揑t was a long time ago, Dad! I抣l be fine.?
I catch the defiant look in her eyes and wonder. Will she?
揇on抰 answer me tonight. Sleep on it. Because梖or better or worse梬e抣l be staying at the Kona house Grandpa left me. That抯 where we were when棓
揧eah, I remember.?She bites her lip.
揂nd it抯 very close to where棓
揑 said I remember.?Her voice is strained.
I drag in a slow breath.
揌onestly, it seems like you抮e getting upset now,?I venture.
揑 mean, yeah. I don抰 want to relive the specifics梕verything that happened梑ut I抣l be okay with the trip. There are plenty of things to do in Hawaii that don抰 involve the beaches, you know.?She gives me a firm look.
揕ike what??
揚earl Harbor! I抳e always wanted to see the USS Arizona Memorial,?she says excitedly.
揥rong island, unfortunately. That抯 on Oahu. There won抰 be a Pearl Harbor visit on Kona and the Big Island. If we can squeeze it in, it抣l have to happen the day before we leave.?
揌ula dancing then.?
?which is usually on the beach.?
揢m, golf? Fore!?She yells it, her hands cupped over her mouth.
I try not to laugh.
揧ou find golf boring.?
揢gh, okay. Then I can just sit around sipping mocktails and Instagramming and watching the sunrise from Mauna Kea? How about that??
揧ou抮e going to climb a volcano??I stare at her incredulously. 揂lso, they get snow up there. Unless your mocktails are the campfire kind in a thermos, they抣l freeze faster than you.?
揇ad, you抮e ruining my whole vibe,?she hisses. 揂nd I bet you抮e going to Hawaii to stay in an office. Don抰 judge my extracurriculars.?
Fair enough.
揟here抯 plenty to do that抯 not on the beach and you know it. You抮e just being a dad.?
揥ell, I am a dad.?I give her a lazy smile.
揢gh, I know, but it抯 okay. I抦 okay. I just桰 can抰 hide from the beach my whole life because Mom died a long time ago, all right? I like sea creatures. Remember, marine biology? Seals??
揧ou抮e right. I抣l have to check what islands the Monk seals are on.?I inhale slowly, knowing full well the rare seals are the least of our worries. 揇estiny, I hope you understand I抳e been trying to protect you. I also know you抮e right. I have to let you move on in your own way梚f you抮e ready.?
She studies me for a long minute.
I抦 sure she can抰 believe her own ears.
揇ad…are you sure you抮e okay? If棓 She stops and sighs. 揑f you don抰 think you can do this, it抯 fine. There has to be someone else who can close the deal for you.?
Do I look that forlorn?
She might be onto something.
What if it抯 not Destiny I抦 worried about?
What if I抦 not ready to face old ghosts?
I shift my weight restlessly on the bed, pushing down the bile at the bottom of my throat.
Aster and I had so many issues. We never got a chance to work through them when her life ended so abruptly. Who the hell knows how it would抳e gone down in the end.
But if Destiny can handle this梚f she抯 ready and she抯 not too broken梥o can I.
揑抦 fine, little bee,?I whisper sharply.
揊or real??She lays a hand on my shoulder, her slim fingers pressing into my skin.
揧eah. Let抯 do this.?
揜ight on! I bet we抣l both have an awesome time.?She offers me a determined smile.
I want to believe her so badly.
We抣l be spending time in Hawaii for very different reasons. I抣l be working my dick off the whole time, running after sourcing and logistics and hopping on conference calls with people from Winthrope.
I shouldn抰 even have time to dwell on Aster抯 lifeless body梠r how nasty, brutish, and short life can be, in the immortal words of Hobbes.
Still, I know one thing.
This isn抰 a happy homecoming to a vacation place I抳e avoided for ages.
I can never look at the Kona house the same way again, even if I can抰 let rotten memories keep me from revisiting paradise.
It抯 been ten goddamned years.
Also, I should be inspecting the farms myself where our Kona beans are harvested梩he crown jewel in our operation since Wired Cup was Noble Bean梤ather than trusting everything to agri-management.
I have a strong team of the best people, but a personal touch never hurt any CEO.
揇ad??Destiny抯 voice pulls me from my thoughts.
揌uh??
揥hen do we leave??she asks, practically bouncing on the bed.
揝oon. I抣l forward you the flight schedule. Go ahead and start getting packed. I need to throw a suitcase together and email my team so they can be ready, too.?I stand and stretch my legs, ready to leave.
揌ey, wait…if I wanted to try the beach, do you think I could??she asks in a small voice.