Quinn slid her feet back and forth, letting the sand fall over them in little cascades before doing it again. Tonight the water was calmer than usual, rushing in to the beach and then easing back out in a seductive tease. Tomorrow was going to be a monumental day, but for now, she only wanted to concentrate on Maggie. They’d had dinner with Maria, Kupuna, and the kids—at Maria’s insistence—and Maggie had charmed them all. Then on the way to the beach, she had exclaimed over how weird the situation was.

“You look really natural in this setting, you know,” Maggie said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so relaxed.”

Quinn hadn’t thought about it, but Maggie was right. With each day she spent there, she was becoming more comfortable, despite the issues with the house and now the anxiety of finding a relative.

She stared out to sea. “I do feel different here. I love the sound of the ocean. It soothes me and reminds me of my mom. Since she was from Maui, I’ve always connected her with the sea but never actually felt her presence like I do here.”

“Have you decided where you’ll spread her ashes?” Maggie asked.

Quinn shook her head. “With all that has been happening, I haven’t figured it out. I think my subconscious won’t let me.”

“It’ll come to you,” Maggie said, reaching over and rubbing her hand.

They’d grabbed a blanket, wine, and glasses, then found the perfect place just off the path from the cottage. They settled down on the sand with an amazing view of the water to finish filling in all the blank spots they’d missed in each other’s lives. They’d started with the easy stuff. Quinn talked about the house, and Maggie told her about Charlie, beaming with adoration as she described a rough-and-tumble tiny boy who melted into her arms at bedtime. That led to the story about Colby, Charlie’s dad, and how when she found out she was pregnant, he freaked out.

“I mean, I really can’t blame him. I was a total nutcase when suddenly my belly outgrew my brain. One night he ate my leftover taco, and I sobbed like I was at a funeral. He didn’t know whether to go get me another taco or have me committed.”

Quinn threw her head back and laughed.

“Then when we brought Charlie home, I had a month off from work, but I felt like a complete failure. Colby would come home to find me still in my pajamas, my hair unwashed for the second or third day in a row and the house looking like a tornado had streaked through.”

“I’m sure having a newborn is hard stuff,” Quinn said. “I haven’t even had a puppy yet.”