A Place to Call Home | 12

After a few days, most of Gaby's anger about Alvin missing the birth of their first child dissipates. It certainly helps that he insists on making breakfast for her every morning until he feels like he's fully redeemed himself. She can hardly say no to that.

Another point in Alvin's favor is that he appears to be a natural at the whole fatherhood thing, which is helpful because Gaby is itching to get back to work as soon as possible. Knowing she can safely leave Noelani with Alvin while she's gone is a huge relief.

While Noelani sleeps and Gaby dives headfirst into her work once more, Alvin resumes picking up freelance coding and design jobs whenever he can. The only member of the house who can't seem to get used to the presence of a baby is Meli, who's feeling a little neglected. She's been the center of attention for so long that she's not quite sure how to share the spotlight with her new human sibling.

Lately, the fruits of the conservationists' exhaustive labor have become more easily visible. The waters are less murky, the beaches are free of pollution, and the coral reefs are brimming with growth and activity.

Even the plant life is starting to become more lush, diverse, and vibrant. Although they remain unconfirmed, there have also been sightings of sea turtles and albino dolphins, species that haven't been spotted by human eyes in years. Mua Pel'am is thriving!

That means a promotion for Gaby, who has found, especially post-pregnancy, that she enjoys being out on the beaches and in the ocean far more than she enjoys the stuffy indoors work of drafting grant proposals and poring over pages of research. Therefore, she's decided to shift her focus exclusively to marine biology and leave the tedious environmental management work to others. This is good news for Meli, too, as it means a return to their daily beach patrols.

Her official job title now is fisheries specialist, which means it's her duty to keep an eye out for poachers. Now that the island's health is being steadily restored, it's important to strictly enforce Sulani's new rules forbidding fishermen from capturing protected species or operating outside the boundaries of approved fishing areas.

She must also continually test the waters to ensure there isn't a downward swing in quality. Although she's happy to take a fussy Noelani off Alvin's hands once she returns home, she's glad for the hours of near-solitude her new job duties permit her. With nothing to keep her company but her trusty canoe and the schools of fish swirling around her feet, she is able to temporarily clear her mind of all worries.

One day, she finds Kaimana swimming just off-shore, her shimmering purple tail reflecting brilliantly in the mid-afternoon sunlight. Gaby wades out to greet her, suddenly feeling guilty that she never let Kaimana know she holds no grudge against her for Alvin's disappearing act on the day of Noelani's birth. She hopes Kaimana hasn't spent all this time believing she's upset with her.

"Hey!" Gaby exclaims once she catches up to Kaimana. "I haven't seen you around lately."

"I just thought it'd be best if I gave you guys some space. But I was actually hoping to talk, just the two of us. Do you have a minute? Let me buy you a drink at the Sand Bar."

Thirty minutes later, they meet back up at the bar, where Kaimana orders Gaby a fruity cocktail. There's a palpable awkwardness in the air between them, like neither is sure they're on the same page as the other. "It's been so long since I've seen you with legs that I almost didn't recognize you," Gaby jokes to break the ice.

Kaimana's demeanor immediately softens. "Are you sure you're not mad at me?" she asks, sitting down.

"Of course not!" Gaby replies immediately. "I mean, the timing wasn't perfect, but there's hardly a perfect time for someone to discover they have innate mermaid powers, is there? I can't blame Alvin for letting his curiosity get the best of him. He's always been pretty single-minded when it comes to that stuff."

"I really did want to tell you sooner. I didn't mean to make you feel crazy. But we had just met. I had to be sure I could trust you."

"I have a million questions, of course," Gaby says, downing the rest of her drink. "But I won't burden you with all of them at once. But there is one that Alvin never fully answered... What does this mean for Noelani?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about her. She'll grow up like any other kid, perhaps with a natural affinity for the ocean, but that's hardly unusual here. When the time comes, it'll be her choice. She can decide to harness her abilities, or she can seek a life without them. But that decision is still a long way off."

After a long night awake with a cranky Noelani, Gaby tries to sleep in the next morning. Meli is eager for a game of fetch, but no amount of barking or whining seems to rouse her owner from slumber.

But then the entire house begins to shake in a way that is beginning to feel terrifyingly familiar. There's no way Gaby can sleep through another of Mua Pel'am's mini-eruptions, which still have not ceased despite the improvements to the rest of the island. It only makes sense that it will take the volcano, millions of years old and practically an ecosystem unto itself, a bit longer to adjust to the recent ecological changes.

This is Meli's first time experiencing the effects of the volcano in full force, so she's naturally frightened by the blazing hunks of hardened magma that fall just short of blowing a hole through the walls. This isn't the sort of ball she was hoping to spend the morning chasing after.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Gaby says in a soothing voice and rubs her reassuringly in her favorite place. "The worst is over now."

From inside the house, Noelani's wail carries like an ambulance siren. Gaby rushes back inside to check on her.

It goes without saying that she isn't a fan of the loud noises of unknown origin assaulting her tiny eardrums at such an early hour. Luckily, it takes only a few kisses from her mother to set everything right in her world once more.

Afterward, Gaby breaks open the now-cooled orbs of igneous rock outside and finds a treasure trove of rare gems and minerals buried inside. These will be an invaluable contribution to the conservation center's research on the island's natural resources.

She spends most of the rest of the day comparing her findings to photos online and sharing the results with her coworkers via email.

Meanwhile, Alvin returns from his odd job as a sand sculpture judge (a role that turned out to be moot once all the sand sculptures collapsed due to volcanic activity), and Meli finally gets to play fetch. It's a happy ending to the day for everyone.

One Saturday evening, Alvin escapes house husband duty long enough to enjoy a community gathering. Lately, he's been so busy that he's found himself accidentally neglecting his newfound island acquaintances. It feels good to once again be surrounded by friendly faces, delicious food, and live entertainment.

He bumps into Alika in the crowd, who pats him heartily on the back. "Hey, man! Long time no see, eh?"

"Yeah, it turns being a parent really is a full-time job after all."

"Tell me about it," Alika commiserates. "Mele and I thought we were way past that point in our lives, but our youngest daughter showed up a couple weeks back with a baby in tow. Just between the two of us, she's always been a bit of a problem, that one - reckless, antsy, irresponsible. She wanted to go off on some yoga retreat, so we agreed to take care of the girl for her while she's gone. God knows when she'll be back."

Alvin raises an eyebrow. "Wow, it sounds like I've missed a lot. How's it going so far?"

"Oh, Mele absolutely adores her, but she's a clingy little thing. I can barely leave the house anymore without causing a riot. I'm sure there'll be plenty of play dates in the future once your little one is a bit older."

"Now," Alika says, changing the subject as he takes a generous sip of kava, "what do you say you whip out that fire-dancing number of yours for old times' sake? Have you still got it in you?"

Naturally, Alvin has no choice but to oblige his request, much to Alika's delight.

These days, Alvin is feeling more connected to Sulani than ever before. He has roots here now and, for the first time in his life, a clear purpose. Growing up, he always felt so out of place no matter where he went. He had eventually resigned himself to the belief that he was destined to never belong. That's all changed now. He finds a local tattoo artist to ink his chest and shoulder with traditional symbols, drawn by his sister to represent their shared family legacy. Sulani will be with him forever, on the inside and outside both.