On the Morning Tide

Leland's POV

"Duane." she says proudly. "Or as my mother always called him. Duane Lee."

I almost choked on the water I was drinking when she said my brothers name. How in the hell had that happened and why? I was more confused now than I had ever been. But one thing was for certain, it was Kai, my Kai. My sweet little Kai that loved her uncle Leland. I closed my eyes listening to her talk about her sisters and her life growing up in Colorado. Her voice sounding so much like Mya's. I opened my eyes just as she turned toward me. "I think I'm gonna see what Cobie's up to. Thanks for listening, its nice to be able to talk to someone outside of it all." she says walking out the door.

If she only knew, I thought to myself as I watched her walk down the beach and to the edge of the water to wave to Cobie. If she only knew how many times she walked out that same door and played on that very beach. If she only knew how many times we had talked. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I allowed a few to fall instead of angrily wiping them away like I always did.

Here she stood at nineteen and I didn't know her at all, I had missed so much of her life. I picked up my phone and dialed my brother's phone number, luckily he's had the same one all these years. "We need to talk." I say as he answers. "Okay..." he says hesitantly.

"This is something I cant do over the phone. I'm flying to Colorado on Friday." I say before hanging up.

Cobie's POV

I walked out of the water with my board in hand to see Kai standing at the edge, the water lapping over her feet. "You were great." she says walking up the beach with me and my friends. "Thanks. Been surfing for years with these guys." I say motioning to my two best friends. We talked and hung out with my friends for a couple of hours before they left, heading their separate ways.

"So what did you and my dad talk about?" I ask, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Not a lot really. I was just telling him about my mom and step-dad...and about my family. I think he just wants to get to know me." she says laying back on the beach towel. I lean over her, running a hand through her hair and smile. "I'm glad you like him. It means a lot to me." I tell her.

I lay down next to her and sigh. "This is nice." I say as she rolls onto her stomach. "I agree." she says. A moment later I see her squint as she looks up toward the house, then looks next door to the neighbors house. "What is it?" I ask her. She shakes her head and shrugs. "Do you ever get Deja Vu?" she asks looking up at me.

"Not really...maybe once before. Why? Are you having it right now?" I ask a little worried. "I don't know...I feel like I've been here before." she says shrugging her shoulders before leaning in to kiss me.

Leland's POV

Friday morning arrived and I flew out of Hawaii and into Colorado, Duane Lee picked me up at the airport. "You don't look like you've changed much." he says when I get into the car. "You either." I say with an uncomfortable laugh.

"So what is you needed to talk to me about? It must be something big if you've flown this far after fourteen years." he says driving down the road. I sigh, looking out the window. I couldn't believe all this time he'd been married to Mya and I had no idea what was going on. I think it hurt more because my own brother hadn't even told me.

"I cant talk about this right here...not riding down the road." I say, still looking out the window. "Okay..." he says a little confused. I wanted to ask him if he really had no clue what was going on. Surely, he wasn't that stupid. Or maybe he thought I was.

"I'm sorry that our relationship as brothers and as friends has come to this." he says turning the car into an empty parking lot, just outside of a large park. "You're not the only one." I mumble getting out of the car. I ran an unsteady hand across my forehead. I didn't know what to say to him at this point. We walk over to a concrete picnic table and sit down, staring at each other. It was hard to look into his eyes fourteen years later. He still looked the same, just a little older.

"I'm not gonna sugar coat this." I say with a wave of my hand. "I know you're married to Mya, I know you raised Kai and then had three other daughters. But what I don't know is, how the f**k that came to be?"

"How did-... I didn't- ..." he stutters, looking at me in shock. "I'm sorry." he says a moment later, lowering his head into his hands. I crossed my arms, waiting for his answer. "I didn't mean for it to happen the way it did. Things...things weren't working with Teresa when I came back here. I knew within the first two weeks that we wouldn't make it. I think I ended up calling Mya and she told me she was visiting her mother for a few weeks." He pauses, looking off into the distance. "Its been so long ago, its hard to remember."

"Think long and hard, I want answers." I say with the raise of an eyebrow. He sighs. "She told me she had just found out she was pregnant and the baby was mine. So I asked her to move here with me. I thought I was doing the right thing Leland, I really did. I knew if the child was mine, I had to take responsibility for it. That's what dad always taught us, you know?"

That's why she wouldn't have anything to do with me when she came back from her mom's. "But I was there when she took a pregnancy test and it was negative." I say becoming increasingly angry by the minute. "She said she took another one at her mom's and it was positive. I mean obviously it was, Aiyana was born." he says.

"I just...I cant believe it really." I say shaking my head in disbelief. "I wanted to tell you. I really did, but she refused to let me say anything. She told me she would take Aiyana from me and I would never see her again. So, eventually I just let it go because I didn't want to lose my daughter. She never told me why I couldn't tell you, she just said not to."

"Because I told her I was in love with her, thats why." I say looking into his eyes. "She came back from her mom's and I told her that I loved her, that I would do anything to be with her, and she told me no. She refused me and now I know why." I say, standing and walking a few feet away. I had to take a breather before I blew up.

"Does she even know that her father died?" I ask from a distance. He nods slowly. "Her mother called her. She was at the funeral, I didn't go because she threw such a fit about it. She said you would see me, but she could go unnoticed. Plus, the girls were so young I couldn't fly them out to Hawaii..."

"Why aren't you surprised to see me?" I ask him. "Because I knew eventually you would find out. Nothing is a secret forever." he says closing the distance between us. "I was actually relieved when you called me a few days ago. This huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, you don't know how long I've carried this burden." he says running a hand through his hair.

"Don't talk to me about carrying a burden. You don't have a clue what Ive been through!" I yell. "Every day that she was gone was a living hell. She not only left me and our friendship behind, she left her father. Do you know how unbelievably devastated he was. She might as well of ripped his heart out with her bare hands!"

I walked a few feet from him and took a moment before continuing my story. "We searched and searched...we didn't know if she was dead or alive. And yet, here she was, living the good life in Colorado with my brother. Think about what it would have been like if one of your daughters went missing and you couldn't find them." I continued to yell.

"I would die." he says sadly.

"Exactly. Sonny did. And Mya is to blame for that."

Leland's POV

"So where is she now?" I ask, walking to his car and getting in. "She's taking the twins to a dance recital tonight, they had to leave early to get ready for it." he says. I smiled to myself when he said that. I had come to the point where I didn't know what to think. I was relieved that she was alive and well, but so incredibly livid that she was married to my brother. At least she was taken care of, I knew that much.

"Do you love her?" I ask, looking at him out the corner of my eye. He looks at me strangely then says "Of course. I have four kids with her." "Three" I say correcting him. "I raised Kai, Leland. She's my daughter." he replies back. I rolled my eyes, not even feeling like arguing the point anymore. I wondered if he remembered a time when she wouldn't have anything to do with him?

"So how did you find out?" he asks turning down the street that I assumed his house was on. "No one really told me...but I figured it out when I talked to Kai." I say smiling. "What?" he asks, running the car off the side of the road and jerking it back into place. "Kai?" he asks surprised.

"How did Kai find you?" he asks, pulling up to his house. "Oh I didn't tell you?" I say sarcastically. "Yeah... she's dating Cobie now. Yep, your nephew and your daughter are dating and they go to school together." I say getting out of the car and slamming the door. "Don't look so surprised... obviously stranger things can happen." I say gesturing to his large house.

In an odd way I was proud that he'd done so well for himself, a big house, a nice car, four daughters and a wife... It didn't mean that I had forgiven him. No, I was a long way from that.

"Did you tell her I was coming?" I ask, sitting down on his couch. "Are you kidding. She would flip out." he says laughing. "Why, I mean, she has you now and four daughters. Why would she care if I was here or not. Obviously I never mattered much to her."

"Leland, you have no idea how much you mattered to her." he says sitting down next to me. "Every fight we ever had was about you. She loved you with everything she had."

Somehow I doubted that. "Kai told me she would hear you two fighting sometimes." I say staring down at my hands. The tattoo catching my eye; it always served as a constant reminder of what I'd lost.

"We tried to keep the fighting to a minimum in front of the girls, but they're so smart... Leland, I just want you to know that even though she's not with you, she always loved you. She still does. As much as it breaks my heart, I've accepted it for what it is." he says sadly.

In Hawaii:

Kai's POV

I sat up in the bed, rubbing my eyes. "Everything okay?" I hear Cobie ask sleepily, as he puts his hand on my back. "Yeah...just had a weird dream. I'm okay." I say, lying back down beside him. "Wanna talk about it?" he says pulling me against him.

"It was nothing really...I was on the beach, making sandcastles with a man that had long hair. But I was a little girl...maybe three, I guess." I tell him. "I was asking him why he couldn't be my daddy, but just as I was about to see his face I woke up."

"Sandcastles on a beach with an older man..." Cobie says with a small laugh. "Are you having a daddy complex?" he whispers in my ear. I roll my eyes, laughing, "No smart ass, I'm not having a daddy complex. I don't know... just a crazy dream." I say, snuggling into him.

He yawns and lays his head against mine. "Are you having fun? I know its not your typical spring break, being with my dad and all..." he says. I smile and say "Best spring break ever."

He yawns again. "Stop that, I cant go back to sleep now, so you have to stay up with me." I say, tickling his side, trying to wake him up. He rolls on top of me, pinning my arms above my head. "I love you." he says as he kisses me.

Leland's POV

"Sometimes I wonder how things would have been if I had just kept my mouth shut, and not told her I loved her, you know?" I say to my brother. "I wouldn't have a family." he says looking away.

I saw a few pictures of his girls in the distance, framed and sitting on the mantle. I knew then what I had to do. Taking a deep breath, I made the decision that I never thought I would make. "Don't tell Mya I was here." I say to Duane who looks a little stunned. "As much as I want to see her...I just cant ruin what you have. You're still my brother and I love you enough to walk away." I tell him.

"But you've come this far, why stop now?" he asks me. "Because it will cause more harm than good if I see her. You have no idea how hard this is; being here, right now. To be this close to her and walk away after Ive lived my life in search of her...its the hardest things Ive ever done."

"What about Kai and Cobie... don't you think they'll figure it out eventually?" he asks me. "I doubt it, they're in college which means they probably wont be dating all that long. And they were so young when Mya left, I'm sure neither of them remembers. So, I'll just leave it at that." I say shrugging my shoulders.

"Leland, I wouldn't be upset if you wanted to see Mya. I understand more than you think I do. Trust me." he says dejectedly. I could see the love for Mya in his eyes. I knew I couldn't interfere with that. "I cant. You have four daughters that depend on you and I just cant come barging into the picture fourteen years later. It wouldn't be right. I don't want to upset your kids." I say while standing up from the couch.

"I really wish we could be as close as we used to be." Duane Lee says, as he stands up beside me. "My door is always open. Come anytime you like." I say patting him on the back. "Can you just take me back to the airport? I'll see if I can get a flight back to Hawaii today."

That afternoon I left my past in Colorado. It was the hardest thing Ive ever done. At least I knew for certain where Mya was and that she was alright.

I stopped by Sonny's grave as soon as I landed at home. I had to tell him that his daughter was okay.

Three months later:

Cobie's POV

"Dad, we're home." I yell as I walk into the house, after paying the taxi driver that picked us up from the airport. It seemed like we were just here for Spring Break, I thought to myself as I pushed Kai through the door as I tried to hold it open and carry our luggage too. "I told you I would help you." She says taking the suitcase from me and sitting it down in the foyer.

"Why is my dad never home when I get here?" I ask Kai as I close the front door. "Maybe he's on a bounty. He wasn't expecting you until tomorrow, and he didn't know I was coming. So...He may not even be in town... you never know." she say looking over at me. "Always the voice of reason." I say kissing her on the cheek as I walk by, headed to my room.

Kai and I settle our things and head out to the beach. It had been two hours since we got here and there was still no sign of my dad. "Should I call him?" I say, turning toward Kai, who's laying back in the beach chair with her eyes closed. "I'm sure he's fine Cobie. He's probably just working. Its only 3:00. We'll call if he's not here by 5:00." She says, never once opening her eyes.

I glance down at my watch, It was 3:00 on the dot. "How did you know what time it was, you didn't even open your eyes." I say leaning toward her. "I'm just good like that." She says with a big smile. "You scare me sometimes...sure you aren't psychic?" I say throwing sand on her tanned legs. She giggles, eyes still closed. "No...just psycho." she says, pouring her drink on me as she jumps up out of the chair and runs toward the water. "You're in trouble now little girl." I scream as I try to catch up with her.

I swim out to her, grabbing her feet, pulling her toward me; wrapping her legs around my waist. "You're gonna make me punish you." I say as I kiss her neck. She shakes her head and moans as I bit into the tender flesh. She throws her arms around my neck as the gentle waves rock us back and forth as I stand there holding her in the middle of the ocean.

"I'm having that feeling again Cobie." she says minutes later, looking over my shoulder to the houses that lined the beach. "Which feeling is that... because I'm having some feelings too if you know what I'm saying..." I tell her, as I run my hands over her ass. "That deja vu feeling again... I swear I've been here before." she says leaning her forehead against mine. "Who used to live in that house next to your dads?" she asks turning her head and pointing toward it, as my hands come to a stop on her hips.

I turn so that I can get a better view of the house and shift her around so that she's on my back. "Um...its been abandoned for a really long time, probably like fourteen, fifteen years. Its a really nice house...I cant remember who used to live there. Some woman I think. We'll ask my dad, I think he was good friends with her."

"Hmm..." she says, propping her chin on my shoulder. I close my eyes, feeling her warm breath flutter across my chest as she looks past me and up to the house. These were the moments I loved being with her. I didn't want this to ever end. I smiled to myself as I thought about my future with her and introducing her to the rest of my family. My dad seemed to like her the last time she was here, my brother hadn't met her but I knew he would love her too.

"Ive always wanted to live there, next to my dad." I say looking over my shoulder at her; long black hair clung to the side of her face and neck as she smiles down at me. "Maybe one day you can." She says hugging me briefly from behind. She lets go of me and stands beside me in the water, neither of us saying anything for a while, just floating up and down with the waves. She laces her fingers with mine and smiles up at me. "Thank you for bringing me home...again." she says quietly. "I really love it here."

I pull her legs around my waist once more and kiss her softly. "Marry me." I say suddenly, holding her to my chest. She looks up, surprised. "Marry me and we'll stay here forever."

What seems like an eternity passes before either of us move. I couldn't believe I had just asked her to marry me. I didn't have a ring, I didn't have a job, I lived in a dorm with two other guys. There were a lot of things I didn't have to give her, but the one thing I did have was love.

"Yes." she says and blinks a few times before giving me a huge smile. "Really? You will?" I ask, not believing what she said.

"Yes, yes, yes." she says throwing her arms around my neck and kissing me over and over. "Come on." I say letting her stand up. "We need to go find my dad." I say pulling her out of the water with me. I was so excited it was all I could do to stop from dragging her through the sand as I ran toward the house.

We were laughing and out of breath when we made it to the steps that led up to the house. I opened the sliding glass door and let Kai walk in front of me. She gasps, "Daddy?"

I look up quickly after closing the door. "Uncle Duane?" I ask, suddenly confused as she looks over at me.

Cobie's POV

"Shit." I hear my dad say as he walks into the room to see us all standing there. "Cobie, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow." he says crossing his arms. "We thought we would surprise you...obviously we succeeded. Care to tell me what in the hell is going on?" I ask him, crossing my arms.

"Id like to know that as well." Kai says, still looking shocked. "Daddy...why are you here... at Leland's house?" she asks. "He's my uncle..and apparently your father?" I say looking between the two of them. "Wait - What?" She says looking up at me. "I don't understand."

"There's obviously a lot of things that neither of us understand." I tell her. My dad runs a hand through his hair, my uncle still looks as surprised as we do, and Kai doesn't know what to think.

She walks toward her dad and sits close to him, looking down at her hands. "I need to know what the f**k is going on and I need to know right f**king now." I say, looking to my dad for an answer.

"Calm down son. There's no need to lose your temper." he says sitting down opposite my uncle and Kai. "No need to lose my temper? Are you kidding me dad? I just find out that my fiance's father is my uncle and you're telling me not to lost my temper."

"Your fiance'?" both my uncle and father say at the same time. "Cobie just asked me to marry him." Kai says looking up at me, giving me a brief smile before looking at her father and back down at her hands.

"Well, it looks like things just got a whole lot more complicated." My uncle says to my dad. "First things first." I say, sitting down next to my father.

"Well, its kinda crazy..." My uncle says with a nervous laugh. "Couldn't be any more f**ked up than this." Kai says looking at him from the corner of her eye. "Language." my uncle says to her in that fatherly tone. She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

My dad clears his throat. "Mya, who is Kai's mother- " he says gesturing to my fiance who then gives me a short nod. "Used to live next door to me." Kai looks up at me, in surprise. Maybe she wasn't crazy, maybe she wasn't even having Deja vu. Maybe she really had been here before. I give her a weak smile and turn my head toward my dad as he continued to talk.

"Mya was pregnant with you when she moved back here. I was there when you born. I was the first person to ever hold you. I was there when you learned to walk and talk. You were my girl." My dad says to Kai. Duane Lee puts his arm around Kai, pulling her closer to him.

"Things were great, Mya was my best friend, I loved you like my own child." he says smiling at her. "Wait- Where was I when this was going on?" I ask my dad. "You were living with your mother. But the two of you played together plenty of times when you and Dakota came to visit. You were a few years older, but both of you were too young to really remember, I guess."

"So anyway, Duane Lee moves in with me, starts dating Mya. They date for a few months before he moved back to Colorado. Turns out Mya was pregnant with Duane's child, you're sister." He says to Kai, whose eyes look like they're going to fall out of her head at any moment.

"Wow." was the only thing I could say at the moment. "Why didn't mom just stay here, why didn't you come back to Hawaii?" Kai asks Duane Lee. "Because I told her I was in love with her and she ran away." my dad says sadly.

"What?" Kai says loudly. "This is just....unbelievable...I cant do this Cobie." she says looking over at me. She stands up and runs out the door.

"Just like her mother." my father says sarcastically.