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did andsurprisingly, so did Ferric. I think he’s genuine joy in theventure was the love that went into the task of having his firsthandmade sweater. I had no idea how he’d actually feel walkingaround in it when he started school at Punahou.

We changed planes in Miami. As wewaited at the departure gate for our short flight to the island,Ferric and my mom went upstairs to raid the Boca Bons store fortruffles and cookies.

“Here,” he said, when hecame back, pressing a truffle to my mouth.

I bit into it and almost came in mypants. “What is it?” I asked.

“A truffle brownie. Amazingisn’t it?”

Francois finished the rest of thebrownie. “Do we have more for St. Martin?” he asked.

Ferric shrugged. “I think we just atethem all.”

We all trooped upstairs via theescalator and my heart fell to my shoes. There, unmistakably comingdown toward us was Kaolin.

He saw me, glanced away and did adouble take.

“Who was that?” Ferricasked.

I pretended I didn’t know, but my mom,who was standing behind me, piped up with, “That wasKaolin.”

“Who’s Kaolin?” Ferricstared at me.

“His good for nothing ex,”Mom chirped.

Ferric stared at me.

“You loved someone beforeDad?”

I caught Francois’ smirk andleaned a little closer to him. He took my hand as we stepped offthe escalator. I took Ferric’s hand and he took Mom’s. We were yourtypical, co-dependent Hawaiianfamily. Aloha!

“Did you love him a lot?”Ferric seemed upset.

“Who?”

“That Kaolinguy.”

“Of course not. It was overa long time ago.”

“Then what’s he doing here?”Ferric wanted to know.

Goodquestion. “I have no idea, sweetheart. Ihaven’t talked to him in a long time.”

“But you love Dadmore.”

“Hopelessly.” I caughtFrancois’ grin. He bought a giant box of truffle brownies and wetrooped back downstairs again. I was dismayed to find Kaolinsitting in our row of chairs at the departure gate. As soon as hesaw us though, he raised his magazine to his face. It was a copyof Mad. I was gladto see he’d kept up his intellectual pursuits.

“Why did you break up?”Ferric asked.

“It wasn’t a goodrelationship. Then I met your dad and that was it for me. I fellmadly in love with him.”

Ferric turned to stare at Kaolin whoresolutely held the magazine to his face.

“Because, you know, Dad,I’ve seen that guy back home.”

“You have?”

Francois sat up straighter in hisseat.

“Where?”

“I don’t know.” Ferricshrugged. “I saw him one time when we were at Haleiwa Joe’s having dinner…andanother time we were in Waikikiand I looked up and he was watchingus.”

Holy shit…Francois is gonnahave a meltdown.

“How many times have youseen him?” Francois asked.

“A few. Maybe it was acoincidence.”

“I’m sure it was,” I said,but even my mom’s eyebrows had shot sky high.

“Excuse me a moment.”Francois got up and left us. Silence descended between us. I felt amoment of relief that he hadn’t gone over to confront Kaolin. Maybehe’d just gone for a leak.

“Is Dad jealous?” Ferricasked.

I smiled. “A little.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have saidanything.” Ferric chewed his lip.

“You did nothing wrong,” Iassured him. I was shocked to hear that Kaolin had obviously beenfollowing me. I’d never even noticed. I was so consumed with my newlife that nothing else penetrated my little bubble when I was withFerric and/or Francois.

Kaolin Grace had once consumed myworld, too. And then he cheated on me. Twice. The first time, Ifled the island, went to New York and honed my accounting skills.I’d thrown myself into a new and potentially exciting career offorensic accounting. It proved to be my salvation. I worked acouple of hundred criminal cases and then, I missed home. Two yearsafter I left in tatters, I went back, whole and ready to jump intolife again. And then he hired me to help him fight a criminalconviction.

Yes, he’d been innocent of the crime ofmoney laundering and drug smuggling, but on the rare occasions Ithought about Kaolin, such as when gunmen held me up at trafficstops, my only thoughts were how stupid I had been to let him intomy heart a second time.

I slipped my hand into Ferric’s,squeezing it, I hoped in a reassuring way.

Francois returned and looked smug aboutsomething. As he sat beside me and draped his arm across myshoulders, it didn’t take long for me to see why he was feeling soself-congratulatory.

Two uniformed airport police officerscircled the waiting passengers and zeroed in on Kaolin. I heard hisprotests. His magazine fell to the floor. They frog-marched himaway. As he passed us, Francois’ mouth descended onmine.

I had a feeling a strip search was inKaolin’s immediate future.

He didn’t make it onto our flight. Iwaited until we were airborne to ask Francois as casually as Icould, “So, do you have friends in high places in every UScity?”

Francois grinned. “Of course I do.All’s fair in love and sex, baby. Besides, he might actually enjoya cavity search.”

I laughed then. “I don’t think so. He’sthe most closeted gay man I know.”

“Babe, they’re the ones whoenjoy an anal probe even more than those fabulous alien abductees.”He took my hand in his. “Was he good in bed?”

“Not as good as you,Francois.”

He shrugged off the compliment, but Iknew he was pleased. I’d never seen him like this.

“What’s wrong?” Iasked.

“Nothing.” A few secondslater, he said, “I just realized how fragile it all is. I want todo my best to give you the most amazing life possible.”

“You do,” I assured him.“Ask my mom. She’ll tell you. I’ve never been so happy,Francois.”

I heard a gasp from the other side ofthe plane and we all craned to get our first glimpse of St. Martin.We were about to start our adventures in paradise.

My first glimpse of the Villa Pranaleft me speechless. We’d had a smooth run in our rental car fromthe airport to a place called Dawn Beach. I couldn’t believe thatas we entered the gated community of Dawn Beach Estate, we pulledinto the driveway of the biggest, most luxurious house on theblock.

“Way cool!” Ferric said,running from room to room.

I’d never seen anything like thishouse. Each room had wide, open views of the ocean and opened up tosmall tide pools, baby wading pools or the large pool overlookingthe sea. It was the most exquisite thing I’d ever seen.

Mom and Ferric picked their rooms and Icould see them jumping