October 30, 2018
Galveston, Texas
Marnie and Chris woke up early on the day of their departure. They were planning a leisurely drive north but had one more meeting to attend on The Island. Marnie’s car was packed to the gills. So, with the dogs in tow, they took Chris’s car and headed west along the sleepy seawall, past the empty Pleasure Pier and numerous pastel motels. As the landscape opened up, the early morning light glimmered on the Gulf of Mexico to their left and cast a warm glow on the salt marshes to the right.
Chris turned toward the entrance to the Galveston State Park and followed the instructions given to them by Louise. They parked at a turnout for the Clapper Rail nature trail. Then, getting out of the car, they took the exuberant pups down a short path through the tall reeds. A fifteen-foot observation deck came into view. It was accessed by a ramp that circled the structure and provided a generous platform with a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the wetlands.
Marnie saw that Didier was topside in a camp chair, his cane nearby. He was pointing east, toward Oak Bayou as Cora and Noah trained their binoculars in that direction and squealed with delight as a flock of roseate spoonbills took flight. Louise and Nancy were pouring coffee while Claude was passing out breakfast tacos. Garrett was serving his signature Mimosas.
Chris and Marnie hesitated part way down the path. They stopped to enjoy the scene of family and friends. They heard more guests crunching behind them and looked back to see Iliana Sudhan and her husband, Bob, approach. Kathy Walsh and her husband were close behind. It was Iliana who looked at them with her characteristically direct expression and asked, “What are you two waiting for?”
With a wide smile, Marnie said, “Just savoring this moment in time.”