Chapter 15 #3
Gemma was unbothered by the judgmental look on CK’s face and waved it away with her hand. “I’m fat and my husband is mean.
I’m entitled to live a little, aren’t I?”
CK answered with her signature eye roll and a sigh.
“Besides, Nell said she has a handle on it, and I know when to quit.”
“I just don’t think you should encourage Mo and play the part of drinking buddy when she clearly has a problem,” CK quietly
disputed.
Gemma stuck her tongue out at CK before she rested her head on the soft cream cushion on the teak lounger. Moments later,
Moira returned, balancing a freshly filled glass for Gemma in one hand and a green and white ceramic bowl filled to the brim
with trail mix in the other.
“This trail mix is really good for you,” Moira declared enthusiastically as she set the bowl on a small glass table next to
Gemma’s chair. “It’s packed with omega-3s, very filling, and low in carbs,” she continued, proud of offering the healthy snack
option.
“Sounds great,” Gemma responded dryly, her tone dripping with mockery as she took the mimosa from Moira.
“When Joanie retired,” Moira said, settling back in her comfy lawn chair while a sliver of the sun finally snuck from behind
a cloud, “I called up a local cleaning service, and they sent Erin. Honestly, I was impressed right away. She was super thorough
and didn’t let any corner go untouched. You girls know how OCD I am about cleanliness. It felt amazing to see clean baseboards
again! Joanie hasn’t been able to bend down to clean a baseboard since the late 1900s.”
Moira took a moment to look out at the garden, admiring the beautiful blooming flowers, some of which would wilt when cooler
temperatures finally made their appearance.
“But the next person they sent was just not up to par,” she said, shaking her head a little before sipping from the glass again. “I requested that Erin come back. I liked her so much that I offered her a job to work just for me, and luckily, she said yes.”
CK replied, “She really is a sweet girl. I enjoyed talking with her this morning.”
Moira’s voice softened as she continued, “I don’t really need her three days a week, but I get the impression that she needs
me. It’s obvious by her clothes and her car that money is tight for her. I was unsure where she lived until I found her address
to send her the invitation for this weekend, and her place is in a really rough part of town. I like being able to help her
out. I know very little about her personal life, but something tells me there’s a lot more to her story than she lets on.
I just want to help her get back on her feet. Besides, it’s nice having someone around the house to talk to. I mean, I talk
to Dove and Pearl, but they don’t answer. I mean, sometimes they don’t.” Moira laughed.
“They probably do answer you because they’re possessed,” Gemma commented. “Anyway, Erin mentioned during our walk this morning
that she and her ex-husband didn’t have the greatest relationship.” Gemma absentmindedly ran her finger around the rim of
her glass.
“She hasn’t really opened up to me about much at all, but I suspected as much. I do know she’s juggling a second job at the
Family Pantry convenience store just to make ends meet, and that her son is also working hard to help with the bills.”
Moira’s tone conveyed genuine concern, not pity. She was well-known in Savannah for her kindness and generosity; she frequently
donated to various charities and, before Jeffrey passed away, dedicated much of her time volunteering at the local soup kitchen
and other nonprofit organizations.
Erin stepped onto the patio, and the conversation suddenly halted.
She immediately assumed they had been talking negatively about her, which made her feel insecure.
An awkwardness washed over her as she walked toward the vacant lawn chair, aware that everyone was staring at her in the aqua-blue tankini with white dots that she had bought from the superstore.
“What a cute suit,” CK said right away. “I have loved polka dots since I was a kid. My mom painted huge pastel polka dots
all over my walls when I was little.”
“Thanks,” Erin said.
“What does your tattoo mean?” Gemma nodded to the black-inked flower on the front of Erin’s shoulder.
Erin tossed her towel onto the chair next to CK and answered, “I got the daffodil tattoo after my husband, Phillip, and I
divorced. Daffodils represent new beginnings.” She distractedly touched her shoulder.
“You don’t mention him often, Erin,” Moira said. “How are things between you two now?”
Erin groaned with contempt and sat in the lawn chair. “Things aren’t good between us. In fact, they never have been.”
A glowing ray of sun finally emerged from behind the clouds and cast warmth on their exposed skin.
“There it is!” Moira shouted with excitement. “Welcome, friend!”
“Your husband, Erin?” Gemma nodded the mimosa glass toward her, nosey to hear more. “You were saying?”
Erin massaged a dollop of thick sunscreen that smelled of coconut onto her arm and continued, “He was, well, I told you all on the walk this morning that he was emotionally and physically abusive for the twelve years we were married. I finally got the courage to leave him about seven years ago. He’d always told me he’d make my life miserable if I left, but my life was already miserable, so I got out. ”
CK, Gemma, and Moira offered sympathetic looks as Erin shared her story.
“He’s newly remarried now with two young stepchildren. It’s only a matter of time before they discover how cruel Phillip really
is,” she said while adjusting her round wire sunglasses. “He was the breadwinner throughout our marriage. He wouldn’t allow
me to work. He said my place was in the home. So when I left, I had to find work. He wouldn’t pay child support or alimony,
and I don’t have the funds to cover the court costs to dispute it. So I do what I can.”
“Does your son ever see his dad?” Gemma asked.
“Oh, not at all. Phillip never physically harmed PJ, but the emotional damage he caused was enough for PJ to cut him out of
his life entirely. He is certainly protective of his mama,” Erin replied.
CK leaned across her lounge chair and gently squeezed Erin’s hand, recalling their morning conversation on the patio.
“Leaving him was hard, but no harder than living with him,” Erin said while glancing at Gemma, hoping she would consider those
words.
At that moment, Nell stepped out the back door in a cute sage-green tankini that really suited her auburn hair and freckled
olive skin. She was holding a big floppy straw hat that went perfectly with her strappy leather sandals. A tattoo with some
Hebrew letters peeked out on her shoulder, which immediately caught Erin’s eye.
“Sorry I’m late, ladies,” Nell exclaimed when she joined the group by the pool. “Taylor called. I can’t miss a call from my college kid.”
“Never!” Moira chimed in, sneaking a glance at Erin.
“How’s your daughter doing?” Gemma asked, finishing off the last of her orange juice and champagne.
Nell answered while adjusting her towel on the lounger beside her, “She’s doing well. She and some friends are heading to
the Georgia versus Auburn game this afternoon. Moira, is Bradford going to be there?”
“I have no clue. That boy doesn’t tell me anything.” Mo pouted while Nell noticed the empty champagne flute sitting on the
table next to her lounger.
CK leaned up in her lounge chair and looked at Moira. “He didn’t say anything about the game when you spoke to him this morning?”
“Oh,” Moira replied, a bit flustered. “We got so caught up talking about his girl drama that we totally forgot to discuss
the game. I’m sure he’ll be there. He never misses one.”
Yeah, he never misses a chance to chug beer at a tailgate party, Nell thought. Then she felt guilty for thinking something so judgmental about a kid, so she silently prayed, Sorry, Lord.
“What does your tattoo mean?” Erin asked as she tapped Nell on the shoulder.
She tilted her chin down and replied, “It’s Hebrew and means ‘Yahweh,’ which translates to ‘I Am’ or ‘He Is.’ I got it after
I got sober as a symbol of my dedication to Christ.” Nell smiled at the thought of her sweet relationship with God and his
Son. “I see you have a tattoo as well. Daffodils?”
Erin then explained the meaning of her tattoo to Nell.
Nell responded, “Both of our tattoos represent new beginnings. Saint Paul said in Philippians: ‘Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’”
“I like that,” Erin said. “So tell me how you overcame your addiction. I’ve never had an issue with drugs or alcohol, but
a lot of my family, cousins up in North Carolina, struggle with it.”
Nell started telling Erin her testimony, her voice filled with excitement and enthusiasm. She spoke about the dark times in
her life when alcohol consumed her and the desperate moments when she thought she would never escape its grip. With a smile,
she recalled how God rescued her and how she leaned on his strength to overcome her addiction.
It wasn’t an easy journey, but she emphasized how important prayer was, along with the support of her family and church community,
which helped her get her life back on track. Nell was very grateful that her faith allowed her to turn down the many temptations
she faced at weddings, country club parties, and even this weekend.
Nell radiated joy when she spoke about Oglethorpe Church and how the community there gave her a sense of purpose and belonging
that she had never felt before. Because of their encouragement, she felt a strong call to share her testimony and the victory
she found through her faith, which she did during the Celebrate Recovery meetings held by her church on Sunday nights.