“Good morning,” I answered my phone as I fed Simon, “I was wondering if you'd call when you got the email.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Felix shouted as I carried my coffee on the back deck to watch the birds and crabs skitter in the sand, “You're leaving me?”

“You left me to be fair and promised that if I wanted to annul our marriage, you'd accept it. I spent hours talking with Aata yesterday afternoon, along with my parents and Bailey. You own nothing. This isn't your house, it's Aata's. He owns the fish hatchery. I saw all of the paperwork. Bailey has been following that spare social media profile you have that I was unaware of. Your girlfriend is cute. I'm happy for you. Our marriage will be reversed in three months, regardless of your feelings about it. It's been accepted on the grounds of your lies. I submitted evidence this morning when I contacted the province. We are done, Felix. I'm done. I loved you. How dare you use me like this? To get you out of your bullshit. I would have understood everything if you hadn't lied.”

“Well, I hope you're happy in Christchurch. No one will want you, you fucking weirdo. Why do you think I never fucked you? I look more manly than you ever will!”

“Oh, I live on Pitt Island now. In my home. Aata is selling it to me. My parents are going to help me fund the purchase, and your wonderful cousin Kawe is going to fix it up with me. Actually,” I looked over my shoulder at the clock in the kitchen to find that it was eleven in the morning, “I'm supposed to meet him in two hours. I'm meeting his family to be welcomed into the community.”

“They're my family, how dare you steal them!” Felix screeched, making me laugh.

“I've been informed you're not welcome around them anymore. If you show up, they're willing to press charges. I'm not sure what you did to them, but I'm guessing it links back to your many lies. I feel numb right now. But it makes sense. I knew you were cheating. I'm not stupid. But I was unaware how deep the lies went. I'll be blocking you now. I sent an email with the number for my lawyer. If you have anything to tell me regarding the annulment, go through her. Goodbye for real, Felix.”

Ending the call, I decided to take a hearing break as I cleaned the house, all of the doors and windows open, as the breeze was wonderful. It was freeing to finally be alone for the first time in years, and while it wasn't the safest thing for me due to my legs, I knew I could rely on Aata as he said I was welcome to reach out if something were to happen.

I'd been cleaning for an hour when I felt my left knee lock and grabbed the counter, doing my best to stay on my feet. However, I could feel my knees starting to buckle and began to fall, gasping when I didn't hit the floor. Looking up, I realized Kawe was in my house, concern on his face as he held me.

“I can't hear you, I'm taking a break. Talk slowly, I can read your lips,” I smiled, trying to steady myself.

“Did you push yourself?”

“Yes. I did. Can you help me to the couch and then grab the case for my receivers? It's on the counter.”

Kawe nodded, gently picking me up and making me gasp, my arms tight around his neck. He carefully set me on the couch and ran to grab my case, bringing it over and watching as I slid them on, attaching the processor to the implant under my skin.

“Are you okay? Do you need me to get anything?” Kawe squatted down, laying a hand on my knee, and I gently rubbed the strap of his mustard yellow tank top with my thumb, the rest of the material on my palm.

“I'm fine. I forgot to take my medication, and I was officially saying goodbye to Felix. My pill case is by the fridge, along with a metal water bottle in the door. If it's not an inconvenience, can you get them?”

“Anything you need,” he smiled and got what I asked, bouncing back to me, “I took care of my tupuna wahine for many years when she was fighting breast cancer. She's my mom's mom, but she's in a facility on the mainland. I'm used to fetching medicine and water.”

“I'm not an elder or an invalid,” I snorted, accepting everything from him, “I just have weak legs that I forget to take care of. It's uh… actually not safe for me to live alone, but I refuse to rely on anyone.”

“It's not?” He whispered, joining me on the couch after I nodded to let him, “Oh. I see,” Kawe touched my two medical bracelets, “You're a fall risk.”

“Yes. I always will be.”

“I can see your house from my bedroom window. Please,” Kawe ran to my counter and grabbed a small notebook, writing something down, “Put this in your phone. It's my phone number. I wake up to the sound of it in case something is happening on the island. I'm a firefighter outside of fixing things up. One of four on our team, the station is small. We're never really necessary. You make 36th in the village.”

“I love that it's small,” I smiled, laying my head on the back of the couch and admiring Kawe, his hair loose and coming to his ribs in tight onyx curls, “Christchurch has too many people, I found it overwhelming. Being myself was terrifying there and even harder now. Do you… What do you…”

“Huh? Oh! No, you can be you. Uncle Aata already told people in a very respectful way. I um… brought you a welcome gift. If you'd like to accept it.”

“Really?” I sat up quickly, making Kawe laugh before he ran to my front porch and came back with a bag, “Is it fancy?”

“Hm. It's beautiful. I picked it myself with help from my lovely little sister Noemh. She makes clothes. I described you as best I could, and this is what she gave me. You're 170 cm roughly. I'd guess 63.5 kilos. You're rather thin. This is what she had,” he reached into the bag, and I gasped.

“Kawe… this is lovely,” I whispered, caressing the black leather jacket he was holding, the material soft but thick and covered in various white triangles along the sleeves and shoulders. At the bottom of the jacket were swirls resembling waves and three black lines that made up the hem line, “She made this?”

“Yep. Noemh has been dyeing and sewing clothes since she was four. I told her you're an artist, and she immediately picked this one, hoping you'd appreciate that it was intricate. The white isn't dyed, though.”

“I noticed. It's beading. It has to be expensive.”

“Oh, a little. I'm not worried about it, it's a gift. I was hoping you'd wear it tonight, actually,” Kawe cleared his throat, his cheeks a bit warm, and I giggled softly before nodding, “Really? I'm glad. I need to go home and change; my parents will kill me for showing up like this.”

“I think you look rather nice. My Matua is the same if we have anything special going on, though. My dad would live in tank tops and shorts if he were allowed.”

“Oh! You have two dads?”

“I do,” nodding, I laid the jacket in my lap and patted the spot next to me, “Koa is from Christchurch. Rio is from Australia. My grandparents on Koa's side are a kiwi like us and an American,” I smiled, Kawe’s eyes wide, “On Rio's side, they're both Aussies. I also have an older brother named Bailey. We look similar, but he's rugged the way you are. I'm very androgynous. I've never seemed to have much of a set gender appearance, even as a child. I was born Rhea, actually, but my parents allowed me to change my name. Rhea was too feminine, made me uncomfortable.”

“I like Asher better,” Kawe shrugged, “I'm glad I told you my name rather than you seeing it written down. No one pronounces it right if I don't know them. They say Kah-way.”

“It's not. Kah-way is nice. My great-great grandparents were Wiremu and Aroha on Koa's side.”

“I love those names. Aroha is so pretty. Koa is Maori.”

“His twin sister is Kaia. Anyway, that's most of my family. It's large and complicated.”

“I have my parents, Arona and Kamaka. Then my siblings, Nikau and Noemh. That's all. They're excited to welcome you. Plus, Aata and Mika are mad you haven't been introduced outside of phone calls. I get that honor.”

“You're embarrassing me. Your honesty. It's a lot after everything I've gone through with Felix.”

“I've never been one to lie. My parents taught that the truth is key, even when it hurts. I won't lie to you, Asher. I'd like to be your friend. Would you be against that? Getting to know each other while I fix this place up for you. It will give me peace of mind as well. To know that if something happens, I can rush over to help.”

“You know what?” I clenched my hands in front of my chest, “I'd love nothing more. Can I borrow you for a bit tomorrow? I'd like to see the island, know where things are.”

“Absolutely. Our shops are small, but you can get anything, really. If you can't, the mail plane comes daily, unless the weather is awful, then there's a ship. You can order things. I do quite a bit. There are snacks I can't get here that I order from the mainland. I suppose that would be what pushed me from the island. It would be to experience things I haven't seen.”

“You'd probably love Christchurch. It's welcoming. Big but nice.”

“Show me?” He teased, his honey eyes filled with mischief.

“If we're still friends in a few months, I'll bring you to the mainland for a few days. Now go home, get ready. We have a community dinner tonight.”

“That we do. Close the doors and windows soon. The bugs will get in.”

“Right. I will. See you soon?”

“Very soon,” Kawe winked, squeezing my knee gently before he walked out, looking over his shoulder a few times.

Does he like me?

You just got divorced and used by his cousin, you idiot.

Doesn't matter if he's gorgeous.

You can't let yourself fall for him.

Kawe is Felix's family.

That would be weird.

Right?