Franklin and Daniel return from the river just after I arrive home from playing Hearts with the Hilo Aunties. I don’t know what it is, but I immediately sense something happened. My little boy is quieter than usual, while Franklin can’t stop talking. Standing next to each other, I see the growing resemblance between them, the thin lips and the narrow shape of their faces now that Daniel has lost his baby fat, even in the way they move. I know I’m just being overprotective and swallow my concern. I don’t want to waste the moment—they’re home, and I’m just happy they spent the afternoon together. A boy needs to know his father, yeah.

Franklin pours a cup of coffee, lights a cigarette, and sits down at the kitchen table. “Had a little accident at the river. Daniel skinned his knee,” he says.

Daniel nods.

“Are you all right?” I ask.

He looks up at me and nods again, eyes glassy.

“He’s fine,” Franklin says. “It’s just a scrape—right, buddy?” He blows smoke upward.

“Yep,” Daniel answers.

I reach for his hand. “Come on then, let’s get you cleaned up before we go to dinner.”

Before we make it down the hallway Franklin’s chair scrapes back and he’s standing in the kitchen doorway. “Forgot to tell you, I have to run a quick errand, be back in half an hour. Be ready to go then.”

“What kind of errand?” I ask. I hate the sound of my voice.

“Nothing to worry about,” he says. “Be back soon, yeah.”

Franklin smiles at us and is gone. It isn’t until I feel Daniel squeeze my hand tighter that I move again.

Daniel sits still on his bed while I clean the wound, cover it up. “There you go,” I say, “good as new, yeah.” And for the first time since he came home, he smiles.

“Did you have a good time with Daddy?”

“It was hot,” he says. “We had shave ice.”

“Did you swim?”

Daniel shakes his head. “Too rough,” he says, sounding like Franklin.

“But it sounds like you still had a good time.”

He nods. “Yep,” he says, and smiles.

I leave him to play and go to change my clothes for dinner.

Two hours later, Franklin still hasn’t returned. I’m so angry I can barely keep my emotions in check, but there’s Daniel in the living room waiting and waiting. I swallow my anger, make him eggs and toast for dinner, and tell him Daddy had an unexpected meeting.

“Where’d he go?” he asks.

“A meeting,” I repeat. “We’ll go out for dinner another night.”

“Aren’t you eating?” he asks.

“I’ll wait for Daddy,” I say, knowing I wouldn’t be able to keep anything down.

He simply nods and says, “I like eggs.”