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AS SOON AS THE doorbell rang, Noelani hurriedly got up from where she was sitting at her kitchen table and threw the door open.
Sitting in her car seat was her daughter, and Noelani wasted no time in unlatching the belt from her child's torso, picking her up, and starting to lay kisses over her face and causing Alani to start laughing.
"Hi to you, too." Jalen's voice was above where Noelani had squatted down and she paused before looking up at her former lover with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry," Noelani chuckled before rising to her feet, the child still in her arms, "I'm still not used to this part time custody thing."
"Custody's for lawyers. We don't need lawyers. Can I come in?" Jalen scrunched his eyebrows slightly, the way he always did when something troubled him.
"Um," She tried not to noticeably gulp, "Sure. We probably should talk." Noelani stepped back a little from the doorway and Jalen gripped the car seat and entered her home.
It was a bit unnerving to see Jalen act so casual considering their last conversation in person but Noelani was more than determined to co-parent better than her own parents had.
Jalen sat himself down at her small kitchen table then took a look around at the decor, and then a double take at the still damp surfboard leaning against the wall adjacent to the fridge, "Nice inside, too. You're surfing again."
Noelani carefully put Alani in the rainbow colored infant playpen stationed in her living room, "Yeah. I wasn't sure I could for awhile but... I know I've been dodging you. I haven't meant to, you deserve an answer to what we talked about after that night but-."
"I'm not here to talk about us." Jalen said slowly.
"Oh." The lump in her throat was beginning to grow harder and harder to swallow, "Why are you here then?"
"I'm here about Leilani." Noelani had to force herself not to roll her eyes at the name, choosing instead to flip her newly redyed red curls away from her shoulders, "Don't."
"I have to," Jalen pressed.
Noelani took a deep breath, "I went surfing this morning."
Jalen paused once more, "What?"
"I went surfing this morning, did it for awhile too, my fingers are still kinda pruny, then I got home to my lovely, empty, quiet, smoke free home and started turning that guest room into a room for Alani and after that I get to have my daughter in my arms for a couple of weeks. I'm having a good-. No, a great day and I don't need whatever mess Lei has dragged herself into to ruin it."
"She's in serious trouble, Lani." Jalen replied, turning in his seat.
"She's always in serious trouble," Noelani moved to the fridge, "Do you want juice or tea or something?"
"Lani." Jalen said, her back to him.
"No." Noelani immediately responded.
"Lani. Look at me," Jalen coaxed in that soft tone he only used with her. Even though it was just four words, including his nickname for her, Noelani's heart was beginning to race from his proximity.
She hung her head for a moment then closed the refridgerator and turned around to face Jalen. His face was solemn as he repeated, "She's in serious trouble. Like someone wants to hurt her trouble."
Noelani inhaled greatly and then bit down on her full bottom lip, "What happened?"
"I don't even still have the full details but Leilani owes about twenty grand to this guy. Jamie and her won't tell me his name but-."
Noelani started to laugh incredulously, "Wait," She laughed even harder as Jalen paused.
"Whew! I can't believe she got Jamie to go on with her lies," Noelani giggled, spuring laughter from Alani, "Even our daughter," She snickered some more, "Thinks it's funny."
Jalen sighed, turning his face away for a moment as his hand dug into the pocket and retrieved his cell phone, "No, Lani. None of this is funny," He opened the phone to a slightly blurry picture of Leilani.
Noelani's heart paused for a beat at the sight of her once favorite cousin looking so purple and swollen from her injuries but she shook her head and simply handed the phone back, "I can't. I'm done."
"Done?" Jalen questioned, lightly turning his head to the side.
"Done, Jalen. I won't... I can't always jump to her defense and right now I don't want to. And I don't understand how she convinced you to help her."
"She didn't. Watching some guy jump her convinced me to help. You saw that picture and you still don't want to help?" Jalen's tone was bewildered.
"In normal situations, I would. You know I would be the first one to help her if this was normal, but it's not. It's not because instead of talking to me like a normal person she tried to steal from me while I let her not be homeless. So, no. I'm not helping her in this. She's done things like this to me since we were both in middle school. I'm done. It's someone else's turn to protect her from herself."
Jalen stared at her for a moment before rising to his feet, "I don't what she stole from you and I know that you're angry but don't forget how much I know you."
He stepped closer to put both of her hands in his hesistantly for a moment and then for a second time with confidence, "The minute you're not upset with her will be the minute that guilt will start to eat you alive. Another reason I'm helping her is because of how much I love you."
Surprise flickered onto Noelani's face at the growing intensity of his voice, "You won't admit it right now, but this guy she owes money, if something happens to her because of him you will never forgive yourself if that happens while you two are in a fight. This is one of your best friends, your family. I can't see you broken like that. I won't. Hurting you hurts me, that's still true."
Her heart had started to race a little at the admission of love then beat harder the more Jalen spoke and now the lump was completely gone, replaced by a light mist of tears that were reddening her eyes.
Jalen's thumb raised to wipe her right eye but before he made contact with her cheek, he paused then withdrew his hand, "She's at Sherman Oaks hospital. She's gonna be out from surgery at least by tomorrow morning. Just talk to her. Please."
Noelani stood frozen, her back pressed to the countertop, "Surgery?"
Jalen had begun to make his way to the door, "Yeah. This guy... He broke two of her ribs. Room 207."
Then he closed her front door behind him, softly and ironically, like he hadn't completely ruined Noelani's day.
