded.  “Shaky as all get out, but at least I now have a plan.”  She grinned.  “Thanks, Di. Panic isn’t a good look for me.”

        “Anytime.  Now, go!”

        She went.

        Dan picked up the lead line and started out to the turn out.  He should have known better than to make a bet with the girls. People often thought that Diana was a dim bulb housed in a beautiful exterior, but she was sharper than most expected, and Tess, well, no matter how long he’d known her, she still managed to fool him.  At least he had the saddling job, while Mart would be stuck with the un-tacking and grooming.  Mart never learned. He whistled for Cowboy just as his girlfriend burst through the door.

        “What’s wrong?” he asked. 

        “Margery,” she said, slightly out of breath.  “Her water broke.  She’s in labor, and Kal’s on his way to the airport. I have to get a message to him. Do you think if I called the police and gave them the license number they could pull Tom over and send him back?  I could use the Wheeler name, since they’re in a Wheeler car.  But who would pick up Kai and Tiare? Oh, deviled eggs!”

        He laughed.  He knew he shouldn’t, and that point was driven home by the glacial green glare she turned on him.  “I’m sorry,” he said.  “I just never see you like this.  Calm down, babe.  We’ve got this.”

        “We do?” she asked.  “We do.  Right.”  Her posture changed, both panic and anger leaving her face.  “Sorry for rambling. I just know how much Kal wants to be here, and she seems to be halfway to delivery already.”

        “Tom’s driving him in the Crown Vic, right?” he asked.  She nodded.  “Isn’t there a phone in the car?  If I remember correctly, your uncle was very proud of the fact that he could conduct business while in traffic.”

        She threw her arms around him.  “Yes! Yes! That’s right.  Thank God one of us can think today.  The number is in his Rolodex.”  She stepped back.  “I need to drive Anake to the birthing center.  Diana is calling Honey. Would you call Tom? Please?”

        “I’ll do better than that,” he said. “I’ll ask Tom to take Kal directly to the center, and I’ll go pick up your cousin and his girlfriend.  I just need the flight information.”

        The smile she gave him could have lit a city, but the kiss that followed would have set it on fire. “I love you, Danny.  Thank you for being so level headed.  I’m all…”

        “Flummoxed?” he teased. “In a spin?  Overwhelmed?”  He shook his head. “No, you were just taken off guard.  Get your balance, Babe.  You do what you have to do to get Margery and the baby to the right place; I’ll do my job, and I bet the rest of the Bob Whites will as well.”

        “I know they will.  Thanks for reminding me.”  She took his hand and they scampered back to the house.

        Dan helped Margery into the front seat of the sedan the Wheelers’ kept for transporting the staff.  Diana slid into the back with a small suitcase, and he stifled a grin as Tessa checked the mirrors and seat placement before starting the car.  With a wave, they were off, and he hastened back into the house clutching the paper on which Tess had scribbled a phone number and flight information.

        There were seven telephones in the house, but he chose to use the one in the kitchen. He dialed the number and waited.  “Wheeler four.  This is Tom.”

        “Tom,” he said, secretly relieved that it had worked, “It’s Dan. Is Kal with you right now?”

        “He’s inside the shop.  I’m parked in the alley.  What’s up?”

        “You need to get Kal and head back.  Margery is in labor.”

        “Are you serious?”

        “Yeah.  Her water broke and everything.  Tess and Di are taking her to the birthing center. I’ve been charged with the airport pick-up.”

       

        “He’s headed my way,” Tom said. “Hang tight.”

        Dan heard the door to the car open and shut, and then the muttering sound of Tom relaying information to Kal.  Then, “Daniel. This is Kal.”

        “Kal.  Margery should be at the center in, like, ten minutes.  Tom’s going to drive you directly there, and I’m headed to the airport to pick up Kai and, is it Tia?”

        “Tiare,” Kal corrected. “Tiare Van der Meer.” There was a pause, and he continued, “Thank you.  Thank you, I really appreciate it. Would you please call the center and have them let Margery know I am on my way?” There was the sound of murmurs again, and then Kal was back. “Tom says we should be there in forty to forty-five minutes.”

        “I will. Good luck, and, well, congratulations.”

        Kal laughed.  “Thank you, Daniel. Drive safely.”

        “You, too,” he responded automatically, correcting himself with, “Or rather, make sure Tom drives safely.  If Tess has to take your place for the whole birth, her head might explode.”

        “Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we?  Goodbye.”

        Dan hung up the phone and quickly dialed the next number.  Once he was assured that Margery would be informed of her husband’s imminent arrival, he disconnected and dialed another number—one that was as familiar as his own.  He tapped his foot impatiently as it rang. And rang.  And rang.  When the answering machine clicked on, he hung up.  Diana had already left one message; a second one would be redundant.  Instead, he dialed up the cabin and waited until his father answered.  “Hey, Dad,” he said, “There’s been a change of plans…”

        With the new plan in place, he jogged out to his truck and headed toward the City.

Hudson Valley

Birthing Center

1:00 p.m.

        Tessa helped her aunt into the center, holding the door for both her and Diana—who was carrying the bag.  She was feeling much more centered now; her initial panic having smoothed out on the drive. Still, she had to admit to the wave of relief she felt when the receptionist said, “Oh, Mrs. Kaneohe, we’ve been asked to let you know you husband is on his way.” She choked back the happy sigh that threatened to rush from her mouth, and instead focused on the immediate future.  She managed a smile as the nurse led them down the hall to Margery’s room.

        It was nice.  Like a hotel room, almost.  Daffodil yellow walls, pale green gingham curtains in the window, and a tan sofa distracted from the single-sized bed covered with a green and yellow comforter.  She’d seen the demonstration and knew that the bed converted to a birthing bed, while the sofa pulled out into a bed for the father—or birthing partner, as the case might be.  Still, with the jetted tub in the corner, under the window, the room was far different from any hospital room Tessa had experienced.

        While the nurse assisted Margery with changing her clothes and making herself comfortable, Tessa busied herself helping Diana unpack the bag.  Clothes in small dresser.  Toiletries on the counter, baby items safely stowed in the drawers of the white painted changing table on the far wall. It made for a good distraction. Finally, with a giggle, she removed her aunt’s “focus point”—a dashboard hula girl complete with a fake grass skirt and a spring to make her sway.  She moved her hand to make the figure dance, and Diana joined her in the giggling.  Moving back to the bed, where the nurse was finishing up her exam, Tessa asked, “Where do you want Hulu Hannah, Anake?”

        “Margery,” the nurse said, “you are at five centimeters dilated, and about 60 percent effaced.  You’re making good progress. Would you like to walk around, or maybe soak in the tub?”

        “Put Hannah on the bed stand,” Margery directed Tessa, before answering the nurse.  “I think I’d like to wait until my husband arrives, if it’s all the same to you,” she said. “I’m afraid this baby might try to rush delivery if I move, and I’d hate for Kal to miss it.”

        “It’s completely your call at this point,” the nurse replied.  “Activity can help your labor progress, so I understand wanting to wait.  Do you expect him soon?”

        Tessa answered, looking at her watch.  “Any minute, actually,” she said.  “We’ve been here half an hour.  Kal was about forty minutes behind us, so I expect to see him…”

        “Now.”  Kal finished her sentence from the doorway of the room. Another, almost overwhelming wave of relief swept over her.  He was here. Tessa set Hula Hannah on the table and resisted the urge to fling herself into Kal’s arms.  Instead, she forced herself to walk slowly across the room to hug her uncle, although she did whisper, “Thank God,” in his ear.

        Kal chuckled in response, squeezed her tight, and whispered, “Mahalo, keiki.” Straightening, he said aloud, “Thank you, Diana, Nani. I think we’ve got it from here.”

        “You girls are welcome to hang out with us for the time being,” Margery offered.  “If you like.”

        Diana and Tessa shared a look.  “We’ll stay if you like, Aunty,” Tessa said, “but we’ll be fine out in the waiting area.  I’m sure the rest of the gang will be descending soon.”

        Margery swung her legs off the side of the bed.  “I’ll leave it up to you,” she said, wincing and pausing to breathe.  “I think Kal and I will take a walk around the grounds, if you are willing, dear?”

        “My pleasure,” Kal replied.  “It’s allowed, right?”

        “Indeed, Mr. Kaneohe,” the nurse assured him with a chuckle.  “As long as Margery is comfortable moving around, the better.  She’s in charge.”

        That’s the truth,” he agreed.  He hugged Tessa again and moved to take his wife’s arm.  “You girls go head off the onslaught.  The wife and I are going to tour the garden.”

        As Kal and Margery headed out into the courtyard atrium, Tessa and Diana made their way out of the room.

JFK Airport

2:45 p.m.

        He’d made decent time.  Not quite good enough to beat the plane, but at least he was only ten minutes post arrival.  Rather than attempt to make it out to the gate, Dan stood in the baggage claim area holding a hand-lettered sign on a piece of notebook paper.  It read Kai & Tiare in red Sharpie marker.  He’d located the correct baggage carousel, and shifted on his feet, eyes peeled for the man he’d only seen in photographs, and the pretty dark-haired woman he’d only heard described by his girlfriend.

        A rush of passengers disgorged from the escalator.  As they scattered, Dan spotted a tall young man who looked like a younger, somewhat leaner version of Kal.  Dressed in a long-sleeved blue t-shirt and khaki pants, he held the hand of a dark-haired woman for whom pretty didn’t even come close.  Her head reached several inches below the man’s shoulder, her curly hair and golden skin framing a face that resembled paintings Dan remembered seeing in church.  Clad in a flowing white shirt and black leggings, she exuded an aura that drew the eye to her. Realizing that he was staring, Dan shook himself back to reality and raised his sign up high.  It was the woman who saw it first.  She smiled and tapped the man on the wrist, directing his attention Dan’s way. He quirked an eyebrow, no doubt in confusion to whom the guy with the sign was, and altered course.  Dan lowered the sign as they approached.  “Kai, right?” he asked.  “And you would be Tiare?  I’m Dan Maypenny, your last minute replacement chauffeur.”

        “Tessa’s boy?” Kai blurted. 

Immediately, he looked chagrined at his words, but Dan just grinned. “The one and only,” he said, extending his hand.

Tiare chuckled at her companion’s discomfiture, and Dan’s estimation of her character grew to match his appreciation of her physical appearance.

        “It’s nice to finally meet you, Dan,” Kai said, taking Dan’s extended hand.  The two shook, and Kai continued, “Let me try again, this time without my foot in my mouth.  Yes, I’m Kai Kanehoe, and this is my fiancée, Tiare Van der Meer. I apologize for my surprise, but I was expecting my father.”

        “I know,” Dan said, “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.  Kal was on his way here, but evidently your little brother or sister needed him more.”  He grinned again as his words registered and Kai’s eyes widened.

        “The baby is coming?  Now?”

        Dan nodded.  “As of about two hours ago, yeah.  Fortunately, Mr. Wheeler has a phone in the Vic, and I was able to get hold of Tom—the real chauffeur—and redirect them.  Unfortunately, that means instead of relaxing in the comfort of a luxury car, you get to cram in the cab of my truck.”

        “The baby is coming?” Kai asked again, a dumbfounded look still on his handsome face.

        “Well, the truck doesn’t have a phone, so I haven’t been able to get an update, but I’d have to say yes.”

        “First babies often take a while, Kai,” Tiare interjected, her voice low and steady, “but we should probably get our bags.”

        “True,” Dan agreed, “but Margery and Kal are pretty unusual, and Tess said that her water had broken, which I guess means she is…further along?”  He shrugged.  “Ask me about horses or dogs and I might be able to tell you, but humans?  Not so much.

        “Me, either,” Kai responded, his face clearing as he clapped Dan on the shoulder.  “Let me grab our bags and we can go get the word from someone who does know.”  He grinned down at Tiare.  “You know what this means, don’t you?” he asked, “I’m gonna be first for a change.”  He grabbed her and spun her around, laughing happily.  Then, he set her back on the ground and disappeared toward the baggage carousel.

        Tiare was still laughing, her blue eyes aglow.  “What does that mean?”  Dan asked.

        “Sibling rivalry,” she explained.  “Kai was born second, and evidently, his brother has never let him forget it.  We’re only here for four days, so it appeared that Mak would get to meet the new addition first once they get to Maui.  He’d be first, again.  But it just dawned on Kai that he’s got the scoop, and he’s enjoying it.”

        “Ah.”  Dan nodded his understanding.  “I bet he’s never going to let his brother forget it, either.”  He grinned.  “I sure wouldn’t.”  He looked at Kai approaching with the luggage, exaltation still on his face. Dan offered Tiare his arm and led the way out of the airport.

Hudson Valley

Birthing Center

4:23 p.m.

        Things were going fast. Once Uncle Kal had arrived, Margery had relaxed.  Tessa had thought her aunt was calm before, but when her husband took over as birthing coach, she’d become almost Zen.  Once she had relaxed, the actual progression had seemed to pick up.  Tessa had been in and out of their room repeatedly the last nearly four hours, checking in, bringing news and well wishes, and generally just lending support.

Mart had brought in Trixie and Honey somewhere around two-thirty. Trixie was bouncing—as usual.  Honey was excited but controlled.  Kal and Margery had walked out into the waiting area and visited with them all for a while before continuing on their walking tour. 

“Oh, I’m so glad we made it here!” Honey enthused, hugging Margery.  “When Mrs. Belden got the message, I was afraid we wouldn’t be on time!”

“We would have been here sooner,” Trixie had said.  “Moms made us clean up first, though.  She didn’t think you’d appreciate us showing up covered in sweat and dirt.”

Mart interjected, “We called everybody, I think.  Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler. Mr. and Mrs. Lynch.  Regan, and Jim and Brian. Dan had already told Mr. Maypenny, so I think that’s everyone.”

“Mak and Tanya!” Tessa exclaimed. “We need to call them, too.”

“Give me their number,” Trixie told her.  “I’ll call Moms and ask her to let them know.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Kal told him.  “I’ll call them once the baby arrives.”

Beside him, Margery inhaled sharply, drawing his and everyone else’s attention.  “Shall we walk again, my love?” he asked. He wrapped his arm around her, and they meandered off on their way.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Tessa said.  “I’m going back and forth. Diana knows where the snack bar is, and they’re open all night.”  She gave Honey a squeeze and disappeared after Kal and Margery.

It was getting close.  Tessa stood at the head of the bed while the midwife did the exam. Kal leaned over his wife, whispering encouraging words. “You’re doing really well, Margery,” Robin the midwife said. “You’re fully effaced and complete.  You can push whenever you feel the urge. Let me get the bed positioned.  It’s time to meet your baby.”

She began the process of converting the bed into a birthing chair. Tessa stepped back. “I should go now, anake,” she said, “I really want to meet my cousin, but I think maybe I should leave this part to you guys, okay?”

Margery nodded, her focus obviously on the task ahead.  Kal gave her a grin and said softly, “Go or stay as you like, keiki. Thank you.”

Tessa crossed the room, torn between the desire to participate in the miracle of birth, and her fear of intruding on such a personal moment.  She hadn’t been out to the waiting area in nearly an hour.  She wondered if Dan had arrived with Kai and Tiare yet.  She glanced back over her shoulder at her aunt and uncle.   Biting her lip, she spun around and marched back to the chair bed.

Margery leaned back against the pillow, breathing hard.  “Do you want some ice chips, anake?” Tessa asked, reaching for the plastic cup.

“Thank you,” her aunt rasped.  “I’m glad you’re staying.”

Tessa spooned a helping of ice into Margery’s mouth.  “Wouldn’t miss it,” she said.  “Unless you’d rather I did.” 

Margery shook her head.  “Stay,” she said, leaning forward as another contraction hit her. “Don’t faint.”

Tessa laughed in surprise.  “My greatest fear,” she admitted, setting down the cup and reaching for her aunt’s hand.  “Now focus on Hannah, and push for ten, nine, eight, seven…”

In Transit

        Traffic.  Even on a Sunday it was problematic. Dan drummed his fingers against the steering wheel as the truck crept down the highway at a snail’s pace. Tiare sat in the middle between the two men.  Kai’s foot was tapping in rhythm with Dan’s fingers.  They’d been traveling for twenty minutes, and hadn’t made it out of Queens yet.  At this rate, they wouldn’t make it to Courtland Manor before dinner.  Between the bottleneck and the silence in the cab, Dan felt like he might lose his mind.  “You can turn on the radio if you like,” he said to no one in particular.  “It has both am and fm, and there are some cassette tapes in the glove box.”

        “That can’t be standard,” Tiare said.  “This is what, a ’57 or ’58?”

        “It’s a ’58,” Dan told her, giving her another point for knowing her trucks.  “The radio and tape player were add-ons, just like the seatbelts. Tom—the Wheeler’s chauffeur—his dad restored her and sold her to my dad.  Most of her is original or at least authentic.”

        “I like her,” Tiare said. “He did a great job, and, since as the shortest, I have to sit in the middle, I’m really glad she’s a column shift instead of a floor shift.”

        “You like vintage cars?” Dan asked.

        Kai snorted. “Her father was a master mechanic. She’s a whiz with anything more than ten years old.”

        Tiare gave her fiancé a brilliant smile.  Fiancé.  That’s what he had missed.  Striving for nonchalance, Dan asked, “So, when did you two get engaged?”

        “What?” Kai asked, at the same time Tiare burst out, “I win!”

        “You introduced Tiare as your fiancée,” Dan explained, feeling a bit puzzled.  “I figured that meant you were engaged.

        She was laughing now, a surprisingly deep throated laugh.  Shaking his head, Kai joined in. “Okay.  I give.  You win.  You always win.”  Settling down, he answered the question, “We’ve been officially engaged for three days.  But, since we’ve only told Tiare’s mom, we were going to make the announcement tonight.”

        “Your secret’s safe with me,” Dan assured them.  “Congratulations, though.”  He signaled and shifted lanes, gaining six or eight cars before traffic slowed again.  He cursed the delay in his head.

        “It was very romantic,” Tiare told him with a giggle.  Kai groaned, and she giggled again.  “It was,” she protested. “For us, anyway.”

        “How so?” Dan was intrigued by their reactions.  Besides, anything to distract from gridlock was a good thing.

        “Well,” she began, “Kai and I were in Paris—which is a very romantic city.  He had given a lecture for Sanisera, and I was addressing a seminar at Institute des France.”  She grabbed Kai’s hand, and he shook his head in mock dismay.  “After I finished, Kai and I were walking across the Pont des Arts—it’s a pedestrian bridge over the Seine—on our way to get dinner.  We were there, in the middle of the bridge, watching the sun set and the lights of Paris come up, when he takes my hand and drops to one knee.” Her voice softened.  “He told me he loved me, and he asked me to be his wife, map maker and permanent dive partner.”  She paused.

        “Not the words I would have chosen,” Dan commented, looking back over his shoulder and switching lanes again.  “But, given your professions, I can see it being romantic.”

        Kai groaned again, and when Tiare lost herself in a cascade of giggles, he continued the tale.  “That was the plan,” he said.  “A romantic proposal at sunset, in Paris.  City of love and light.  I had my grandmother’s ring in my hand, heart on my sleeve, staring up into the eyes of the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known, and then she screams her refusal and flattens me.”

        “Seriously?”  Dan couldn’t help the gurgle of laughter that followed his exclamation.

        “Very.”  Kai’s face was sour, but Dan could hear the amusement in his voice.  “It happened fast.  There I was, on bended knee, hoping she’s going to say yes, when she starts waving her arms, shaking her head and screeches, ‘No!’  I’m trying to wrap my head around that, when it hit me.  Literally.” He slung his left arm over her shoulders and pulled her laugh-shaking body closer to his side.  “A purse snatcher on a bicycle, riding hell-bent for leather over a pedestrian bridge to make his escape.”  Kai shook his head mournfully, a grin teasing the corners of his mouth. “Guy sees Tiare waving her arms, and tries to turn, but he plowed into me.  The gendarmes are chasing him, I’m sprawled flat on my face, the thief and his bicycle are scattered up the bridge, and the ring flies out of my hand and off to places unknown. Total fiasco!”

        “It was not a fiasco!” she protested.  “You escaped with only a couple of bruises, the thief was caught, the purse returned, you got a commendation from the police, and they helped find the ring.”  She held her hand out for Dan to see. 

        “I scraped my elbow,” Kai complained.  “I had to get a bandage.”  He gave up his charade and laughed.  “But, despite the hitches, she didn’t really scream no in my face. And, after all the blood and searching, she kissed my owie, said yes, and let me put that ring—a bit dusty from its adventure—right on her finger.”

        “Awww.” Dan couldn’t help himself. “See, I have to agree with your fiancée, Kai.  That’s pretty romantic. Laughter is a big part of love.”

        “That is a profound statement, Dan, my friend,” Kai agreed.

        Dan swallowed hard. Friend. That was a good start.  “I mean it,” he said.  “Besides, it will make a great story to tell your kids someday.  I bet you can even add to it a bit.”

        “A bit?” Tiare laughed.  “It’s already been embellished.  By the time he’s telling it to kids, he’ll have two broken arms, I’ll have been running away, and the bicycle will be a car.”

        “Ha!” Kai countered, kissing the top of her head.  “That shows how much you know. The bike won’t become a car until grandchildren.  And, I predict it won’t be a tank until the great-grandchildren are asking.”

        They both laughed, and Dan joined them.  They had finally passed the Bronx, and traffic seemed to be thinning. He changed lanes and stepped down on the accelerator.

Hudson Valley

Birthing Center

5:45 p.m.

        The lights were dim. Tessa was concentrating on Margery’s face.  Margery was concentrating on pushing out a baby.  Kal was…honestly, Tessa wasn’t sure what Kal was concentrating on.  All she knew was that Margery Trask Kanehoe had to be the most amazingly strong woman she had ever known. There was no screaming, just a low determined growl coming from somewhere deep inside the woman’s chest.  At the foot of the converted bed stood the midwife, Robin.  “Good job, Margery,” the woman said.  “You’re crowning.  A couple more pushes, and we’ll have this baby in your arms. You’re almost there.  Stay strong.”

        If anyone asked her, Tessa would never really be able to explain what happened next. It was surreal.  She’d watched the videos in class with Margery.  She’d read the books.  Still, reality was something completely different.  Margery bore down, determined and focused. Life altered; the room seemed to glaze like a slow-motion scene, and the encouraging words from both Kal and Robin muddled, as if they were under water. And then, there was a baby, and life jerked back to normal—and yet, completely changed.

       

        Robin held up the baby, red and gray, slimy and connected to the thick, ropey umbilical cord.  She placed the wriggling, squalling mass on Margery’s chest, and said, “You have a boy!  Congratulations, Mom and Dad!”

        Tessa looked down at her cousin.  He was ugly and gorgeous at the same time.  Tiny fists curled against his mother’s skin, and she watched as the new parents crooned and stroked his flesh.  The newborn stopped crying, his breath coming in soft gasps, his skin becoming more evenly pink with each intake of oxygen. His eyes opened, blinking rapidly, and his breathing calmed as if he recognized the sounds of the voices speaking so softly to him. Slowly, Tessa reached out her index finger and stroked one tiny fist.  So soft. The baby’s hand unfurled, curling back around her finger, and her heart melted. She didn’t see the amniotic fluid, blood and vernix covering him like a second skin any longer.  All she saw was a precious face and a tuft of dark hair, and all she felt was awe and love.

        “We’re going to cut the cord in a minute or two,” Robin said.  “Do you want to do the honors, Dad?”

        “Sure,” Kal answered, his eyes not leaving the tiny form resting on his wife’s chest.

        “Good.”  Then we’ll clean him up a bit and get his vitals for the record. Weights and measures, you know. Dr. Snow will be here for his well check, and he’ll want to have all the details.”

        “I should go tell the others,” Tessa whispered, reluctant to let go.

        “That’s a good idea,” Robin told her.  “I’ll get everything tidied up in here, and then Margery and Kal can have visitors.”

        Tessa looked down, surprised that her vision was suddenly blurry from tears. Happy tears. Reluctantly, she withdrew her finger.  “Congratulations, Anake, Uncle Kal, she said softly.  “He’s beautiful.”

        “Thank you so much Tessa,” Margery said, her face a vision of wonder and pride.  “Bring the others back in a bit, and we can make introductions.”

        “I will.”  She stepped away, only to have her uncle intercept her before she made it to the door.  He enveloped her in a tight hug, and she leaned against him.  Neither spoke. It wasn’t necessary.  Kalihiki released her, and she made her way into the hall.

        Dan parked the truck next to the Bob-White station wagon. “Hold up a second,” he told his passengers.  “I want to move your luggage into the wagon.  It’s probably safe in the back, but I’ll be more comfortable with it locked in the wagon.”

        “Good idea,” Kai agreed.  “Let me help.”

        They each grabbed a suitcase, and Dan opened the back hatch.  With the luggage safely stored, he led them into the birthing center.  A quick stop at the reception desk, and they were directed down the hall to the waiting room.

        Honey was the first to look up.  When she saw Dan, she smiled and leapt to her feet.  “Dan!” she exclaimed, “Kai! It’s so good to see you again.”  She ran to the man, followed quickly by Trixie and Diana.  Mart trailed behind them.

He managed to hug all three girls with a happy grin. “Lokelani, Koa, Meli.  It’s good to see you lovely ladies.”  He stepped back, drawing Tiare up next to him.  “Let me introduce you to Tiare.  Tiare Van der Meer, these are my extended cousins, Trixie, Honey and Diana.”

The girls didn’t shake hands.  They hugged.  Tiare didn’t seem to mind.  She hugged back, enthusiastically saying, “It’s so good to finally meet you.”

        Mart was hanging back.  Dan nudged Kai.  “This is Mart,” he said.  “Trixie and Brian’s brother, Diana’s boyfriend, and my best friend.  Mart, this is Tessa’s cousin Kai and his… Tiare.”

         Mart and Kai shook hands.  Tiare didn’t hug Mart, but she did offer her hand.  As they shook, Dan added mischievously, “Kai is Kal’s youngest son.”

        “Not anymore.”

        Seven sets of eyes turned at the sound of Tessa’s voice.  Her face was tear-streaked, but her smile was wide.  “Congratulations, Maunakai.  You have the most beautiful baby brother ever born.” She looked at the others, her eyes seeking Honey first and foremost.  “Everyone is healthy and happy.  We can go and see them in a few minutes.”  She turned to Dan and walked into his arms.  “Thank you,” she whispered.

        “Any time, babe,” he whispered back. “Don’t you want to meet your cousin’s girl?”

        “Oh!”  Tessa pulled away. She quickly located the unknown individual.  “You must be Tiare,” she said.  “I’m Tessa.  It’s great to finally get to meet you.”

        “Likewise,” Tiare replied.  “These weren’t the circumstances I was expecting, but I’m thrilled that the baby is here.”  She leaned in and whispered, “So is Kai.  Believe me.”

        Dan watched as Tessa’s face changed.  She narrowed her eyes and glared at Kai, her lips trembling with suppressed laughter. “Just remember, cuz: You can lord it over Mak, but I actually saw him born, so I’m the one who really wins!” She completed her sentence by sticking her tongue out.

        Kai laughed and reached for her, pulling her into a big hug.  “I guess I can’t argue that. Okay. You win, smarty pants,” he said.  “But I still beat Mak, so I’m good.”

        “You boys.” Tessa shook her head and stepped back to Dan, slipping her hand into his.

        “Excuse me,” a voice said from the doorway.  Dan turned to see a woman in pink scrubs standing there.  “The Kanehoes are ready for you to visit.

        He was here.  Really and truly here, resting against her chest.  My son, Margery thought.  My actual child, conceived and born in love.  The pain of the past few hours faded, replaced by overwhelming love and pride.  She was vaguely aware of Tessa leaving to spread the news, but he was in her arms, the man whom she loved, with whom she had created this miracle was crouched at her side, his eyes reflecting her own awe.

        During parts of the laborious task of delivering their son she had felt brief periods of exhaustion, had wanted to give up, but she hadn’t.  She couldn’t.  Kalihiki believed she was strong.  Tessa believed she was calm.  Margery dug deep and found both strength and calm, becoming what she needed to be to push forward.  Literally.  Pushing her son out of the safety of her womb and into the cold light of the world had been her strongest moment.  She hadn’t felt mousy or despairing.  She could barely remember feeling pain. All she had felt was power.  So much power, and now the result of that moment lay on her body, helpless and trusting.

           “There,” Robin said.  “We’re nice and tidy now.”  She approached the head of the bed. “I’m going to take this little man for a moment, Margery.  Kalihiki’s going to cut the cord; I’ll clean him up a bit and get his weight.  Debbie’s going to reset the bed and get you into your nighty and robe.  She can also get you some tea and warm blankets.  Then we’ll see if he wants to try his hand at eating.”  She took a receiving blanket from the warmer and scooped up the baby.

Margery immediately felt a sense of loss.  She was being ridiculous, she knew.  Robin was an expert. Not only did she trust the midwife and her team, she could see every move the woman was making.  She and the baby were barely six feet from the bed. Kal seemed to know, for he stood up and moved within an arm’s distance of the midwife and their son. Margery relaxed, helping Debbie assist her into the nursing accessible nightgown she had brought.  The doula was quite attentive and proficient.  Within minutes, Margery was freshened up, the sweat wiped from her face, her hair brushed smooth, propped up on pillows with warmed blankets covering her feet and legs.

Robin handed the baby to Kal.  He looked so tiny cradled in the crook of the big man’s arm. Kal stepped back over to her, his eyes focused on their son.  “Congratulations, Mama,” he said, as he placed the swaddled and capped boy in her arms. “Seven pounds five ounces and nineteen inches long. He’s perfect.  Just like his mama.”

“Like his daddy,” she corrected. Debbie helped her direct the baby’s mouth to her breast.  He latched on, but mostly just moved his mouth, his eyes not leaving hers. “He’s handsome, big and strong, and he has your dark hair.”

“He is big and strong,” Robin agreed.  “I think Dr. Snow will be quite pleased.  Do you know his name yet?”

Margery looked at her husband.  “Yes.  We do. Would it be okay if our family comes in for a while?  We’d like to tell them, first.”

“Of course. You won’t need to fill out the birth certificate until just before you leave.”  She looked down at the baby.  “Don’t worry if he just plays for a while.  It looks like he has a decent latch, but sometimes it takes them a while to get the suction down.  I’ll have the lactation specialist, Laura, stop in after a little while. Debbie is getting you some tea and fruit.  Kal, would you like anything right now? The dinners you chose should be here at seven.”

“No, thank you,” Kal replied.  “Makamae is always willing to share with me if I get hungry.

“I’ll send in your family, then.  Congratulations, again.  You did awesome.”

She left, and Kal pulled the chair closer to the bed.  “She’s right,” he said.  “You were amazing. I’ve never seen such strength.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” she told him honestly.  “Not one single bit of it.”

        A soft knock sounded.  “Hey,” Tessa called softly, “can we come in?”

        They didn’t wait for permission; they just sidled in, filling up all the space around the bed.  Margery discreetly covered herself and shifted the baby so the visitors could see him. “This wasn’t how I intended to greet you Kai,” she told her stepson, “but I hope you don’t mind, too much.”

        “I don’t mind at all,” the young man said, his eyes on the baby, his hand gripping tight to the young woman standing beside him. “He’s beautiful.”

        “So is your friend,” Kal said, rising from his seat and extending his hand.  “Tiare, correct? I’m afraid our evening plans have changed a bit.”

        “Yes.  Pleased to meet you, sir.  Congratulations.”  Her blue eyes fell on Margery.  “We can stay at a hotel.  I think you have much more important things to do than worry about us.”

        “Nonsense,” Margery said.  “The rooms are already prepared, and with the Wheelers still away, I’d be more comfortable knowing that Honey and Tessa weren’t in the house alone.”

        “Thank you.”  Tiare moved closer, resting her left hand on the bed. “He is truly beautiful.  He’s so alert.”  She glanced back at Margery.  “Does he have a name?”

        “I’m hoping for Luke or Han,” Mart piped up. All eyes turned to him in confusion.  “Oh, come on,” he said.  “Am I the only one who knows what day it is?”

        “Sunday,” Trixie answered.  “Sunday, May fourth.”

        “Exactly,” Mart said. He sighed loudly and said very slowly, “It’s May the fourth.  May the fourth, people.  Get it?”

        Margery didn’t.  Not at first.  Dan got it first, judging by his burst of laughter.  Kai followed suit a second later, and then Trixie groaned, “I get it, you weirdos.  May the fourth be with you. It’s from Star Wars.”

        It was funny.  Margery shook her head and chuckled.  “While I see your point, Mart, I don’t think that either of those names would go along with the family names.  We’ve got Makauna, Maunakai, Makamae, Kalahiki and Ha’alohanoni. Mak, Kai, Maka, Kal, and Noni.  We needed something more in keeping with tradition.”  She looked up at Kal.

        “His name,” the proud father said, “is Noa. Noa John Kaneohe.”

        “Noah.  Like the Bible?  With the ark?” Diana asked.

        “Not exactly,” Kal explained.  “It sounds the same, but it is spelled without an H, and it means freedom from kapu.”

        It was Honey’s turn to be perplexed. “I like the name Noa,” she said, “But I don’t understand the meaning. But why does it mean freedom from hors d’oeuvres?

        Tessa snorted, but managed to bite back her laughter. “Honey,” she explained to her cousin.  He said kapus, not pupus.  Kapu means taboos.  Religious or tribal laws. Things that are forbidden—usually for no good reason.”

        “That’s a statement, Pop,” Kai said softly.  “Good for you.  Good for both of you.”

        “I think you’re going to have to count me with the confused group,” Dan said.  “I think Noa is a great, strong Hawaiian name.  But I don’t think I understand the reasoning behind the statement.”

        “I can explain,” Kai said, “If you don’t mind, Pop, Maka?”

        “Go ahead,” Kal told his older son.  Margery nodded at him.

        “When Pop, Mak and I were born—Tessa’s mother, too—there was a silly law that said that all children born on the islands had to have ‘Christian’ names. English names, mostly.  We could have native names, but they had to come after the English/Christian ones.  Pop is Joseph Kalihiki’ola.  Mak is Michael Makauna.  I’m Caleb Maunakai.  We don’t use our first names except for legal reasons, but we had to have them.  It was a law.  That law was abolished in 1967. Pop and Maka are letting my little brother wear his Hawaiian heritage upfront.”

        “Noa is the first of my children not subjected to a law designed to force a religious custom on an indigenous people.”  Kal smiled at his niece.  “Technically, Tessa’s parents didn’t have to follow that law, but they already had with her brother, so…”

        “Noa John.”  Tessa reached out and touched the baby’s hand. “Noa, as a statement.  John for Grandpa?”

        “Yes,” Kal replied. “John after John Sato, my tochan, but also for your father and brother.  My friend, my brother and my nephew.”

        Tessa was blinking back tears.  Margery sought to quell the tide by asking, “Do you want to hold him, Nani?”

        Her words had the opposite effect. Tears streamed down the girl’s face as she nodded and choked out, “Yes, please.  So much.”  Kal carefully scooped up the sleeping Noa and walked around the bed, making sure all of the visitors had a chance to see the infant.  With a murmured warning to support his head, he placed the baby in Tessa’s arms.  Dan’s arms went around Tessa, holding both of them, as she whispered, “Welcome to this crazy family, lil’ cuz.  We’re a little lolo sometimes, but you’ll always have our love and support. Happy birthday.”

        Margery watched half anxious and half bemused as Noa was carefully passed from Tessa to Honey, then to Trixie, Diana and finally to his older brother, Kai.  She wanted him back in her arms, but she couldn’t deny the love that was encompassing her son as he made the rounds.

        Kai held him now.  She looked at her husband, her heart swelling as she watched him watching his sons together.  A wave of tiredness swept over her, and she tried to discretely cover the yawn that didn’t escape her niece’s attention.

        “We’re going to go,” Tessa announced. “I called Aunt Helen and asked her to spread the word, but I know Aunt Lainey will want all the details. We’ll get some dinner and head home.  That way Kai and Tiare can settle in, and you three can get some rest.  I’m exhausted, and you did all the work, Anake.”  She dropped a kiss on Margery’s cheek and gave Kal a big hug, then began ushering the others out of the room.  In a few minutes, only Kai and Tiare were left in the room with them.

        Reluctantly, Kai handed his brother over to his stepmother.  “Thank you, Maka,” he said.  “I always wanted a baby brother, and this one is perfect.”

        She cradled Noa against her chest.  “I’m just glad you were here to meet him. He’s so lucky to have you and Mak.  I hope he’ll grow up to be as amazing a man as his brothers are.”

        “He will be every bit as loved as we were,” Kai told her. “I think that’s the most important part.”  He reached out and stroked his finger down his brother’s arm.

        “I agree,” Kal said.  “We expect to bring Noa home tomorrow.  Why don’t you take your fiancée and go celebrate your engagement with some burgers, and we’ll see you in the morning?”

        Kai’s jaw dropped.  “Pop,” he stuttered, “how did you know?”

        Kal threw back his head and laughed.  “Maunakai, this lovely lady is wearing my mother’s engagement ring.  Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

        “We were going to tell you tonight,” Tiare assured him, “but we didn’t want to take attention away from the baby.”

        “Congratulations,” Margery said.  “That’s wonderful news.  You shouldn’t have worried.  There’s no such thing as too much good news.”  She felt tears well in her eyes and lifted one hand to brush them away.  “Oh, my goodness,” she exclaimed.  “Not only do I have a wonderful husband, two handsome stepsons and beautiful new baby, I’m soon going to have two daughters as well. I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

        “We’re the lucky ones,” Kai said, “having you in our family.”  He bent down and kissed her cheek.  “Now we’re going to go and let you get some rest.”

        Kal escorted them out the door, giving each of them a hug. When he came back in, he was pushing a small cart.  “Dinner for two,” he proclaimed.  “Steak, potatoes and steamed vegetables.”  He lifted the domes on the plates revealing their dinner.  “And,” he said, “sparkling cider in champagne flutes.”

        “I love you.”  The words rolled out of her mouth effortlessly.  “I love you, Kalihiki. I love you, and I am so blessed by our family.  Our whole family. Thank you.”

        Kal stroked her cheek. “Oh, Makamae, mine. I am the one who blessed.”  He picked up the baby, allowing her to reposition herself for dinner, and then helped her cradle Noa at her breast.  “Look at our miracle, our new life.  We are so blessed, my love.  So very blessed.”

Conspiracy 2

College

Winds of Change