It was strangely quiet after all the commotion. Hilo Bay remained as still as glass, while Koji wondered if the lava had shifted direction or stopped flowing after the bombs were dropped. It would be at least a day or two before they’d hear anything from the geologists at the Volcano Observatory Center. The island was always unpredictable, but at that moment the sky was clear and the bay was nothing but calm. Koji lingered longer down by the water after most of the crowd had wandered back to their lives. He was tired. The past five weeks had him reeling, no longer able to hide in Puli. “It’s time.” He heard Mariko’s voice, only this time she was talking about him.

When he heard footsteps approaching, he turned to see Maile.

“Maile girl,” he said, smiling at the sight of her. She was dressed in shorts and a shirt, looking like a high school girl again.

It was the first time since Maile returned weeks ago that they were alone together. She and Nori were often at the house during his recuperation at Daniel’s, bringing food and helping to prepare his meals while he slept. He was both grateful and embarrassed by all the attention he received.

“Uncle Koji, I thought that was you. How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Doing well,” he said, lightly touching the tender scar on his forehead out of habit. “I was hoping to catch you. Thank you for helping to take such good care of me,” he added. “Spoiled me for life, yeah.”

“You had us worried,” she said and smiled, “but it did give me a chance to see Daniel as a doctor.”

“My plan all along,” he teased. “He’s good, yeah?”

She nodded. “He always knew what he wanted to do, lucky one.”

A slight wind began to blow, the bay beginning to stir.

“How are you?” Koji asked. “Seems you and Daniel stepped right back into the eye of a storm.”

He watched her fidget, run her fingers through her hair. “Seems I left one storm for another,” she said.

“Storms run their course, yeah.”

She smiled. “Hope so,” she said. “I’m happy to be back.”

“Not as happy as we are, eh, back with family now.”

Maile stared out at the bay for a long time. “I never should have left,” she finally said.

Koji rubbed the stubble on his cheek. His life had been one of acceptance and fear, of never looking beyond Puli. He knew that now.

“You wouldn’t have known unless you did,” he said. Again, it was one of those times he didn’t know where the words came from, just like the day he stumbled upon Mariko picking mangoes.

Maile paused for a moment in thought before she looked up at him, then reached out and took hold of his arm. “That’s something Auntie Mariko would have said.” She smiled again. “I miss her.”