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She sighed, as though in great relief, and fingered the identical flower over her own ear “Much better Go on”

I stopped at the door, a sudden thought stopping me “Is Akira…?”

She just gave me wide eyes “Last I heard, he was off at so”

I sighed in relief I just wasn’t prepared to see him yet I nodded and opened the door

Tutu gavelike a crazy woer than her years She had to be in her sixties by now, I knew

I hugged her back tightly She was a tiny woly in her than her Hawaiian half, both in her body and face She had pale skin, and pitch-black hair I fingered it, and we touched the flowers in each other’s hair arm smiles

“You’re home,” she breathed

I took a deep breath, because for soht out of my moment of weakness by a series of framed photos on the wall of the café It was set up as a sort of collage of hed at the thoroughness of it My short, uni career was pretty well represented on that large expanse of wall Tutu followed rew up here”

I shookI’d often said I’d never do as a young teen My hties, and I’d known that, although I took after her looks strongly, I could never match her career And I hadn’t The worst part of it was, as short ascareer had been, I’d still suspected that every job I ever got was because of who‘talent’

But the pictures on the wall did look nice enough, I supposed Soh fashion, but even otten very voluptuous around the tiotten aardly tall It , I had quickly found A lot of designers absolutely despised boobs

I had only hteen, before settling down to get a business degree, and then to work for the fa a ide hotel chain But I still got sighted by strangers fro I supposed I should have been flattered and not so e I had apparently left some kind of impression

“Akira has beco the slightest bit dirty about those bikini pictures He threw a fit, at first, when I put them up, but I stood fir career will not be forgotten by me, I told him!”

I had to laugh at her description of ue with her about defending h She was a formidable, if tiny, woo of me, and I didn’t mind

I stiffened as a fah the doors that adjoined the bar to the café Tutu patted my back, but finally relinquished her i to the woman who had just entered “What do you need?” she asked the other woht rude, for Tutu

Milena didn’t answer her Her shocked gaze was glued to mine She was a tall woman, a few inches shorter than e, gravity defying breasts that were shown off to perfection in an island half shirt, ‘Kalua’s Bar’ stretched tight over that aolden and perfect everywhere She had a h I didn’t know the exact ins Her face was pretty, her pouty mouth positively sinful I had alanted to be her She had everything I wanted I hated her, as I always had

I nodded at her politely “Milena Long tie to say to her

She just huffed, not even trying to return the civility I really didn’t care I hated her soif she didn’t hate et whatever she had co with a whispered, “haole,” under her breath

The word didn’t offend h, and long ago become immune to the insult

“She’s still sweet as ever,” I told Tutu with a forced smile

She cackled “I still hate her Thank god Akira never married the bitch”

My heart stopped, just stopped, in my chest I hadn’t known that No one had told me Mari and Tutu were always so careful not toAkira related anyotten engaged I’d asked them not to mention him anymore, after that Oh, yeah, and I’d cried for an entire week about it, not even getting out of bed And when I had gotten out of bed, and becoain, I’d still cried ht for at least a et over it Akira only ever saw you as a little sister, I had told ain, until I’d ruined everything, and been cast out of paradise To this day, it was still so painful that, even though I loved Akira with every fiber of , I still couldn’t have even a friendship with him I was too weak, and it just hurt so much

Tutu se of my photos “Milena hates those pictures, if it makes you feel better She threw a conniption for weeks after I put the time I wish to God that had lasted!”