Chapter 25
On a late September afternoon, laughter echoed from the edge of the water and hovered over the marsh. Moira and her friends
relaxed in wooden chairs beneath the large tree. Their hearts were full, and so were their stomachs, satisfied with the lunch
of homemade pimento cheese, crackers, and vegetable sticks, along with a coconut cream birthday cake Antonio had baked. Like
all his other dishes, the dessert was almost too beautiful to eat. They drank from Mason jars filled with pink, fruity punch
made with strawberries, ginger ale, and lemonade.
With a sip, Moira closed her eyes for just a second, and the taste carried her somewhere she hadn’t been in such a long time—the
row house on Chatham Square. It was narrow, creaky, and perfect, with ivy climbing the iron railings and light that poured
through the tall transom windows.
Jeffrey made a similar punch there one sweltering Saturday afternoon, shirtless in the tiny kitchen, humming off-key with
the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the radio and determined to beat the heat without turning on the ancient AC that rattled and
gurgled and put out only semi-cool air. He tossed in cut-up strawberries, lemon slices, and a splash of whatever white wine
had survived the night before, and he stirred it all in a big glass mixing bowl.
“Trust the process,” he’d said, grinning. “I’m an innovator.”
Moira raised her eyebrows. “You’re winging it.”
“Same thing.” He shrugged his broad, tanned shoulders.
He proudly handed her a glass. It was so cold and so sweet that it hurt her teeth, but they drank it anyway, barefoot on the
front steps, while watching the world pass by under the Spanish moss. Tourists walked the square with cameras, and a street
musician played jazz from a bench across the way.
Jeffrey leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. “If we can make it through a Savannah summer in this house without
central air, we can make it through anything, Mo.”
She had laughed, and he had kissed her like they had forever.
Moira returned to reality and looked to Celia Kate. “Tell us about your trip. Did you get your hair braided? Did you try the
conch salad like I suggested? Did you swim with the pigs?”
“I did get my hair braided, and the Bahamian woman who did it was sweet as pie, but she pulled it so tight my eyebrows lifted
three inches and I looked surprised the rest of the trip.”
Celia Kate’s skin had developed a radiant tan from her recent trip to Nassau. She and Sean’s second honeymoon was a much-needed
relaxing getaway, especially since Silas had buckled down and doubled his studies so he would graduate from high school a
year early. With his extra credits, he began classes at Cumberland State just four weeks ago. While CK and Sean enjoyed hang
gliding over the Caribbean and napping on the white sand beaches, and even swimming with spotted pigs in the turquoise water
off Rose Island, Silas had responsibly and successfully taken care of his younger siblings, and Chipper Jones, without any
incidents. During her trip, CK checked the security cameras only a handful of times instead of keeping the footage playing
on her phone like a television show.
She felt a profound sense of relief knowing her oldest child was thriving.
He was getting to classes on time, completing his assignments, not going hungry, and even dating a sweet girl whom CK and Sean approved of.
On top of all that, Silas was doing some freelance graphic design work, which meant his bank account was growing.
He was even discussing the possibility of getting his own apartment closer to campus instead of commuting back and forth.
Whenever anxiety crept in about this stage of her son’s life, Celia Kate would make it a priority to talk to God about it,
and then she would send a group text to the women who were now lounging under the magnificent live oak with her. The immediate
replies and prayers she received always helped CK feel less overwhelmed. Her faith had finally become stronger than her fears.
“I would love to do that. Swim with pigs, I mean,” Gemma said, and CK waited for the joke—the obvious one—but she was relieved
Gemma didn’t take the chance to make a single self-critical remark. It was truly an answered prayer that she rarely talked
down on herself anymore.
The group text had become a lifeline for Gemma too, being a safe place for her to talk about her feelings and vent her hurt
and frustration over her husband’s disrespect. Over the past year, whenever she checked his location and found him at his
mistress’s apartment, she would fire off messages to her friends, often filled with pain and at times strong language. They
allowed her to blow off steam, and then they helped her work through her emotions. Ultimately, they greatly boosted her courage
to walk away from her crumbling marriage.
Gemma and Tyler had been separated for just over six months, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt truly free.
She continued to live in their suburban farmhouse, while he had moved into the apartment that Gemma had been eyeing on her location app for over a year.
She wasn’t bothered at all that he was with another woman.
Becky could have him, along with his offensive attitude and comments.
Carolina was both infuriated and heartbroken by her father’s affair and the way he mistreated her mother. Although he may
have been a bad husband, Tyler had always been a loving father, so Gemma encouraged Carolina to reconcile with her dad and
to forgive him. He continually asked for forgiveness, but she wasn’t ready.
Carolina decided to postpone her college plans, work at a local boutique, and live at home for another year. While Gemma urged
her to attend school in Chattanooga to pursue her own dreams, Carolina felt that she and her mother needed each other during
this tough time. This decision turned out to be a beautiful blessing for them both, as they were growing closer than they
had been in years.
With the help of her Christian counselor and the support of the Allyson Island group, Gemma discovered healthier ways to handle
her frustrations. Instead of turning to food, she began using prayer and engaging in physical activities. When the emotions
from her divorce felt too heavy to bear, she would take a walk around her neighborhood, jog on the local track, or enjoy a
stroll along the downtown sidewalks of Atlanta, where her office was located. This change in focus helped her drop sixty pounds
since last September, making her feel significantly better both physically and emotionally.
“Speaking of pigs, Tate told me the last time we spoke that Camp Arifjan rejected a proposal by a lawmaker to ban the serving of pork in the dining hall. He was so glad because he said he didn’t know how he’d get through without his bacon every morning,” Nell said.
Nell frequently reached out to the group about Tate’s recent deployment to Kuwait. Being out of contact with him, except for
infrequent letters and poorly connected, glitchy phone calls every few days, caused her a lot of anxiety. In addition to worrying
about her son, Nell was really worried about Taylor, who had started dating a college guy who was pretty wild and not a great
influence on her. Nell often opened up about her concerns in the group chat, and her friends responded with encouraging reminders
and Bible verses that reassured her that God was in control of everything, even their kids’ futures.
Erin said, “I’m really glad that Tate and PJ got to know each other while we were all hunkered down at Oglethorpe during the
hurricane last year. Those following few months they spent hanging out at church over the winter were awesome for PJ. It helped
him take his mind off his worries about work and money and even me.”
Erin was happy to still be living in the pool house on Moira’s property. Because Moira refused to accept rent payments from
Erin, she was able to pay off all her debt and begin saving money with the goal of buying her very first home. She also had
some income from painting small seascape canvases and selling them on the website that Silas Stokes had created for her, free
of charge. With her current savings and earnings, she was on track to afford a down payment in about six months.
PJ had begun a new chapter in his life and had a new job earning good money working at an auto shop. Since she no longer relied
on PJ’s income to make ends meet, he was able to get a car and rent an apartment across the river in Charleston.
He visited his mother every few days and helped around Moira’s estate on weekends or as needed. Tate Rehman had encouraged him to find a church after he moved to Charleston, and he did. He really enjoyed the young adult ministry and had met some great people his age.
Over the last year Erin and Moira developed a close friendship, a sisterhood. Not only did Erin help keep Moira’s house tidy,
but she also regularly attended church and Bible study at Oglethorpe with Moira. When Phillip’s new wife contacted Erin, worried
about her safety because of Phillip’s violent behavior, Moira offered Erin advice on how to help without getting too involved.
There were also vulnerable moments when Erin’s presence and support helped Moira stay on track and avoid slipping back into
old habits.
“Hunkered down in that hurricane. Mercy, that sure tested my sobriety! I think I blew up our group chat three million times
in the twelve hours I was with MerryLee.” Moira’s brother insisted on being with her when the storm barreled through, and
he brought MerryLee along with him. “I should have listened to you, Erin, and gone with you and PJ to Oglethorpe and left
my brother and MerryLee here alone to batten down the hatches.” Moira groaned as she watched Dove and Pearl sit at the Ogeechee
shore, observing a swarm of gnats hovering over the black water.