Gary had yelled for Ji Hyo to hide under the desk in the guestroom. He searched around then, looking for a place where he, too, could ride out the earthquake. There wasn’t enough room under the desk for the two of them and so he sat on the floor in the closet, staring at Ji Hyo through the open closet door.

“Gary-ah, what is happening?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “Just stay under there.”

After a few minutes, they heard the rumbling die down and felt the shaking stop. When all was quiet and still, they slowly ventured out. Gary held out his hand and helped her stand. Ji Hyo accepted his hand and squeezed it tight, the mong expression frozen on her face.

The two walked out of the guestroom and saw Kaimana and Sun Marie in the hallway.

“Are you two okay?” Gary asked.

Kaimana nodded. She had been holding Sun Marie’s hand, but the little girl let go at that moment and ran down the hallway. “Appa!” she yelled.

Gary, Ji Hyo, and Kaimana followed Sun Marie down the hall to the entryway, where they saw Jong Kook lying on the floor. Sun Marie fell on top of him, crying for her appa to wake up.

Kaimana kneeled down beside Jong Kook’s body and put her ear to his chest. “He’s okay,” she said. “He’s breathing.” She asked Ji Hyo to get her a wet washcloth, but Ji Hyo just stood there as if in shock. Kaimana asked her again and Ji Hyo then nodded. “Run it under cold water,” Kaimana said. She then turned to Gary. “Pass me that pillow,” she said, pointing to one of the decorative pillows that had fallen from the chair during the fight. Gary brought it over to her and Kaimana placed it under Jong Kook’s head. When Ji Hyo returned, Kaimana folded the washcloth and laid it across Jong Kook’s forehead. She had expected him to wake at the touch of the cold cloth, but he didn’t.

Ji Hyo and Gary slowly kneeled down beside Kaimana and Sun Marie on the floor, looking over Jong Kook.

Kaimana glanced between Ji Hyo and Gary. “He’ll be fine,” she said. “He just passed out.”

But Sun Marie continued to cry for her appa to wake up. Kaimana held her then. “Let your daddy sleep,” she said, as she rocked Sun Marie in her arms. “Do you know the Hawaiian word for dream, dear child?”

Sun Marie shook her head.

“Our word for dream is moe'uhane. It translates literally to soul sleep.” Kaimana looked up at Gary and Ji Hyo, both listening to her now, and then turned back to Sun Marie. “You see, child, we believe that when we sleep, our souls go out and have adventures in our dreams. We can visit with our ancestors, learn new things… we can even see signs to help guide our life.” She smiled now. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

Sun Marie sniffled and nodded.

“So, let your daddy dream, child. Let him have his adventure.”

Jong Kook saw her. He reached up to touch her face. Her skin felt warm. She wasn’t faded, she wasn’t transparent. She was real. “Am I dead?” he asked.

Jennifer shook her head and grabbed his hand. “Ready?” 

They were standing on top of a waterfall. The rocks of the cliff were wet from the water that rushed past their bare feet.

“Hana, dhul, seht!” Jennifer yelled, and they jumped. But they didn’t freefall. They were floating as if gravity did not exist, as if time did not exist. His body was weightless and their drift through the air endless. Everything around them began to fade into the backdrop until he could see only her, her round face and big green eyes, her light brown hair that bi