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This time, while she was honoring her parents with the lantern she was holding in her hands, she felt like she was there to support Heath and his team.
Men and their families who had become like another family to her.
The activities earlier that day as they’d gathered with the team and some of the family members of the men they’d lost in the crash, they’d written messages to the departed on the translucent sheets of paper that now surrounded the light at the heart of each lantern.
Memories.
Words of mourning.
Words of love.
As they listened to the organizers speak of loved ones lost and the comfort that can come from remembering them, Mari leaned gently against Buck’s arm and lightly touched her cheek to his shoulder while she looked up at the silhouette of his face.
She could see the lines of grief drawn into his skin, but he stood taller today.
He held himself tall and strong, looking at times from the lantern in his hand and then lifting his chin to look out at the dark water ahead, shimmering with moonlight.
“Love you…”
She’d breathed the words out, sure that she hadn’t put much, if any, volume into her voice, but he turned his head to look at her and the love she saw shining in his eyes brought tears to hers.
“Love you, too.”
His voice was a rough, whispered scratch that barely reached her ears.
Yeah, she thought to herself, I can’t believe how luck I am to have him in my life.
Heath shifted the lantern to one hand and reached out, draping his arm over her shoulders and held her by her shoulder as he leaned closer to her side.
The last speaker finished his thoughts and people began to move past the edge of the water until they were up to their ankles in the cool waters of Kaneohe Bay.
When they found an empty section of water, he bent over and set his lantern down, taking a moment to hold it and make sure that it wasn’t going to tip over in the waves created by people moving deeper into the bay.
She watched as Heath let go of the lantern and the dips and bobs in the water moved it out toward the horizon.
It only went an inch or two at first, but a moment later it traveled at least half a foot, taking it beyond the reach of his fingers.
Beside him, Mari leaned down and put her own lantern down on the surface of the water.
She felt a rush of water over the back of her hand and looked down as the lantern bobbed in the sudden swell.
For a moment, she thought she’d lose hold of the flat wooden base, but a moment later, she felt the brush of warm skin against hers.
Heath was holding it too. His hand against hers, he helped to steady the lantern in the water.
He didn’t take it from her or nudge her hand aside.
He was there, beside her, steadying it.
Steadying her.
The support he offered was both welcome and reassuring.
“Thanks,” she murmured to him.
“Anytime,” he replied back.
Mari drew in a breath and let it out.
