Wave Over Wave

Retired professional surfer, single mother of two boys, Anchor & Tide

[ahlai-stevenson]

Running into Makoa had been such a shock, Ahlai could hardly believe it had happened.  Of course this wasn’t a romantic comedy, so they didn’t rekindle their love affair, nor had they wanted to.  It had been so long and they were totally different people and were both happy in their current relationships, but it was still a shock.  They hadn’t talked long, just caught up a bit and showed off their families before parting ways with vague plans to see each other on purpose some day, but nothing solid.

Ahlai had been thinking about the meeting quite a bit, if only to stop thinking about her divorce for a while, but she didn’t expect to run into him again for some time.  To take her mind off everything, she packed up her younger son, Tide, and they went to the grocery store while her oldest was at school.  Tide was a very happy, silly little boy and he always kept Ahlai entertained while they were out and she was paying attention to him instead of where they were going and she almost crashed their cart into someone else’s.

“I’m so sorry,” Ahlai said, finally looking up and was shocked t see who it was.  “Oh, you’re Siggy, right? Makoa’s fiancée? I’m Ahlai, we haven’t met yet.” 

@siggycassell​

[ahlai-stevenson]

Layla chuckled and nodded, “well I’m happy you came here and met me. I was pretty alone myself for a bit until you came along.” She smiled and shrugged, “I guess I could always show you around a race car and race track once your leg gets better of course. It’s not quite as strenuous as surfing but I’m sure it gives a similar rush.” She laughed, knowing it definitely gave her a rush.

“A neighborhood cookout would be fun! Maybe a back to school bash or something. The kids could meet some more friends and stuff that way too. I tell you what. If you put it together I’ll get the supplies.” She chuckled, “I am definitely no planner at all.”

“I’ll definitely give it a try, I miss the adrenaline rush more than anything else, I don’t even miss Bodhi that much.  I do think the time is right for me to settle down a little, but I don’t think I’ll ever be done chasing that rush, I know both of my boys have a taste for it as well, though it might be a little too early to put them in race cars.  I don’t know though, when did yours get started?” 

“That sounds great!  When we were living in Australia, we had this group, it was almost like a commune, and everyone was so laid-back we would have starved to death if I hadn’t taken it upon myself to coordinate all our meals.  I’m sure I’ll be able to put this together without too much trouble.  I won’t be much help when it comes to physically setting things up, but if it can be done from my couch, I’m on it!” 

[ahlai-stevenson]

Jessie hummed, stretching as she relaxed into her seat. “I know what you mean. Lizzie doesn’t get to spend time with many kids unless they’re yours or Kami’s. And I’m trying to give her the best life especially after losing her mom and dad. I knew I was her godmother but I never pictured this. Losing my fiancé  was hard enough and losing my best friend right after…I was a mess when Lizzie came into my life. Sometimes I wonder if I’m the best choice to raise her. I love her so much. That’s why I adopted her but I… I don’t know.” Sighing, Jessie watched her daughter run around and laugh, a smile growing on her face until it turned to a grin. “Oh yes! Get it, girl.” Jessie laughed, clapping her hands. “I’m a hundred percent behind this. It’s gonna be fun!” Blind dates at least always ended with an entertaining story. “Ugh, Charlie is stupid dreaming. Sometimes when we work out at the same time, I gawk the entire time. But things are going well. We’ve both lost our significant others and are single parents so that common ground definitely helps us.”

“It’s so hard doing it on your own, isn’t it?  I’m sure you’re doing the best possible thing for Lizzie, you clearly love each other so much, you’ll b fine.  Just be there for her and and I’m sure things will work out for you guys, and you know Kami and I are always here to help, if you need us.”  Ahlai blushed, “I haven't dated since i was a teenager, Bodhi and I never actually dated, I was seeing someone else and Bodhi asked me to move to Australia with him and I just took off.  Theo seems great, but I’m worried about scaring him off, I’ve lived an...unusual life and it’s hard to talk about without making people uncomfortable and he might just walk out on me and I wouldn’t blame him.”  She sighed and shook her head, trying not to think about it.  “I’m really glad you found someone, I’ll have to go spy on him the next time I go to the gym, I’ve been seriously slacking lately.  It’s hard with both boys and my leg being practically useless, but I can probably find something I can still do, even if it’s just to take a peak at your man.”

[ahlai-stevenson]

Layla nodded, “I’m even more blessed to have you. Honestly, it’s so nice to have you around to help me out and to also have someone to bounce ideas off. Having a friend really changes a lot.” She chuckled though and smiled, “your boys seem just as happy where you have them. I mean they are still young but they are sweet as hell.”

She smiled and nodded, “he is definitely pretty great so far. He is precious as hell and loves the boys. His little girl is the cutest thing ever.” She chuckled and nodded though, “They have definitely been a lively bunch and I love having them around. Ellie definitely holds her own with them though. I can’t wait till you guys meet them honestly… like I mean actually get to hang out with them. You’ll love them.”

“I was so worried I wasn’t going to make any friends here, without surfing, I really don’t have much in common with most of the people I meet , and I picked this town at random, so I didn’t know anyone when I got here.  I don’t know what I would have done without meeting you, just sat in the house and done nothing.  My life was surfing for so long...I don’t even know what I like to do, I’m just being the homemaker my mother always said I was supposed to be.”

“I’m sure it’ll be great.  Maybe we can have some kind of neighborhood cookout or something.  You can bring Lincoln and Ellie and I can invite Theo and everyone can get to know each other in a casual, low-stress environment and the kinds can have fun together now that school’s out.” 

[makoakamaka]

Makoa was on his own for the day with Cece as Siggy was busy on a job and he decided that he wanted to be able to go out for the day instead of being stuck in the house. He got Cece’s diaper bag ready and slung it across the back of his chair before strapping Cece into the chest carrier and grabbed a booster seat for Leilani, hoping to be able to leave it with the front desk area of the zoo. The uber arrived and he got in, happy that there were uber’s that could pick him up with a wheelchair accessible van so he wouldn’t have to transfer into the car. He had decided to take Cece and Leilani to the zoo, something he had enjoyed doing when he was growing up. Cece was too young to enjoy the animals but he knew Leilani would love it. 

They were looking at the lions when he saw a familiar face. “Ahlai?” Makoa asked as he wheeled over, Cece against his chest and Leilani on his lap. It had been a long time since he had seen the other and he wasn’t sure if he would see her again. The last time he had seen her, he wasn’t in the wheelchair, with Siggy, nor was Cece even a thought in his head. The two of them could have once been something, they were heading that way, or at least he thought they could have been but then things changed and they suddenly found themselves separated from each other and he had fallen for Siggy and now here Ahlai was in front of him once more.

@ahlai-stevenson​

[ahlai-stevenson]

Ahlai had only been in town for a few months and most of that time was spent trying to set up her new house and getting her boys settled in their new life.  After leaving her life as a surfer/sex worker in Hawaii to run off with Bodhi, they’d spent years traveling and going to surfing competitions all over the world, settling in Australia when they needed a break or needed somewhere to have their children.  She’d been so happy with their lives, she loved to travel and she and Bodhi made an amazing living as surfers, and she was as far away from her family as she could get.  They’d been talking about having another baby, hoping for a little girl this time, when she had entered a local competition near their home on the beach.  She couldn’t remembered what made her fall, as she’d been knocked out by her board and had to be rescued, but when she woke up in the hospital she learned that in addition to a serious concussion and nearly drowning, she’ essentially destroyed her knee and was unlikely to ever surf again.  As if that wasn’t bad enough, before she was even discharged from the hospital, Bodhi decided he didn’t want to take time off from surfing to care for her and let her know he would be filing for divorce and he wouldn’t fight her for the kids, and just like that, he was gone, and her whole life was uprooted. 

Now that they were settled in and Ahlai was between surgeries and had a brace that allowed her to get around easier, she decided to take the boys to the zoo for the afternoon, as her older son, Anchor, loved animals and her younger son, Tide, would move into the barn at the petting zoo if she’d let him.  Tide had dozed off in his stroller at this point, so Ahlai let Anchor determine which animals they saw and he pulled her toward the lions and she suggested he get a closer look while she checked in on Tide.  She was making sure the two year old shielded from the sun when she heard her name and straightened up.  “Makoa?” She couldn’t believe he was actually here, she hadn’t seen him since she’d left him to run off with Bodhi, something she couldn’t regret because of her sons, but she was embarrassed about how she acted at that age.  “I can’t believe you’re here...I’m practically speechless...I didn’t think we’d ever see each other again.” 

[ahlai-stevenson]

Theo hadn’t been on a date in at least a year, since the date that Fox was conceived on, and he was nervous. He was also nervous to leave his kids. He was on paternity leave at the moment and this would be the first time he would be leaving Fox at home while he went out and if he was being honest, he was feeling a little guilty of being out. He had almost cancelled but his friend convinced him to go and have a good time, that he needed the time out. He got to the restaurant, adjusting his jacket a bit as he cleared his throat. He had gotten there early and told the hostess that he was expecting one more. He glanced over the menu while he waited.

Looking up, Theo smiled as he saw someone approach and he stood from his seat and moved to pull her chair out for her. “Hi, no, you are just fine. I got here early, a bit anxious.” He said and helped push her chair in before sitting back in his chair. “I see that. It looks a bit painful. I’ve broken my leg before myself. Leg injuries are not fun.” He said with a small laugh. “I’m Theo, by the way. Theodore if we want to be formal.”

Though Ahlai was nervous to leave her boys behind, they’d been handling the divorce and the move from Australia much better than she had and they were perfectly happy in this new place.  She had been struggling with it, but was in a much better place than when they’d first arrived and she was getting used to being here and living a much more domestic life than she had in the past when her life revolved around surfing competitions. 

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, glad to be getting off her feet. “It’s not so terrible right now, thankfully, but I’m two surgeries in and staring down at least one more before I can get this brace off.  I’ve had to resign myself to the fact that my surfing career is over, but once I’m back on my feet I’ll have a chance to figure out what I want to do next.  It’s very nice to meet you Theo, I’m glad we found some time to do this.  Have you ever been here before? I haven’t gotten out much since we moved here and I don’t know what’s good, so I’ll happily take a recommendation.”

[ahlai-stevenson]

Layla smiled and gave a nod, “I never really had that discussion with their dads.” She shrugged, “but sounds like Bodhi was just a jerk in disguise anyway to leave you when you needed him most.” She shook her head, “I appreciate having you here too. Definitely helps me keep my sanity. I don’t have much to do with my family either, not by choice just by we’re all so busy. So it’s nice to have a kind of sister to talk to.”

Layla smiled clearly Ahlai understood her and how she felt about her sons, “I’m definitely not perfect but I’m sure we can learn from each other.” She chuckled, “They’ve turned out pretty amazing for sure. I’m very proud of the people they are becoming but I just hope they are okay with who they have become.” She nodded and smiled at the mention of Lincoln and Ellie, “he is very sweet, so is Ellie. I like having them around and having someone that shows interest in me and the boys. I also have to admit I like having a little girl around too. I always wanted a daughter and that kid is definitely fun to be around.”

I was so happy with Bodhi I think I only saw what I wanted to see.  He was so good looking, and such a smooth talker, I fell for him so fast and I just wanted to get away from my old life so badly...I probably would have run off with anyone.  I don’t regret it, how could I after getting those boys out of it?  That doesn’t really make dealing with a divorce on top of everything else any easier, but they’ve given me something to fight for when I probably would have given up.  I’m so blessed to have them, and you, otherwise I would have been totally on my own.”

“I’m sure they are, they seem comfortable in their own skin, which is a lot more than I ever could have said about myself at that age.  Of course I had crazy religious fundamentalist parents who hated me for having the audacity to be a girl, so I would much rather have had you for a mom.”  Ahlai smiled, “I’m so happy for you, you deserve someone who’s going to be good to you, and she’s such a doll.  I always wanted to have a daughters too, but you can’t deny how lively having boys has made life, can you?”

[ahlai-stevenson]

“I hope so! He definitely gets my vote for best hugger.” Layla walked in and shrugged but gave a nod, “I wanted another one for a while. Kind of still do especially with Ellie and Lincoln around, but I don’t see it happening for me. Age playing a huge factor in that. Plus I’m not one hundred percent sure I could handle it anyway. I mean I raised the boys but they’re grown. It would be starting all over again. With someone else I would have to learn and figure out how to raise them correctly.” Layla followed Ahlai into the kitchen and smiled giving a gentle nod, “if you need to the boys can always come stay with me or if you need to to make it easier. It’s not like we can’t see your house from the kitchen window to keep a check on it.” She smirked and laughed, “the boys can come and go between the two houses as they please and I wouldn’t mind the company and making sure you’re recovering properly.”

She shrugged, “Yeah, it’s been pretty busy at the shop and with race season kicking back up it makes it even more busy…. but I’m… I’m thinking about slacking off some this season. Letting the boys do what they want instead of hauling them around with me all the time. They’re old enough to try some more things for themselves and I really shouldn’t be as selfish as I have been. They both seem to enjoy racing as much as I do but Philip is a teenager now and Jackson is getting there himself. I just want them to be happy with their own lives, ya know?”

“It’s one of his best traits, it’s something he and his brother got from their father.  Bodhi and I always talked about having a whole brood, we were going to have our own little community and travel around and surf and it was going to be this wonderful laidback life.  We were trying to get pregnant when I got hurt and he just decided that my being so damaged and stuck to one place while I tried to recover was too much for him, so he left and I just kind of gave up on my plans of having more kids.  It was probably for the best, now that I’ve had to relocate totally and change everything in our lives.  Thankfully the boys have adjusted amazingly well, I’m the one having a hard time with it.”  She sighed, “It would be easier if I had any family, but I burned those bridges when I left and maybe someone would come, but all they would do is lecture me about the “sinful” way I’ve lived my life and I just don’t need to hear it right now.  I really appreciate that I’ve got you, I don’t know if I would have been able to get by, and I hope you know how much I appreciate you.” 

“I understand that.  We wanted the boys to do what we did, we spent our lives surfing and now I have a chance to do better, and I’m going to be watching you and learning by example.  I’ve only gotten to know your boys a little bit, but they seem wonderful and you’re doing a great job with them, you’re seriously inspiring as far as I’m concerned.  How are things going with Lincoln?  I ran into him and his little girl at the store the other day, he seems really sweet.” 

[jessie-m]

Jessie plopped down next to Ahlai, handing her friend a glass of wine. The kids were playing in the backyard of Jessie’s home. Her dog chasing after them. Lizzie was doing well keeping up with the boys and she laughed as she watched them play. “Thank you for coming by, I needed this and I think Lizzie missed your boys. It was rare and warm winter day and Jessie was going to do everything she could to soak it up while it lasted. Taking a sip of her while, Jessie turned to look at Ahlai. “So, what have you been up to? Any big plans this weekend?” @ahlai-stevenson​

[ahlai-stevenson]

“I’m glad we had a chance to do this, when we were living in Australia they would either spend their time surfing with their father or playing with all the other kids on the beach, but since we’ve been here they haven’t had much time to be with kids their own age.  I feel bad, but it’s so hard to get around with this brace on, we don’t get out much, they look like they’re having a blast.” She watched them play for a moment and then smiled, “Actually...I have a blind date on Saturday.  A friend from physical therapy set me up with a social worker friend of theirs named Theo.  I don’t know anything else about him, but I’m going to give this a try and we’ll see how it goes.  How’s that guy you’re seeing? I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard he’s dreamy.” 

[ahlai-stevenson]

Ahlai figured she would get back into the dating game eventually, she wasn’t far off from her divorce, her ex-husband had only signed the papers a few weeks earlier, and she wasn’t feeling particularly desirable in her giant knee brace.  That being said, when a friend from her physical therapy office insisted she would love being set up with a friend of theirs and she agreed to the blind date, if only to get a night out of the house for the first time since she and her boys had moved there.  Her neighbor, Layla, had set her up with a babysitter and she did the best she could to get herself looking good for her first date since she was about 19.

Their friend had set things up at a restaurant in town that she’d never been to, but it looked nice and she’d done her best to dress appropriately, despite the brace.  She was incredibly nervous and she was considering just turning around and going back home, but she forced herself to keep going, tonight could be a lot of fun and there was nothing wrong with her getting a night out.  The hostess brought her to the table where her date was waiting and she smiled at him, “Hi, I’m Ahlai, I hope I didn’t make you wait too long.  I’m moving  a little slow these days.” 

@theo--hawkins​​

[ahlai-stevenson]

Layla smiled when the door opened and chuckled, “aww I was hoping to hug that little guy.” She said shaking her head before making it inside, “I miss my boys being that small. They’re both in school and you lucked out me having the day off.” She chuckled, “you been okay? I haven’t got any calls in a while to come help you up or Anchor coming over to get me to help you.”

“I’m sure he’ll be up for you go, he’s never one to miss out on a hug.”  Ahlai moved aside to let Layla in, “It seems silly to say it now, but the older these two get, the more I think I’d like to have another, though with my husband galivanting all over Australia without us and our divorce all but finalized...I don’t see it happening.”  She led the way to the kitchen/dining room where she’d set us for coffee, “It’s been alright, but I’ll find out in the next few weeks if I have to have another surgery, so I’ll let you know in case you’ll need to be prepared to hear from us, but I’ll be fine, I’ve managed through two already, what’s a third?  Anyway, how have you been? Busy, I bet.” 

[ahlai-stevenson]

Lincoln had taken Ellie with him to the grocery store, something he avoided doing because she always got bored and threw a fit, which is normal for a toddler. This time, Luke was busy and he couldn’t get a last minute sitter for the young girl so his hand was forced in the matter. He missed the days when he could carry her on his chest, it had made it a lot easier for him because she couldn’t wander anywhere or put anything extra in the cart. The two had made it down two aisles before Ellie started to throw a tantrum and Lincoln could only sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. “Ellie..come on honey. I can’t do this right now.” He said, mainly to himself more so then his little girl.

Deciding it was better to bribe the girl with some chocolate, Lincoln grabbed the bar, handing it over to Ellie. “If you behave, you can have this when we get home.” He smiled as the toddler quieted down and they were able to finish up their shopping. He had Ellie in the cart as he pushed it out towards their car when he noticed Ahlai trying to get a child rounded up and a bag breaking through and dropping the contents on the ground. He started over into her direction, remembering all the times he was in the same situation, and still sometimes is.

“Yeah, I do. Sorry to meet again like this.” Lincoln said as he stopped his cart, telling Ellie to hold still so she didn’t move the cart away from him. He kneeled down, grabbing one of his bags that he took some of the cheeses he had bought and started to fill it up with the fallen groceries. “You would think they could invest in some better bags with as much as they charge for their products.”

Ahlai had never been the type to need things from other people.  She’d grown up with obsessively religious parents who raised her to wait on her father and brothers hand and foot while hating herself for the sin of being born female, so when she was 14, she ran away and took care of herself.  For awhile she turned to sex work and then to her real love of surfing. She did the best she could to take care of herself and eventually her husband and children, and she’d never seen this coming.  This life as a seriously injured, divorcee and single mother wasn’t what she wanted, but she was determined to handle it and keep her boys happy and well adjusted. 

She and her boys were doing the best they could, but the longer they lived in this new place, the more she realized she did need help and Layla had been very helpful since they’d arrived, which was likely why she was willing to ask Lincoln for help.  “Thanks so much, if I could move a little easier, I could handle it myself, this brace is killing me.  What I should do is invest in some of those big, reusable bags, maybe they’ll help in avoiding situations like this.  I really appreciate the help...Lincoln, right?” 

[some-celebrity-stuffs]

[ahlai-stevenson]

Ahlai didn’t know a huge number of people in town.  She’d been there for a little under a year, but she’d spent most of her time struggling to recover from the surgeries she’d needed and trying to wrangle her two little boys with a giant brace on her leg.  One of the only people she’d gotten to know since they arrived was her neighbor, Layla, who’d been a godsend to her and though she didn’t know what the relationship was between them, Layla had introduced her to Lincoln and they’d met a couple of times here and there.  She couldn’t say that she really knew him, but she was someone she recognized and would wave to if they saw each other around. 

Today, Ahlai and her youngest son, Tide, were at the grocery store and they’d finished their shopping and she was loading things in the car, one-handed, as the two year old had fallen asleep on her shoulder, which she found incredibly sweet until one of the bags completely fell apart, scattering her items all over the parking lot.  Great,” she said out loud, to no one in particular, staring at her scattered things, toying with the idea of just leaving them on the ground rather than hobbling all over the place.  

She managed to get Tide buckled into his car seat and when she emerged she saw Lincoln walking nearby and she waved him over, “Hi! I’m not sure if you remember me, I’m Layla’s neighbor, Ahlai.  Is there any chance I could get some help here? The structural integrity of my bag failed spectacularly.” 

@lincolnmccoy​

[ahlai-stevenson]

Life had been difficult for Ahlai and her boys lately.  She’d gone from being a happily married professional surfer who traveled all over the world with her family, but one bad run had destroyed everything.  Her husband left her to carry on with their jet-setting lifestyle and she was left behind to move from Australia back to the United States, with their two sons, while needing at least two surgeries.  It had been a tough road, and she never would have gotten through it without Layla.  When Ahlai and her boys moved in next door to her, Layla had been incredibly kind and understanding and the two had hit it off right away.  

Now she’d been in town for over a year and was waiting on a third knee surgery, but she was feeling better and a little more mobile than she had in a while, so she invited Layla over for coffee while Anchor was at school and Tide was napping.

“Hi!” she said, opening the door when Layla arrived, “Tide just went down, so if we’re lucky, we should have about 90 minutes uninterrupted.”

@laylabeckman​​