“You were ten. And about half the size you are now.”
“It’s just for a little while, Mah,” I assured her with a smile, framing her arms in my hands. “I’m meeting with an interior designer later this week, and she’s one of the best in the city. Next time you visit, it’ll be a whole new place.”
“I could be your interior designer.”
I chuckled. “I know you could be. But hey, this is a new city with a new style. It’s different from anything we’ve ever seen. Don’t you think it’ll be fun to let one of the Chicago professionals who knows the city best bring that new style to life?”
“I think no matter how professional they are, there is nothing Chicago has that is better than Hawai’i.”
Oliana laughed, wrapping her arms around our mother to replace mine. “Alright, I think it’s time we leave Makoa and let him settle in. We should get some sleep, anyway.”
“But our flight is not until ten in the morning!”
“Makuahine,” Oliana said, giving her a look. “Kiss your one and only precious son goodbye and let him breathe for once in your life.”
Mom pouted, but I had her smiling at the end of a bear hug. And with a whispered Mahalo in my little sister’s ear when I hugged her, we said a hui hou — until we meet again — and then I was blessedly alone.
The sun was slowly setting over the city and the lake, casting everything in a warm, orange glow that leaked into my empty condo like rays from heaven itself. Slowly, lights twinkled to life, and I smiled, feeling the newness that only a big move like this one could ever bring.
Moving to California had felt big, but not in the same way. After all, I was still close enough to catch a short flight home to feel the culture and warmth of Hawai’i, and my family was never too far away. But now, I was in Chicago — the Midwest, a city as unfamiliar as the team I was about to play with.
And I had something to prove.
I wasn’t a rookie anymore, but I was new to the team, and that meant I’d have to fight for my spot. While the veterans could rest easy knowing they had a position regardless of what happened in the pre-season, I would have to work my ass off at training camp just to earn the chance to play and show coach what I could do if he kept me on the team.
And I wanted more than just a position.
I wanted a starting position.
Or, at the very least, enough playing time to surprise anyone who picked me up for their fantasy football team.
I blew out a breath as the last of the sun dipped away, the city somehow coming more alive in the twilight. There was no ocean, but instead, a grand lake that seemed to hold completely different possibilities. The palm trees had been traded in for European buckthorns, the albatross for starlings, the city on the bay for the city by the lake.
There at the window in my empty condo, despite the mounting pressure I felt and the uncertainty of a new home, I smiled.
Because everything was different.
And I was ready for a change.
Belle
I smiled at the family photo in my hand, one from a couple with their newborn child in their lap. The little threesome was situated right in the middle of the grand family room I’d designed and decorated for them in the spring when Mrs. Albers was pregnant. That family room was only a small piece of the re-design, as I’d done everything from the nursery to the master bath. But that room had been the one that stole my heart.
There was always one.
It was a bright room, with all white walls and white trim, save for the cherry wood beams that sprawled across the ceiling. We’d chosen a gorgeous French empire chandelier for the centerpiece of the room, and it hung over the luxurious cream push pin couch that the family sat together on, the new parents smiling down at their baby. The Albers already had an impressive art collection, it was just moving those pieces into the right place that made everything come together, like the Kara Walker silhouette pieces hung in symphony over the couch.
What I loved most about that room was the fireplace.
Ever since I first studied interior design, I’d been fascinated by the concept of Hygge. It’s a Danish word that essentially means cozy, warm, safe and comfortable — at least, that was always my interpretation of it. You could make a room Hygge by using low, warm lighting — like candles and fireplaces and chandeliers, as opposed to bright fluorescent or white lights. Add in some cozy blankets, plush furniture, hot tea, and some board games, and you’ve got the Hygge effect.
Looking at the picture of the Albers made my heart squeeze and float on butterflies like no man had ever accomplished in my life. I didn’t fall in love with men. I fell in love with homes, with rooms, with spaces that would play host to memories for years to come. The Albers would put up a Christmas tree in that room. Their baby might take her first steps there. Mr. Albers might doze off on the couch one cold Sunday afternoon, with his sock-covered feet being warmed by the fireplace.
With the right eye, the right furniture, the right art and curtains and rugs and plants and tables and vases and candles, I could take a room from just a room to an entire experience.
That was the magic of interior design.
I was still smiling at the photograph when my office phone rang, Gemma’s extension lighting up the little green bulb next to her name.
“I’ve got your eleven when you’re ready,” she said when I answered.
“You can send them in. Still on for lunch at Suko’s?”
“Yes,” she answered desperately. “I’m famished.”
“I’ll make this quick,” I promised.
Tucking the Albers’s photograph away, I stood, smoothing down my pencil skirt and checking my lipstick in the large mirror across from my desk. It played off the windows across from it, making my little corner suite feel even bigger than it was, and filling the room with soft, natural light.
I stood in front of my desk, hands folded in front of me and a smile plastered on and waiting. My eleven was a new client, and I didn’t know much about them other than they were new to the city and had bought one of the penthouse condos in the newest skyrise in Grant Park. My mouth was already foaming thinking about the views of Lake Michigan and the pier and the downtown skyline.
I hoped they’d give me full reign to do whatever I wanted.
I heard Gemma’s soft laughter on the other side of my office door before she pushed it open, holding it for our new client.
And when he stepped through the arch, he sucked up all the air in the room with one giant, dazzling smile punctuated by two deep dimples.
Aside from that smile, the man was an absolute beast.
He was the kind of tall that towered, his broad shoulders held high and straight, his chest barrel-shaped and straining against the fabric of his suit. That suit was the only thing light about him, covering him in a soft, harbor gray. Everything else was dark — his pitch-black hair cut into a short fade, his warm brown skin almost golden in the natural light filling the office. At first glance, while he smiled down at Gemma, even his eyes appeared dark.
But when they lifted, when they met my own, I saw the sparkling golden honey they truly were.
“Well, Ms. Monroe will take over now,” Gemma said. “You’re in good hands, Mr. Kumaka.”
“Thank you, Gemma. It was a pleasure meeting you.”