Page 45 of The Seashell of ’Ohana

The breeze had picked up. I threw half of my blanket around him. His arms went up like he would protest, but instead, he snuggled closer.

I let the silence between us sink in for a bit as we stared at the night sky. I needed to think through my thoughts without saying something meaningless.

“That’s the thing about time. There’s never enough.” The words came easy because I had lived them. I understood.

“That’s true,” he said, resigned. “I think I was in denial, which made me drown myself in work even more. Her dementia got so bad that she …” He glanced down at his sand-covered toes. “She didn’t know who I was. That was the worst. Isaac quit his job when our mother passed away and decided to partner with me. I’m glad he did so I could spend time with him. I hardly got to see him before.”

“And your sister?”

“The three of us see each other as often as we can. She took some time off to help our father. She’s with him now. I was with him before Iliana took over.” Ian shuffled sand with his feet. “When my mother had dementia, we watched her wither and deteriorate little by little. That was the hardest part. But even when you prepare for death, it’s still difficult.”

I knew that feeling well. There had been times when I could barely get out of bed, let alone do something simple like eat, but somehow, I found the strength to take care of Tyler. Thankfully, my parents and Kate had been there for me during the worst days.

“My dad is doing better,” Ian added. “But it took a while. I don’t think anyone can understand unless they’ve experienced losing a loved one. It’s heart-wrenching, and there are no words to describe the pain.”

“I understand.” I released a long sigh.

As if he’d realized something, his eyes grew wide. He turned to me and grabbed my hand.

“Abby, I’m so sorry. Of course, you know. Here I am rambling on about my mother, and I was insensitive about Steve.”

“Ian, please. It’s okay. Steve passed away years ago, but your wound is fresh. You need to talk about it.”

Ian kissed the hand he held and let go. “I appreciate you listening to me. You’re so easy to talk to.”

I stiffened, surprised. But I should be used to his casual displays of affection by now. First, the kiss at the market and every time he greeted me.

“You can talk to me anytime,” I said. “I think it’s my best quality, next to painting, of course.” I needed to say something to make light of things.

“I’m sure you have other talents. I’m going to find out. Now that you’re my therapist, whether you like it or not, we’ll have to see more of each other.” He bumped his shoulder into mine, his fun, carefree side replacing the serious one.

See more of each other. “What was your mother like?” I asked to stop blushing.

Ian grabbed a handful of wet sand and began to make a pile. “My mother was amazing. When my grandparents emigrated from Italy to the States, they struggled to make ends meet. My mother worked at her parents’ bakery while earning a college degree. She paid her tuition and she was so proud of that. My parents were upper-middle class, but you could never tell. They didn’t flash their material wealth. My mom didn’t own hundreds of purses or have a closet full of designer clothes, but she could have.”

“I didn’t know her, but just from what you’re telling me, I respect her.”

He scooped more wet sand and let it stream between his fingers. “My mother used to say that our gift to her would be giving her grandchildren. At least she got to see my sister’s kids.”

“And one day, she’ll see yours, and your brother’s, from above.” The wind picked up and plucked at my hair. I tried holding it down, but the strands flew about wildly, whipping my face and getting caught in my mouth. I tossed the blanket over our heads. “There, it’s much quieter.”

“Our little secret place.” His lips curled wickedly as he locked his gaze with mine.

The beautiful night sky disappeared, and the sound of water lapping over the shore faded. No one was here except for Ian and me.

Ian broke whatever was happening between us and said, “I never heard my parents fight about anything. There was a lot of love and respect for each other. They were like two halves of a soul. If there is such thing as soulmates, then she was his, and he was hers. I would like to find my other soul one day. I know there is someone out there that is a perfect match for me.”

My heart thudded out of my chest. If there ever was such a thing as soulmates, then he was mine, and I was his. I had thought that about Steve when we’d first met. But why did it give me goose bumps?

Ian lowered the blanket to our shoulders and wiped wet sand from something he held. “I’m so happy Lee found Kate. They deserve each other. And Kate is so good with Bridget.”

“My sister is good with kids. Kate got a lot of practice with Tyler. She was over every weekend to help me, at first, but things changed when we moved to New York.”

I wanted to talk about how wonderful life had been in New York until Steve had gotten sick. Then everything went downhill. But I decided to leave the past behind. We were dealing with his grief, and I didn’t want to bring up mine.

“Well …” His glistening eyes grew wider. “Sometimes, when you least expect it, something amazing comes along.” He opened his palm and wiped away the remaining sand off something white, about four inches long.

“A seashell,” I exclaimed. One that looked just like the one I had found.