Love at the Sea

Eighteen: Kaleikoa

When we get back to the hotel Makana and Kanoe walk inside planning something and Kainoa and on the phone with his girlfriend.

While Lei and I hold hands walking to the elevator.

Inside the elevator Kanoe says, “Dinner starts in two hours, Lei and Makana are gonna get ready with our mothers and us guys get out dads.”

Lei looks at me and I smile she smiles back with a smile that says ‘I love you’. I lean over and kiss her on the cheek and then the elevator doors open.

We walk together until we have to split up.

Right before we split Lei tip-toes and whispers in my ear, “We have to sit next to each, promise?”

She gives me her one of a kind smile I love and blows me a kiss and walks away. Damn, I really do love that girl so, so much!!

I flowed Kai into his room and saw both of our dads in tuxes and Kai and Kanoe’s tuxes ready on the bed.

“What’s going on tonight?” My dad looks at me and says, “You didn’t forget what today is did you?”

What is today? I guess my face revealed what I didn’t know cause Kai says, “Well it’s technically not today but tomorrow is Lei’s birthday remember and since she has her first day of new school and she’ll probably will be so stressed we planned the dinner a day early.” Right, her parents always plans a big party on Lei’s birthday even if it’s a school day. But now that she’s leaving…

“So the tuxes?” Uncle JJ answered that, “My wife and your mother wanted her birthday to be special and memorable, you guys only turn 18th once so we are going to a fancy restaurant and this is also a repair birthday for you since Thursday didn’t go as we all planned it to go.”

“Cafe Peso, you all should get ready.” I looked at Kai who was just sitting in his surf shorts and watching tv then he says, “Why the girls take forever?”

My dad chuckled and said, “Your mother is coming in here in ten minutes to check on us.” Kai looked up and said, “I call bathroom first!”

He scrambled to the bathroom in the nick of time too cause Aunty Pua barge in and said, “Kai better be getting ready, we have reservations to go to and Lei and Makana are almost ready.”

Before she left, she looked at me and said, “Kalei you aren’t an exception. Get ready!” She shooed me and then left with, “Be ready in ten minutes, boys.”

As Aunty Pua leaves Kai comes out and says to me, “You better get ready,” he starts to walk away and then turns around and says, “You are not sitting next to Lei at dinner.” 

Aunty Pua came back into our room ten minutes later to see that everyone was dressed nicely. “Guys, you are all taking the car and us ladies are being driven there in another car. See you there.”

She walked out and when the door closed I hear Lei say, “Mom this feels a little too much.”

I then hear my mom say, “Honey, you only turn 18th once and plus you look absolutely beautiful.”

I walk to the door and leaned on it and heard Lei say in a fleeing voice, “You think Kalei will like it?” I can’t wait to see her.

“Dude get away from the door, we have to go if we have to be there before them,” Kanoe says.

I open the door and we all walk to the elevator.

When we get in Kai gets a phone call.  He walks to the corner and talks in a low voice.

After five minutes he hangs up and says, “Dad, I have to go home.” Uncle JJ looks at Kai and then gives him the keys to the rental. “We’ll take you stuff back with us,” he says.

The elevator opens on the ground floor everyone but Kai gets off. We wave and then leave. 

We finally reach the restaurant.

My dad calls my mom to let her know Kai is leaving, something important came up.

When he comes back I see Aunty Pua come into the place.

Uncle JJ walks up to her and walks her to her chair. Next to my mom and after that Kanoe goes and leads Makana to her seat.

Finally I see Lei. She looks absolutely stunning in a light blue dress, it has no sleeves with rhinestones on the left side of her dress.

She looks at me and see me staring then looks down and blushes.

I walk up to her. “My Wahine Nani,” I whisper to her. She smiles and says, “My U'i, nohea kane.”