Illumine Her

by Sieni A. M.

  “Alana!” she gasped. “You scared me to death,” she said, swatting gently at her arms.

  Alana clung tightly and buried her face in her neck.

  “Thank you, Mama,” she whispered.

  Perlita sighed and whirled around. She reached up and pushed a strand of her daughter’s hair behind her ear. “Your happiness brings me happiness, anak. Chase is a good man. It’s obvious he loves you very much. Besides, it should be your aunt Malae and Sala you need to thank.”

  Alana smiled. She remembered the expressions on their faces when she and Chase sat down and told her family about their plans to have their wedding at dawn. Their eyes boggled even more when they further requested to get married within the week. After Chase put on the charm, sprouting some flowery Samoan words Alana had never heard before, they reluctantly agreed, but not without terms. They agreed to have the simple ceremony at dawn with only her immediate family and their close friends, but they had to wait at least three months for her family home to be restored from the damage caused by the cyclone. The reception it was decided would be in the evening and organized by the extended family. In other words, it was going to be an elaborate, big, fat Samoan one with all the trimmings. Alana was too ecstatic to protest. If she could keep her family happy, she was more than willing to compromise.

  Her grandparents came down the hall and kissed her on the cheek.

  “How do you feel?” Lola asked. Observing her face, she frowned. “Did you get any sleep?”

  Alana took in a deep breath and exhaled on a giggle. “Nope.”

  Her grandmother smiled in understanding. “I remember that feeling. I was up all night before my wedding as well. Your grandfather, however, was not impressed when it came to the wedding night and I had conked out on him from exhaustion.”

  “Lola!” Perlita exclaimed.

  Her grandmother shrugged. “What? That was a long time ago. We have had many, many years to make up for it.” She winked at Alana, and her face heated.

  She was saved from further embarrassment when David and Manu stepped through the door. “Alright, the lights are up, chairs are set.”

  “Thank you, boys,” her mother called. “Come eat breakfast before we have to get ready and go.”

  Manu approached her and tapped her playfully under the chin. Smiling warmly down at her he said, “It’s good to see you happy, Lana.” She grinned in response.

  Soon the entire household was awake and buzzing with activity. Every light switch was turned on as they gobbled down Perlita’s French toast and fruit salad, ironed their clothes, and waited in line to take showers. Malia and Sera helped Alana into her dress, and Perlita daintily braided her hair and pinned it back around her neck. When Alana stood in her mother’s bedroom and gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she took a deep breath and smoothed her shaky hands down her ivory gown. It was an elegant dress made from chiffon that hugged her curves and fell delicately at her feet. The dainty lace sleeves were just enough to cover up the small tattoo she got over the scar on her shoulder. Her heart beat faster anticipating the reaction she would get from Chase when he saw it. She hadn’t told him, keeping it a secret from him and everyone else for months. With her hair hanging over one shoulder, the other side pulled away from her face and a single gardenia bloom tucked into her braid, she felt beautiful. Perlita smiled from behind her through the mirror. Malia gripped her sister’s shoulder and held her stomach. Six months pregnant with her first child, her face glowed with radiance.

  “Stunning, Alana,” her mother complimented. “You make a lovely bride. But you are missing something.”

  Retrieving a black velvet box, she opened it and withdrew a pair of sparkling emerald and diamond earrings. They were intricate in cut and possessed timeless beauty. Alana gasped.

  “This is a wedding gift from Chase,” Perlita explained, smiling. “He asked me to give it to you this morning.”

  Alana shot her eyes up to her mother. “This is from Chase?” she asked in disbelief.

  Perlita nodded. “Shall we put them on?” Alana’s heart swelled.

  “Yes,” she said, smiling.

  Her mother moved around her to slip them through her ears. Standing back to glance at her reflection in the mirror, Alana admired the glint that radiated from them. Sera approached and handed her the simple bouquet of gardenias her mother picked and arranged from her new garden.

  “Ready to go?” she asked squeezing her hand. Alana smiled and nodded.

  ***

  Her father’s presence was everywhere, surrounding Alana with his blessings. He was there with her when she stepped out of the car and admired the twinkling fairy lights dangling from the trees. He was there with her when she took her first step towards the look out, a row of chairs lined under the old banyan. He was there in the black and white photographs on the small table, wedding pictures of her parents and grandparents smiling at her. He was there with her when the dawn’s light illuminated the sky brilliantly. And he was there with her through David’s arm as he walked her down the aisle, pink petals strewn on the grass underneath her feet.

  When she looked at her future husband, his face was full of wonderment, his eyes burning with love and warmth. Chase stood handsomely in a white elei shirt and grey ie faitaga near the precipice where the valley dipped and stretched for miles, hair blowing in the early morning breeze. He gave her a slow smile, and her heart reacted in the only way it knew how when she was near him. Reaching him, he took her hand gently in his and she drew in a breath and let it go easily. Smiling up at him with the sun cresting over the horizon, she was home.

  Chapter 32

  Alana bit her lip and peered out at the expanse of trees that stretched from Chase’s home in Tahiti to the Pacific Ocean. The moon shone brilliantly over the water. When they boarded his private jet after the reception, he didn’t give her any indication of where they were going. The view now was breathtaking, his home even more so. Set in the mountain, it had wide open French doors and polished marble tiles, Oriental rugs and abstract oil paintings. With the approach of dawn, she imagined in the day time the house was full of light. Closing her eyes, she reveled in it, inhaling his familiar crisp scent which was prominent in every room she visited. She felt him behind her now, his warmth pressed against her back, pinning her to the wrought iron balcony.

  Dipping his head, he kissed her on the shoulder, sending shivers up her spine. “My wife,” he said quietly as he pushed her hair to the side, exposing her neck.

  She turned to face him. Standing before her shirtless, her heart beat swiftly. “I love the sound of that.” She smiled.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, his deep voice laced with concern.

  Alana ached at the question. Now that his abilities had been taken away from him, he couldn’t see her aura or read her emotions. She admitted a big part of her was saddened by it. His eyes searched hers now. They were filled with tenderness, and she allowed her own to reflect her emotions.

  Licking her lips she answered honestly. “I’m feeling very loved right now but…I’m also a little nervous.”

  Chase gave her a slow grin and brought his arms around her, drawing her closer.

  Tucking her head under his chin he said, “I’ll take care of you, angel.”

  Alana sighed and embraced him, her arms wrapping around his waist. She gasped when she felt raised welts under her hands. She didn’t need to see them to know what they were. Two distinct lines of scars ran from his shoulder blades to the middle of his back. Alana’s eyes welled with tears as she traced her fingers gently over them.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Chase touched her chin and tipped her face so she was looking at him.

  “I’m not,” he said with certitude. “These scars are a manifestation of how I feel about you. Together, we’ll make this work.”

  Alana rose on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. Taking a small step back, she pulled the sleeve of her dress down, exposing the tattoo on her shoulder. Chas
e stilled when he saw the dainty grey feather imprinted on her skin, its vane pronounced and afterfeathers spread out as if a soft breeze was blowing through them.

  “I told you once that I wanted to get a tattoo, one that meant something significant to me,” she said, her eyes never leaving his. “The scar under here represents the day I died but also came back to life.”

  Chase outlined the tattoo with the pad of his thumb. “I should have healed this wound,” he said sadly. “I was so caught up in your aura and by how you were feeling when I pulled you back that I overlooked it.”

  Alana shook her head. “No, Chase. I’m glad you didn’t. My eyes have been opened because of that experience, and if I have this physical scar to remind me of that, it’s worth it.” He rubbed circles on her shoulder, the warmth of his hand seeping through her skin. “This feather represents you,” she added softly. “Angel. Healer. Lover. The hope you gave me. My life and home with you for eternity.”

  Chase looked longingly down at her and closed the space between them. Cupping the sides of her face, he spoke the words she felt from him long ago.

  “I love you, Alana Malek. With every fiber of my body into the depths of my soul. I’m going to show you how much I love you.”

  Alana smiled shyly before he brought his lips to hers, searing her with a kiss that stirred her to her core and illumined her own soul.

  Epilogue

  Eighteen months later

  Chase wiped his sweaty forehead on the sleeve of his T-shirt and squinted against the sun’s rays at the building’s framework. David stopped hammering at the wood beams and jumped down from the scaffolding to the cement floor. The noises from the other workers echoed around them and the trees that lined the property.

  “We’re making good progress,” he said before taking a bottle and gulping the water. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “In a few months, this place will be up and running.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Chase answered, arms crossed over his chest. “Alana will be happy to know that. It’s coming together well.” While the foundation and walls were leveled out and erected, he observed they were on schedule.

  “It’s getting late. We’re going to take off,” David said, washing his hands with the rest of the water. He called out to his employees as he made his way to his truck. The hammering stopped as they started to pack up their tools and belongings.

  Chase gazed around the land that was purchased for the clinic he and Alana were establishing. Constructed in the rural south of Savaii, it would cater to women and young children. It was a dream that sprung after Alana completed her one-year midwifery course in Fiji. Partnered with Lisi and a pediatrician friend, they were on their way to seeing it come true.

  He thanked and said goodbye to David and the other carpenters as they piled at the back of David’s truck before heading off to their respective extended families for the night. “See you tomorrow,” he called as they drove out of the clearing. David blared his horn in farewell and peeled onto the main road before disappearing around the bend.

  Chase was proud of his wife and the hard work she achieved. After the wedding, they moved to Fiji for twelve months so she could obtain her postgraduate diploma. It was a year filled with blissful intimacy and emotional support. It was also one that had been an adjustment for him in his human body. Having lost his wings and healing abilities, he had to acclimate after living years with them. His body battled with a centuries-old instinct to save, protect, and heal. When it became difficult, Alana had been there with her unwavering love through his withdrawal. While he knew his decision to fall was an undivided one, he was not expecting his body’s reaction to its loss. The tremors started when they moved to Fiji. Turbulent weather triggered them, and he fought for control when the atmosphere stirred with tension. His body responded to it, and his back felt as if it were on fire. Memories of the pain inflicted from the swords slicing through his skin were never far from his mind.

  He remembered hearing the guilt in her voice during a stormy night outside their rented apartment, and he had become restless, his body shaking.

  “I’m so sorry,” she had whispered in the doorway of their room. Lightening flashed outside, illuminating the space between the bed and door. He looked up and saw her eyebrows pulled together; her face beheld a painful expression. He sat at the end of their bed and bowed his head, fists curled around on the edges of the wooden frame, shoulders quaking.

  “You should be out there right now. Not in here.” She crossed the room, climbed and sat behind him on the mattress. Wrapping her arms gingerly around his waist, she trailed delicate kisses on the scars of his back until the shaking stopped and his breathing calmed. She rested her head on his shoulder blade, and when he felt something wet on his skin, he turned his body to face her and saw her cheeks moistened with tears.

  “Alana,” he spoke hoarsely, moving his hand to cradle the back of her neck. Her almond-shaped eyes were full of remorse. God, he loved her so much, and he didn’t want her hurting for him. “Whatever I may be going through right now, don’t doubt my love for you and my decision to be with you. There will be moments like this one, unexpected and frightening, but I will overcome it. We will get through this. It will just take some time.”

  She caressed his jaw and spoke softly. “Take all the time you need, Chase. I’m not going anywhere.”

  That had been eleven months ago. Chase was grateful the tremors had lessened. Moving to the big island of Savaii meant moving forward with their plans. With Kane, Malia, and their son living an hour away, they were not cut off entirely from family, meeting up every Sunday for to’onai.

  He walked around the perimeter of the building. A single-story structure, he ensured there would be room to expand should the need arise. Surrounded in lush plants and trees and situated near the main road, it was accessible to the surrounding villages by foot and by the buses that traveled to the main town area and wharf.

  From the front of the clinic he heard a car pull in and the engine cut off. He grinned to himself, and his chest expanded as her footsteps approached.

  “Chase?” Alana called out.

  He rounded the corner and strode towards her. Dressed in a white summer dress, her eyes lit up when she turned and spotted him. Reaching her, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “Hey.” He smiled down at her. In the fading afternoon light, her eyes were more brown than green. “What do you think?”

  Her eyes took in the dirt around them, the roofless building, scaffolding, and empty spaces between each room.

  She smiled. “I think it’s perfect. I can’t wait to see women and children come in through those doors when it’s finally complete.” She turned back to him, and he saw something soft flicker in her eyes, her beautiful face smoothing. “Thank you, Chase,” she said quietly.

  Chase wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer. He bent down and kissed her gently on the feather tattoo. He inhaled the lingering smell of vanilla-scented shampoo in her hair and she sighed.

  “You know what I can’t wait to see?” He rumbled near her ear. Chase spread his hand over her stomach just above her womb and she flicked her eyes up to him. While they decided to wait to start a family until the clinic was established, he admitted fatherhood was a role he was looking forward to. “When we’re ready of course,” he added with a grin.

  Alana’s face broke out into a bright smile, her eyes crinkling with joy and her mouth widening. Standing on her tip toes, she kissed him tenderly. “Let’s go home,” she whispered.

  Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he brushed her temple with his lips and led them to their parked vehicle.

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you for taking a chance on this story. It would not have happened without the incredible support and encouragement of a few key people.

  To my fabulous editor, Maxann Dobson, for working tirelessly through my manuscript with her very accomplished and p
olished pen. Thank you for instilling in me the confidence to get this story out there.

  To Sarah Hansen for waving her creative wand and designing a gorgeous cover.

  To Tim and Stéphanie McKenna for providing a stunning photo for the book’s cover.

  To my fellow Samoan author sisters: Lani Wendt Young for being an inspiration from the beginning. Thank you for everything you have done for me; L. Filloon for her kick-butt words of advice—they brought a smile to my face.

  To Sarah Dosher for introducing me to the Writer’s Club and for the awesome writers there who helped navigate me along the way.

  To my beta readers, Nydia Aloaina, Rachel Martin, and Sahar Sabati-Safai, for their feedback and honest critiques.

  To Fani Khaiseb and Siu Tapelu for their invaluable knowledge and for patiently answering all my questions.

  To Justin Wellington for his muse-writing music. Thank you for the beautiful lyrics. I will forever be a fan!

  To Nasime Moghbelpour for sending me that one email that made a huge impact. Thank you for believing in me.

  To the Coconut Wireless: Hope you enjoy my “righting” (winky smile).

  To my fellow mama friends (you all know who you are): You are all gems and are a blessing in my life. Your support knows no bounds, whether it came from across the globe or from across the street.

  To my loving family—my parents, sister, and brother who were among the first to learn about this project and who pushed me to keep going.

  And last, but certainly not the least, to my wonderful husband who in my moments of self-doubt brought me back to the center through his humor and who reminded me on a daily basis to simply enjoy the process. Thank you for making me laugh and for giving me back perspective when I felt overwhelmed by it all.