Outside, with the soft hum of the ocean in the distance, the Briscoe siblings hugged. This Christmas, despite the tragedy, they’d ensure Lahaina would shine brighter than ever, a symbol of resilience, hope, and undying community spirit.

  3

  Shane stood on the battered front porch of a single-story house in Kahului. The exterior boards had peeling mustard yellow paint. One of the window shutters teetered on a broken hinge. And weeds crowded the flower beds.

  Why Aiden chose to rent this dump instead of living at Pali Maui with their mom remained a mystery.

  A dog barked in the distance as he knocked on the metal door. It opened, and Aiden’s fiancé, Meghan McCord, greeted him. “Hey, Shane,” she said, smiling. “Good to see you.”

  “You, too.” Shane leaned forward and gave his future sister-in-law a quick hug. “Aiden here?”

  Her expression softened. “Of course. Come on in.”

  The inside of his brother’s temporary place was vastly different from the outside. While Meghan didn’t strike him as the homemaker type, she’d done a remarkable job of making the interior space warm and homey. Despite the linoleum being worn in several spots, the place was sparkling clean. Color-matched rugs and throw pillows in shades of blue gave the living area a nice look. The outdated wooden paneling wasn’t his style, but hey, rentals were hard to come by right now. Besides, these digs were temporary. At least until Aiden and Meghan could rebuild.

  He spotted his brother sitting in a wheelchair over by the window, where he stared outside, not bothering to turn around.

  “Hey, bro!” Shane said in greeting. “What’s up?”

  His question was met with silence.

  Shane glanced over at Meghan, who simply shrugged. But the look on her face told him all he needed to know.

  Aiden was still in a deep slump. Even more so after his recent skin grafts.

  Shane could understand. His brother had been through a lot.

  On top of losing his home in Lahaina and everything he owned, including his vehicle, he’d been unable to save Meghan’s place…and worse, her cherished black Lab. He loved Scotch nearly as much as Meghan.

  Their uncle Jack’s entire boating fleet had gone up in flames. Friends and neighbors remained missing and were believed to be gone. Many of his team members at Maui Emergency Services had been severely injured with burns. Jeremy Hogan lost his life when a burning tree fell on him, knocking him unconscious.

  Yes, it was completely understandable that Aiden would be reeling, even months later.

  “Hey, bud.” Shane sat on the sofa, ignoring the lumpy cushion beneath him. “Aiden, turn around.”

  His brother’s hands went to the chair wheels, and he whirled to face Shane. “There, that better?”

  The angry look on Aiden’s face took Shane aback. His older brother rarely got mad, had never picked fights in school, and would rather be run over by a truck than argue.

  “Yeah, that’s better,” Shane said weakly. “Listen…”

  Before he could finish, Aiden interrupted. “Do you have to come here every day? I mean, don’t you have a life or something?”

  “I don’t come every day.”

  “Whatever.” Aiden lifted a post-surgery bandaged hand and brushed it across the top of his unkempt hair. Had he even washed it this week?

  Shane glanced back at Meghan who stood next to the bar in the kitchen, listening. Tears formed in her eyes.

  He straightened. Bad times, or not—he’d had enough. He wasn’t going to stand around and watch his brother deteriorate.

  “Get over yourself, bro. I’m not here every day. Besides, what if I was?” Shane paused and looked Aiden in the eyes, hoping for a reaction—anything that might open the door to some meaningful conversation.

  Again…silence.

  Shane continued. “Mom’s worried, dude. So are our sisters. It’s been several months. You’ve got to pull yourself together. What happened is totally cruddy, the worst. But you can’t stop living, Aiden. None of this was your fault. You gotta know that—right?”

  He shook his head. They’d had this repeated discussion many times in recent weeks. “Look, this is the deal.” Shane took a deep breath before continuing. “Christmas is approaching. Mom and Alani have cooked up an idea. We’re putting together a big event to uplift the community. You know, the whole thing. Food, music, decorations—a big celebration.”

  Aiden barely made eye contact. “Yeah, so? What has that got to do with me?”

  “We need your help.”

  “No.”

  Shane raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean—no?”

  “I said no.”

  “C’mon, bro. Don’t be like that. What are you going to do…sit here in this hellhole and rot?” He quickly turned to Meghan. “Sorry, I didn’t mean your place was a hellhole.”

  She waved off his concern. “Aiden, listen…your brother’s right. You can’t sit here in this house and waste away feeling guilty about what you think you could, or should, have done. I mean…we’ve been over this. You’ve heard the counselors. Things happen…bad things. Things out of our control.” She gave him a targeted look. “Besides, you weren’t the only person who dealt with the fire. We all did.”

  Aiden stood and knocked over his wheelchair. “I said NO!” he shouted.

  Meghan parked fisted hands on her hips. “Well, at least we know he can get out of that damn chair.”

  Aiden rewarded her with disdain, which she ignored. She turned to Shane. “Count us in…both of us.”

  Before Shane could respond, her face broke into a wide grin. “If Aiden wants to hide from society and feel sorry for himself, then maybe he can do it in a red suit and white beard. No one would guess him to be Jolly ‘Ol Saint Nick.”

  Aiden scowled. “Not funny.”

  Shane grinned. “I thought it was.” He stood. “Well, look…I’ve got to run. Carson has an appointment with the pediatrician this afternoon. We’ll see you guys at Mom’s tonight. Seven o’clock.” He faced his brother who was busy turning his wheelchair upright. “Tonight. We’ll see you tonight.”

  “You don’t have to repeat yourself.” Aiden plopped back into his wheelchair and lifted one bandaged leg into place, then the other.

  Shane brushed a kiss on Meghan’s cheek before moving for the door. “See you tonight.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  With a last look at his brother, Shane turned and headed out the metal door.

  4

  Ava’s large house at Pali Maui was already brimming with people when even more arrived, making finding a parking spot difficult. She and Alani decided to coordinate a holiday event and fundraiser less than twenty-four hours ago, but as soon as word got out, people seemed to come out of the woodwork, anxious to help.

  Willa, her teen granddaughter, stood at the open front door and motioned her Aunt Vanessa inside.

  “I see your grandmother’s been at it again,” she said, giving Willa a brief hug.

  Willa grinned. “It was only a matter of time. Once she and Alani put their heads together, a turnout like this was inevitable.”

  Halia Aka and her daughter, Kina, were the next to arrive. Halia brought with her a large platter of cookies. “These are made with avocados and pistachio flour, gluten-free, sugar-free, and completely organic.” She beamed. “The girls down at Banana Patch Retreat Center prepared them for us.”

  Kina and Willa exchanged glances. “And tasteless,” Kina whispered to her best friend.

  Overhearing, Ava laughed as she moved into the front foyer, wearing a tropical print wrap dress and wedge sandals adorned with tiny plastic pineapples. “Ah, Kina. So glad you could join us. You too, Halia. Thanks for being here.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. Just tell me how I can help.”

  Kina paused, looking around. “Like, I think we need more chairs.”

  Ava winked. “Honey, this house has seen many gatherings, many occasions. We’re prepared.” She nodded to Ori and Shane. “Would you guys help the girls and get some folding chairs from the garage?”

  Willa took the platter of cookies from Halia. “First, let me get these to the kitchen.” She motioned for Kina to follow.

  Out the open door, Ava spotted Mig Nakamoa’s Chevy Bel-Air. The vintage car was her farm manager’s pride and joy. He parked, got out, and hurried for the passenger door, where he assisted his sweetheart, Wimberly Ann Jenkins, from the passenger seat. Wimberly had surprised all of them a year ago by showing up on Maui and capturing the long-time divorced man’s heart.

  She primped her blonde updo and laughed at something Mig said, which sent her oversized plastic palm tree earrings in motion.

  Over the next thirty minutes, more people arrived. So many, you’d think no one wanted to wait, and the event was being held at Ava’s house today. Eventually, the chatter in the bulging house was so loud that Ava could barely hear herself think. She was about to close the front door when one last car meandered up the long drive and parked.

  Ava held her breath and watched as Meghan McCord climbed from the driver’s seat, immediately followed by Ori and Mia Kané from the back seat. Ori quickly moved for the front passenger door, opened it, and lent his arm to Aiden, who struggled to maneuver himself into a standing position.

  The bandages from recent skin graft surgeries hindered his mobility. Still, her son had been extremely lucky. Burns were his only physical injuries. Some of his team members had not fared as well.

  Shane placed his hand on her shoulder. “So, he showed up?”

  She nodded. “Appears so.” There was unspoken relief evident in both of their voices.

  Ava turned. “Look, let’s not make a big deal of this. Okay?”

  “Sure thing, Mom.” He took her hand, and together they returned to the crowded living room where Alani stood with a clipboard, wearing a wide grin.

  Ava leaned close to speak to her cohort. “I think everyone’s here. Let’s get started.”

  Alani cleared her throat. “Thank you for coming, everyone. Firstly, I’d like to say a big mahalo to everyone who’s made it here tonight. On such short notice, this turnout is beyond what Ava and I expected. I look around and feel so blessed to have such an amazing community of family and friends.” She lifted a dimpled hand and waved a greeting to those gathered.

  Several heads nodded in agreement, and a soft murmur of approval resonated throughout the room.

  Alani continued. “We’ve come together tonight hoping for a way to give back. The money we raise will go towards the Maui Fire Victims’ Fund, a cause very dear to all our hearts.”

  Ava glanced sideways to where Aiden was now seated on her sofa, Ori and Mia on either side, doing their best to shield him from undue attention. Meghan stood by, her eyes watchful and protective. Aiden’s injuries might have been a stark reminder of the risks the brave firefighters took daily, but they also symbolized extreme courage, bravery…and hope.

  She turned to the standing-room-only crowd and cleared her throat. “Like Alani, I’m thrilled to see you all here. We have big plans. One of the grandest is that a nursery on Oahu heard wind of our plans. They immediately reached out and offered to provide hibiscus plants.”

  Katie raised her eyebrows. “Hibiscus plants? I’m not following.”

  Ava’s expression brightened into a wide smile. “In addition to many other activities we can decide upon this evening, the hibiscus plants will be sold, and the funds donated.”

  Alani sidled up beside Ava and gave her an arm hug. “Accordingly, we’re calling this event Hibiscus Christmas. The potted plants will be sold for forty dollars each. We’ve lined up media to get the word out, including stations on the mainland. A dedicated bank account has been established to receive all the funds. We’re hoping to move thousands of hibiscus plants.”

  “Does the nursery have that many?” Mig asked.

  Alani nodded. “They assured us they are lining up other nurseries in case we sell as many as we hope.”

  Christel bounced one of her little boys on her hip. “Count me and Evan in. Put us down for a half dozen, at least.”

  Alani raised the clipboard above her head. “Sign up. Don’t hold back. This is for the fundraising effort.”

  People clamored to get in line, pens in hand.

  Ava’s son-in-law, Jon, stepped forward. “I’ve reached out to restaurants across the islands. We’ll be taking orders for specialty food items which will be delivered to your homes on Christmas Eve. Why cook when you can donate to a good cause?” He held up a specially printed menu from his restaurant here at Pali Maui. “For example, we’ve linked arms with Alani’s luau crew and will prepare and deliver kalua pig—a whole roast pig that is traditionally cooked in an underground oven surrounded by banana leaves and hot rocks—right to your door.”

  Katie moved to her husband’s side. “We’ll have trays of mahi-mahi in brown butter sauce, along with sweet potato manapua, and lomi salmon.”

  “For dessert, we’ll auction off trays of mochi—our colorful, fluffy, sweet rice cakes filled with lilikoi, guava, and ginger,” Jon added.

  Not to be left out, Mig glanced at Ava. “Pali Maui will ship seven hundred cases of pineapples to the mainland and donate all revenue. Christel and Katie are setting up a website to take orders.”

  Elta stepped forward and motioned for some of the guys to join him at Ava’s teakwood dining table. He unfurled a sheet of paper with numbers and names. “I took the liberty to take the next step—the action needed after the funds come in,” he told the men. “No doubt, we’ll raise enough to help many families rebuild their homes. Additionally, with anything left over, we can further provide support by paying the medical bills of those injured.” He looked around the table and was met with nods of approval.

  Ori leaned forward for a better look at the plan. “We can organize community build days. For those not physically up for it, they can help in other ways.”

  Katie sidled up next to Ori. “I wield a mean paintbrush.”

  Willa’s eyes lit up. She hugged her mom. “I can help paint.”

  “Me, too,” Kina added.

  Christel jiggled the fussy baby on her hip. “Perhaps I can negotiate some of those medical bills down. Ask my husband, Evan—there’s always wiggle room.”

  Alani parked her hands on her wide hips. “All great ideas. No doubt this will be an event to remember, with long-lasting effects. Everyone can pitch in—all dedicated to a specific task. Construction, food, childcare. We can all help.”

  Ava beamed. “Yes, these plans are incredible. The rebuilding. The healing. A true community effort. All prompted by the holiday spirit. A very merry Hibiscus Christmas.”

  Alani and Ava hugged. “When people come together, the impossible becomes possible,” Alani said.

  Ava winked. “It sure does.” She spotted Aiden staring sullenly at the crowd. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead, but I believe anything can happen—even miracles—at Christmas.”

  5

  Meghan leaned in the open car window and brushed her hand against Aiden’s cheek, then looked over at Ori. “Thanks for driving him, Ori.”

  “No problem,” he said with a smile. “You go to work. We’ll get this guy to his rehab and back home, no problem.”

  Aiden let out a low grumble as he stared at the floor.

  Despite his passenger’s bad mood, Ori brightened. “Don’t worry. Go.”

  Meghan appeared reluctant to leave but finally pulled away. “Okay, then. I’ll see you tonight, Aiden.”

  Ori supposed that if left up to her, Meghan would be the one to drive Aiden to his appointment today. They’d all been frantic when Aiden went missing for hours that horrible day, but perhaps Meghan had been the most terrorized by the possibilities that had circled all their heads as they tried to cling to hope until the good news came that Aiden had survived the walls of flames. In the many weeks since the fire, she’d rarely left her fiancé’s side. Only when she was forced to return to work or out to get his prescriptions or groceries.

  According to Meghan, his first words to her upon being reunited were, “Marry me.”

  Ori supposed a lot of people focused on the things that really mattered after that harrowing day. He’d seen it in the eyes of the survivors housed at Ka Hale A Ke Ola, the resolute determination to make every single day count.

  Ori reached for the radio knob and tuned to his favorite station. Tapping out the tune on the steering wheel with his thumbs, he glanced over at his silent passenger as he eased from the curb. “So, you two set a date yet?”

  “A date?”

  “Yeah, the big day. When are you two making it official?” He came to the intersection and stopped, pulling out onto Wakea Avenue on their way to Maui Memorial Medical Center. Their destination was only a twenty-minute drive.

  Aiden shrugged. “We’ll likely head down to the courthouse. That is, as soon as I’m free of this.” He gave the walking stick tucked by his side a little shove.

  “Have you told your mom about those plans? She’ll have a fit if she’s unable to plan a wedding celebration for you.”

  Aiden angrily rubbed his hand across his stubbled chin. “She’ll have to deal.”

  Ori took a deep breath. This was a side of Aiden rarely seen, if ever. This stubborn, angry person who didn’t seem to care about other people’s feelings was totally out of character for his best friend. “What does Meghan think?”

  “About what?”

  Ori drew a patient breath. “About your marriage ceremony and the following celebration?”

  “She doesn’t want a circus made of our day.”

  Ori quit tapping the steering wheel and scowled. “Okay, sure. But a quiet ceremony with family and close friends is hardly a circus.”

  “Don’t you think maybe it’s a good idea that I focus on being able to walk before planning a wedding?”

  Ori mustered a smile. “Well, that’s the plan, bro. So, you’d better work hard today and do your best to follow the therapist’s directions.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9