You don’t know the half of it. “‘Bad terms’ is a gross understatement of what happened between us. Although I’m sure you don’t care.”
“Come on, Nona. I do care, because I genuinely like you and respect you as a colleague.”
She stood, folded her arms over her chest. “Good. Then you’ll respect me when I say I won’t be staying today, and that I’ll be taking some of my vacation days.”
He frowned. “How long are you going to be gone?”
“I have about three weeks of vacation days banked, so I don’t know. But I can tell you that you won’t see me before Monday.” And when she did come back, she knew it might just be so she could clean out her office. But she didn’t tell him that then—she had some serious thinking to do.
He nodded, though he didn’t seem overly pleased. “I can understand that. Go ahead and take some time, but try to get back as soon as you can. The executive board is very pleased with the story, and they’ll want to speak to you about more features.”
She sighed, knowing that just a week ago, she would have considered that great news. “’Bye, Huff.”
If he had anything else to say, she didn’t want to hear it, so she didn’t wait around. Within fifteen minutes, she was in her car, on the highway heading east. Like any other time she had a problem or needed to get away, she was headed to Sapphire Shores to hide out.
Two and a half hours later, she used her spare key to let herself in to Hadley’s cottage. She’d texted Hadley to let her know she was coming so she wouldn’t come home from work to a surprise houseguest. Hadley had a key to Nona’s house as well, although she had yet to use it. Both women agreed that Hadley possessed the more desirable home, at least as far as location was concerned.
After tossing her bags into the guest bedroom, Nona went into the kitchen. Despite the hot, humid day outside, the interior of Hadley’s spacious cottage felt cool and comfortable. The air-conditioning unit got an assist from the many rattan ceiling fans hanging in the rafters. The main area of the house alone had four fans, and they were all turning at the moment.
Nona fixed herself a cup of hot green tea, adding a touch of sugar and lemon. Then she retreated to the front of Hadley’s living room, where two wide wicker armchairs faced the front window. Dropping onto the floral cushion of one of the chairs, she curled up with her tea.
The house was situated on a wide strip of grass that soon gave way to sand and the churning waters of the Atlantic. There were at most three hundred yards between Nona’s spot in the window and the edge of the water. She sipped from the mug, feeling a degree of calm wash over her.
She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until Hadley’s gentle shake woke her. “I can’t believe you screwed things up with Ken that fast. This has to be a record.” She plopped down in the matching chair and fixed Nona with a probing stare.
Blinking a few times, Nona stretched and repositioned herself in the chair. “Neither can I. I can’t believe I made the mistake of taking my journal to work. But if I hadn’t, I guess I never would have known what kind of person Huff really is.”
Shaking her head, Hadley spoke. “This isn’t about Huff or any of those other fools at the paper. This is about you and, to a lesser degree, Ken. When are you going to give up that job, girl? We both know you should be teaching dance full-time.”
“You know my mom wouldn’t have that.”
“Girl, you just turned thirty-four. I know you love your mama and everything but jeez. You’re a grown woman. Live your life!”
In her mind’s eye, Nona could see the smiling faces of her students. She loved dancing, and she loved knowing that her instruction not only passed on an art form she loved to a younger generation but had a positive impact on their lives. “You’re right. I’m tired of dealing with the politics at the paper. Teaching dance brings me joy.”
“Of course I’m right. And make sure you tell my brothers that before you go back to Charlotte. They don’t think I know much about anything.” She pursed her lips, the same way she always did when speaking of them.
“That’s only half my problem, though. What about Ken? How can I get him back when he doesn’t trust me anymore?” She sighed. He’d only been in her life for three short weeks, but it had still hurt like hell to lose him.
Hadley shrugged. “Hell if I know. But I do know he’s made you the happiest I’ve ever seen you. So you better figure something out. Just think about it. You know how you lost his trust. What can you do to get it back?”
“I don’t know.” She directed her gaze back toward the water. “I just don’t know.”
“Well, the good news is, you can stay here and stare at the water until you figure it out.” Hadley climbed to her feet. “I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be back in a few.”
“Okay.”
As Hadley walked away, leaving Nona alone with her thoughts, she inhaled deeply.
Whatever it took, she would convince Ken that she could be trusted and that what they shared was too precious to throw away.
* * *
Friday night, Ken found himself back at Miyu’s apartment. When he’d been with his sister last, they’d been joking and teasing each other. As he sat on the white sofa in her living room now, absently staring in the direction of the television, the mood was much more subdued, even solemn.
After he’d left the Blue Lounge in the wee hours of the previous morning, he’d called to inform his father of the article’s publication. Hiro being awake at that hour wasn’t a surprise, since the old man often stayed up past two and slept in until noon. When Ken had asked his father why he was up at such odd hours, his reply had been simple.
“Old age.”
Hiro had been grim but resigned when he heard the news, as if he’d fully expected his secrets to get out one day. Ken, on the other hand, still struggled to process what had happened. He just couldn’t figure out how Nona could have done such a thing. He hadn’t read more than the first paragraph of the article, because he couldn’t bring himself go any further. The headline alone had been enough to do him in: Local Artist Overcomes Family Scandal to Achieve Coveted Restoration Project.
When he’d seen the headline in print, he could only shake his head. Nona had approached him to write a story about his process, and somehow the finished article had ended up putting the spotlight on one of the most difficult episodes in his past. Pushing aside thoughts of Nona and the sensationalized crap she called an article, he put his focus on his baby sister.
Miyu sat on the opposite end of the sofa from him, with her short legs tucked beneath her bottom. She wore a red-and-white NC State T-shirt with a pair of red track pants bearing a white stripe. Her hair was tucked up into another messy ponytail, and her eyes were fixed on the television screen. She’d been watching some inane reality show since he’d arrived, and from what Ken could tell, the show had her full interest and attention.
But after several minutes of silence, she turned his way. “Ken, what’s up with you? You look like someone died.” She paused, cocked her head to the side. “Is something wrong with Hiro?”
“Not in the physical sense.” He scratched his chin as he wondered how to broach the subject of the article with her. “He’s upset, but I think he’ll eventually calm down.”
“Is this about the article in the paper, where they talk about Mom and me?”
Ken’s gaze shifted to meet his sister’s eyes. “Yes. You speak very casually about all of this.”
She shrugged. “I see no reason to get upset.”
He tried to think of a way to say it that would make sense to her. “My father is very concerned with image, with saving face. Having the world know about you, and how you got here, makes him very uncomfortable.”
“I get that, and he’s entitled to his feelings. But I’m also entitled to not let it bother me.”
<
br /> He stared at her. “Miyu, why isn’t this upsetting you? Not that I want you to be upset, because you know I’d do anything to protect you. I just don’t understand your reasoning here.”
She scooted a bit closer to him. “Ken, I always knew Hiro wasn’t my father. From the time I could speak, he asked me to call him by his first name, even though you called him Dad. He never connected with me, never made any effort to bond, or to get to know me even. You and Frances did everything for me.”
He said nothing, content to listen to what she had to say.
“Plus, there’s the obvious difference in my appearance. My skin is darker than yours and Hiro’s, and my hair has a different texture. The signs were everywhere, telling me that I didn’t fit in with you and Hiro. Did you really think that if you never said it out loud, I’d never notice?”
“I guess I was so busy protecting you that I never stopped to think about your perception of the situation. You’ve always been smart, Miyu.”
“It isn’t an ideal situation, but is what it is. I wish I had gotten a chance to know Mom, and it’s unfortunate that my being around made things difficult for Hiro. Regardless of any of that, I’m here. God saw fit to give me life, so I’m just going to make the best of it and try to help someone else along the way.”
In that moment, he realized he hadn’t been giving his sister nearly enough credit. She was smart, insightful and intuitive. His heart swelled with pride, because she possessed a wisdom well beyond her twenty-one years. “I’m sorry, Miyu. I know it isn’t my place to apologize for the way my father treated you. But I can say I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting.”
A soft smile crossed her face. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Kenny. I know you’re overprotective because you love me so much. And I love you right back.” She moved over until she was next to him, placed her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
He returned the hug. “Before Mom got pregnant, I’d been asking for a baby sister. I never would have guessed I’d get one under those circumstances. I’m just happy my wish came true.” He held her for a few seconds before releasing her.
“Are you sure Hiro’s going to be okay?” She had genuine concern in her eyes.
Ken admired the way she always asked about Hiro, showing much more care for him than he ever had for her. He rumpled her hair. “I think so. It might help if you came to the house with me, though. I think the three of us should sit down and talk about this thing.”
“I agree. That’s a conversation that’s long overdue.” She settled back into her favorite position and returned to watching television.
Watching her, Ken smiled. Considering the environment she’d come from, Miyu was remarkably well adjusted. If his father could release his bitterness, he would probably be similarly impressed with the child his late wife had left behind.
An image of Nona popped into his mind. He cringed, not wanting to think about her. Thinking about her meant exploring the pain she’d made him feel. She’d demonstrated precisely why he’d never allowed himself to get seriously involved with a woman. He’d always suspected that sharing his heart and his life with someone would leave him open, vulnerable to whatever harm she might do to him. With Nona, things had turned out just as he feared.
Determined to get his mind off Nona and whatever feelings he’d thought he harbored for her, he shifted in his seat. Draping his arm over the back of the sofa, Ken settled in and tried to take an interest in the show his sister watched.
Without looking away from the TV, she asked, “Kenny, did you read the article?”
He shook his head. “No, and I don’t plan to.”
“You should read it. I know you’re mad with the writer. But if you read it, you’d learn something.”
“And what’s that?”
Miyu met his eyes. “She loves you, Kenny. Only someone who loves you would write about you like that.”
He wasn’t sure he believed her.
“Just read it.” And she lapsed back into silence.
Ken groaned, knowing that he would probably read it now that his sister had pressed him.
And he wasn’t sure he was ready for what he might find.
CHAPTER 18
When Nona let herself in to her parents’ house Monday evening, she found them both sitting in the living room. Her mother was engrossed in a magazine while her father watched cable news on the television. Steeling herself for a confrontation, she entered the house fully and closed the door behind her. “Hey, Mommy, hey, Daddy.”
Gordon looked up first. “Hey, Nonie. What a nice surprise.”
“What are you doing here, baby? I can’t remember the last time you came over on a Monday.” Aretha folded the page of her magazine to mark her place then closed it and set it aside.
“I just wanted to talk to you both, and it’s important. I thought it would be better to come over than to call.” She sat down on the sofa next to her mother.
“Before you do, I just want to say how proud I am of you.” A bright smile lit her mother’s face. “Seeing your byline on the front page last week was really something. And I read the article, too. It was fantastic, though it really is sad what happened with Ken’s mother.”
Nona sighed.
Her face crinkled in confusion, Aretha asked, “Is there something wrong? That’s not the reaction I usually get when I compliment your writing.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Mommy. I’m glad it made you happy, even though I can’t say I’m proud of the article.”
Now Aretha looked even more confused. “Nona, you’re going to have to tell me what’s going on.”
She blew out a breath. Not seeing any reason to prolong what was sure to be an awkward conversation, she spit it out. “I resigned my position at the paper today, Mommy. I gave my two weeks’ notice, and I’m going to use my vacation time so I don’t have to go back.”
“What? Why would you do that, just when you’re so close to getting that promotion?” Aretha fixed her daughter with a disappointed expression.
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I know you’re surprised and disappointed, but this has been coming for a long time. I just don’t feel the same way about journalism as I used to. It doesn’t excite me anymore.”
“But Nona, you were doing so well at the paper. You were going to be editor in chief one day.” Aretha’s tone and expression revealed that she still clung to those long-held dreams for her daughter’s future.
Nona had wanted that once, too. Over the past few days, though, she’d achieved a new degree of clarity. Now she knew that the editor-in-chief position had never been her dream as much as remnants of her mother’s own past ambitions. “I don’t want that anymore, Mommy. In terms of job stress, the cost is simply too high. And while this feature article impressed some folks, it has blown up in my face, big-time.”
Gordon broke his silence. “Let me guess. Mr. Yamada asked you not to write about his family drama, didn’t he?”
“Yes. And if I hadn’t made the mistake of taking my journal to work, those things would have never made it into the finished article. I had every intention of doing as he asked. I don’t even know when my journal got mixed up with my stuff, and now I’m royally screwed because of it.”
“Because you care about him.” Her father made a statement instead of asking a question.
She nodded. “I do. But now I think I’ve lost him.”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying you quit your job because of the architect you were writing about?” Aretha was obviously still unclear on her daughter’s motivations.
“Ken does play a role in this, because of the article. Mommy, at the heart of this, it isn’t about Ken or anybody else. It’s about me.” She grabbed her mother’s hand. “I’m not happy working at the
newspaper anymore.”
Her frown deepened. “And I suppose you’re going to tell me you’re happy teaching dance.”
“And what’s wrong with that, Rethie?” Gordon chimed in, addressing his wife. “She’s a grown woman. She’s got enough sense to know what she wants.”
“But Gordon, she should—”
“She should do whatever she wants.” Gordon eased forward in his seat. “It’s high time you stop pressuring her to follow your dream.”
Aretha drew back, lowered her gaze.
Gordon’s voice softened as he spoke again. “Rethie, you know I love you. And I love our daughter. You two are the most important people in the world to me, and I want to see you happy. Both of you.” He got up from his seat, came to sit by his wife. With his arm draped around Aretha’s shoulders, he smiled. “Let her live her life, Rethie. It’s time.”
Nona looked on at the exchange between her parents, wondering if her father’s words had done anything to sway her mother’s views.
After a few long, quiet moments, Aretha spoke. “What are you going to do for work now, Nona?”
“I already talked to the owner of the dance school. I’ll start teaching full-time in mid-July.” She watched her mother’s expression, hopeful that she’d come around.
A deep sigh left Aretha’s mouth. “If that’s what you want to do, then I suppose I can’t stop you. I’m not happy about your decision, though.”
Relieved, Nona gave her mother a peck on the cheek. “It’s okay, Mommy. We’ll agree to disagree on this for now.”
Aretha nodded. Seated between her husband and her daughter, she picked up her magazine and returned to where she left off. “You two are something else.”
Rising from her seat, Nona gestured to her father. “Daddy, could you come with me in the kitchen for a minute?”
“Sure.” Slowly, he slid off the couch and stood.
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