Three Years After – Hazel
It’s been a funny few years, Han. How I wish you were still here to witness it. Nevertheless, we press on.
I’m pleased to share that Clara and Tom have finally put an end to their bickering and agreed to sell your precious Moorings. You’ll be thrilled to hear that Jack is the buyer. It took a while, but he has set aside his stubbornness and accepted his share of the oyster farm sale. Keith plain refused to come back to the island until he did. Jack will be living there with his partner, Andie.
You would adore her, Hannah – she possesses a different kind of gumption to Clara, but gumption nonetheless. I never thought someone could match Jack’s big heart, but Andie somehow does.
Her dear father has recently passed, so she’ll finally be moving to the island and into Moorings permanently. Rest assured, she’ll cherish it just as you did. Andie’s been lending a hand with Jack’s tour operation – when she has the time, that is! She created the most gorgeous mini-series about dementia, called Pearl , inspired by her late dad, and it’s garnered numerous awards. ‘Pearl’ is a term used to describe the final stage of dementia – those dear souls who are wrapped in layers and tucked away in their shells, still and quiet. Isn’t that heartbreakingly beautiful? It’s impossible not to shed tears all the way through.
You would not recognise the island, Hannah! And mostly in a good way. Except for Clam Cove Resort, of course. But it’s merely a small scar we bear on our pinkie, for the sake of saving the entire arm.
We still have no oysters. Alec made an attempt with some Pacifics, but wouldn’t you know it, a series of bad seasons washed them out completely. Tom and Jack’s business is going from strength to strength. Tom is still working at The Oyster House, ensuring the island and Jack’s tours have a healthy supply of top-notch rock oysters. They’ll never be pearls, but it keeps the tourists happy.
I’ll always owe a debt of gratitude to Keith for instilling in our boys a deep respect for the ocean and the land. You’d be so proud of them, Han. And your girl, too – she’s thriving in Sydney, having opened her own art gallery. In typical Clara fashion, she’s convinced Jack to showcase some of his pieces there as well.
Jack is still at it, determinedly checking every wild oyster he encounters for pearls, though he hasn’t found a single one in the past three years. Then, just last week, he discovered a rare, perfectly round black pearl nestled within a wild oyster at Pearl Cove.
God love him. I advised him to tuck it away somewhere safe for when he and Andie celebrate their own thirty years together. We were fortunate enough to have been the central love story in each other’s lives, and undoubtedly, they’re destined for their own.
Oh, and about Arthur – yes, I am seeing him. Like, romantically seeing him. Please, don’t make a fuss about it – I know that you’re laughing. Wherever it is you are. x