They listen patiently. Mom looks worried—like she’s trying to decide whether or not I’m crazy. She keeps looking at Dad, but he nods reassurances every time; he’s got my back.
Grandpa, on the other hand—Grandpa has a twinkle in his eye.
“You’ve always had a special door open in your mind, Lei,” he says when I’m finished. “A puka in your head. I’m not surprised by a single word.”
Mom smiles at me kindly.
“Malia,” Dad says, “I struggled with it, too. I followed her lead on faith. But the scientist in me now has proof. Those Star Flowers were leaving. They came rushing back. They’re here because of Lei.”
Mom maintains her smile, thinking hard. She’ll come around. I don’t blame her for her reaction. It still sounds completely lōlō to me.
We are Leilani.
“So, what are we going to do with this?” Grandpa asks. He’s almost giddy. I can tell he won’t sleep a wink tonight.
“It’s late,” Mom says. “We’re not going to do anything about it now. Bedtime. Lei’s out of meds. That’s my biggest concern. She … needs her rest. Come on.” She rises, stern and motherly. But I can tell she’s overwhelmed and trying to hide it. “Upstairs. Everyone.”
I lower my gaze to Kai. Sound asleep in my lap. A little angel. “I’m just going to crash here with Kai, okay, Mom?”
She hesitates, smiles. “Fine with me. Dad, lock the doors before you go up.”
Grandpa sets to his task. Mom and Dad give us gentle kisses. Mom whispers into my ear, “My beautiful angel. My powerful woman. I’m so thankful to have you back.” Her tears drop onto my cheek.
She and Dad disappear into the upstairs darkness hand in hand.
Grandpa squeezes my shoulder and turns toward the stairs.
“Tūtū,” I say.
“Yes, Mo`opuna?”
“Hand me that naupaka branch, would you?”
Grandpa lifts the remains of the plant from the coffee table and gives them to me. He squeezes my shoulder again and disappears, the creaking of the stairs quickly replaced by the chorus of coqui frogs.
I’m left alone with Kai in the soft light of the four kukui nuts that still burn. I pluck two half-flowers off the branch.
I place them together, complete at last, into Kai’s palm. I press his hand into a fist, never letting go, and drift off to sleep.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This novel, and my long years of development as a writer, would never have been possible without the wisdom and patience of my amazing wife. Thank you, Clare, for making my life a dream, and for helping me to make the dream of publishing this book come true.
I owe a debt of gratitude to my top-shelf team of no-holds-barred test readers (oh, what a long road it’s been!): Liz Chamberlin and Sam Veloz, Jennifer and Jeremy Ridgeway, and Alex Bennett (who also took the photo of me that appears on the back flap). I give thanks also to journalist Lauren King, whose editorial ear helped me make my newspaper clippings sound authentic.
Thank you, Julie Just, my agent, for loving this book so deeply and for fighting for it every step of the way. And a special shout-out goes to Shoshana Shoenfeld for making sure Julie saw my query.
Wendy Lamb, my publisher and editor, I am especially indebted to you. Thank you for everything, for believing in me, for being patient, for sharing your unparalleled gifts, for loving Hawai`i, and for having a sweet tooth for crazy plot twists. I am grateful to your talented team members, as well, including Dana Carey; Alison Impey, whose cover design is amazing; Trish Parcell, for her attention and care to the interior design; and copy editors Ellie Robins, Colleen Fellingham, and Alison Kolani, who expertly navigated not only the intricacies of English, but the Hawaiian language as well!
I’d like to acknowledge the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, and especially the `Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, for inspiring a tale, and for letting me walk endlessly through their halls, absorbing the amazing stories and wonder of Hawai`i. I am also grateful to countless sources who have made Hawaiian culture and mythology publicly accessible via the Web. Alan Weisman, you may recognize a concept or two burrowed into these pages from your awesome book The World Without Us. Thank you for your thoughtful research and inspiration.
Any errors, typos, or failures in the book are mine alone.
Finally, I’d like to tip my hat to the life and great works of my father-in-law, Jerry, a teacher and a writer, whose final words of encouragement to me were “I know you’ll get published one day, Austin.”