The moon is dark and beautiful, a rock riddled with craters. Craters are formed by impacts, and the damage done, stays forever because the moon lacks one essential healing element, water. The absence of moisture mummifies the marks, giving the moon scars that won’t change.
Although it has no water, the moon has seas, lakes, bays, and marshes. Craters may give the moon its character, but its maria, or ancient lava pools, give it depth. Much like the earth’s gorgeous blue, the moon’s seas can be seen from earth, those mysterious dark shadows. It’s easy to forget the scars when you turn your eyes on the seas, especially with names like the Sea of Crisis and Sea of Tranquility, the Lake of Fear and the Lake of Perseverance, the Bay of Roughness and the Bay of Trust.
Sam woke up with the help of smelling salts and a mad headache. While we recovered in the back of the ambulance, Williams said, “Told ya you were gettin’ rusty. The perp gotcha and your girl had to save you. Never thought I’d live to see the day-”
“You might not live to see many more,” Sam warned groggily.
A sheepish smile crossed my face. I’d saved Sam. The tides were turning.
The next few days were riddled with police and DEA interrogations. While I understood the importance, I didn’t get why I had to tell the same story repeatedly to as many agents as the DEA could scrounge up. Sam went through the same thing, except that on top of the police and DEA, a special internal affairs investigator was called in to make a judgment on his rogue behavior. While I stewed in anxiety over the possibility that he’d lose his job over me, Sam could care less. Worth it, he told me, smiling.
Thankfully, the decision was made to keep him. It was Jason Kent who finally tipped the balance in Sam’s favor. I wasn’t sure if he was just standing up for a good cop or saving his own ass, given what I knew about him, but I didn’t care.
Chris vanished. The grounds of the Peacock and the inn were searched inch-by-inch. An APB was issued across the state. Every person Chris ever knew was interviewed. Nothing. No one could even determine whether or not he left the island at all. And though I doubted he’d be dumb enough to risk getting caught to come after me, I feared that what he promised would come true. We will be together again.
By the following Wednesday, Sam and I were finally out from under the shadow of suspicion and interrogation. Just four days after The Tipee Island Gazette’s cover story was Festi-Fail: Octoberfest is a Bust!, Clark featured this article on the front page: Delilah Delivers, Saves Island. The article moved me from Tipee’s crazy category and put me back in the we’re-not-sure-about-you-yet status, but there was hope and that was good enough for me. With one more grand gesture, I aimed to solidify public opinion just as I’d firmed up Beach Read’s future.
Clara, Charlotte, and Candy were ogling a new hat at the glass counter when I came in, looking like the three fates around their shared eyeball. I took a deep breath, repeating the words power and love in my head.
“What are you doin’ here?” Clara belted out.
“Come to gloat?” Candy asked.
“Nice article in the paper,” Charlotte said, looking a bit uneasy. Compliments didn’t emerge from my aunts often, so my eyebrow cocked up on my forehead. “You’re a smart cookie. You might lose a chip every once in a while, but who doesn’t?”
I shrugged. “Thanks, but Clark was generous.”
“Oh, please,” Clara huffed. “Don’t practice that false modesty bull in here. We’re busy, so why don’t you see yourself outta here?”
I set a white envelope on the counter. “Here’s the check for TIBA.” The three shot me confused looks.
“Whatcha mean?” Clara asked. “You don’t owe us a check.”
“I won the bet,” I said surely, “but I feel bad about Octoberfest. No matter how shoddily TIBA is managed, it didn’t deserve the failure of the festival. And that was my fault-”
“But, you only did what you thought was right,” Charlotte protested weakly. “I mean, the drugs coulda been in the candy.”
“But, they weren’t. I made a rash judgment that cost everyone,” I explained.
“Finally, we’re on the same page ‘bout somethin’,” Clara returned, picking up the check.
“I figure this might help restore some of the expenses,” I said, “and mend some fences.”
Aunt Clara huffed. “Oh, so this apology money is meant to get you in the good graces of Tipee folk-”
“I don’t care about Tipee folk, not really,” I returned. “Now that it’s all over and Beach Read’s staying open, I was hoping I could just get my aunts back.” I smiled at Clara and Charlotte, who looked surprised. “Well, except for you, Candy. I’m still pissed at you,” I added quickly. Candy gave me a menacing look, and left the counter.
“Oh, please. You’re really layin’ it on thick,” Clara replied.
“I can’t believe you’d want to have us back,” Charlotte added, looking distressed.
I smiled, as best I could, and explained, “I did some stupid things because I thought it was right at the time. In that way, we’re all kind of the same. Plus, if you’d gone easy on me, I wouldn’t have tried so hard. Thanks to you, I’ve become a real businesswoman.”
Clara winced. “TIBA will take the check as an anonymous donation. I ain’t lettin’ you buy affections.”
“Fine.”
“And as far as gettin’ your aunts back, I ain’t buyin’ it for a second,” Clara quipped. “I don’t care what kinda deal you got goin’ with Joe Duffy. You’re still on my hit list. Beach Read mighta survived the battle, but the war’s ongoin’.”
“Speak for yourself, Clara,” Charlotte chimed in.
“What?” Clara and I said together.
Charlotte floated around the counter and grabbed my hands in hers. “If gettin’ a new design studio means that Beach Read has to close, then I don’t want it anymore. You may not have all your aunts back, but ya got me. And I’m sick ‘a treatin’ you like poop on my shoe. It ain’t right and it ain’t fair.”
“You ungrateful twit!” Clara spat at her sister.
But, Charlotte didn’t listen. “You did it, honey. You made that skeleton of a store into a business. You put on beautiful parties. Did you know that since you started with those parties, I’ve been readin’?” Charlotte’s eyes lit up. “I ain’t picked up a book in decades and now, I can’t put ‘em down-”
“You’ve been goin’ to her parties?” Candy demanded, bounding back into the discussion. “How could you? You’re such a traitor!”
I huffed. “Takes one to know one.” Candy tossed me her disgusted expression.
Charlotte raised her eyebrow and cocked her head. “Delilah’s the best thing to happen to this town since, well, since us. Everyone who is anyone has gone to her parties. And you know what, I’m proud that I went because before I was ever Top to Bottom, I was Delilah’s aunt. I forgot that for a while, but her parties made me remember. And, you know what touched me most of all? As mean as we’ve been to her, Delilah could’ve thrown me out on my tush, coulda caused a scene, been real ugly, coulda ratted me out to you two, but she didn’t. She welcomed me and treated me just like, well, family.” Charlotte pulled me to her for a hug, and patted my back. “I’m sorry I had any part in the bad stuff we did to you,” she said. “I hope you’ll forgive me.”
I gasped, and nodded. “Already have.”
To her sisters, she said, “There’s room here for the both of us, Top to Bottom and Beach Read.”
Candy and Clara’s mouths dropped. If I had any idea how to use the camera on the phone Sam had given me (and since replaced), I would’ve taken a picture. Their shocked, dumbfounded, just-been-served expressions were priceless.
Back to our sunset tradition, Sam and I retreated to the beach. The sea breezes were no longer warm, but chilled with the onset of fall. Sam wrapped his arm around my shoulders. We stopped at the edge between boardwalk and sand, as usual.
“Remember how you said that today we’d kiss here,” I said, pointing to where we were, “and tomorrow, we’d kiss over there and we’d get closer and closer until we got our feet wet?”
Sam nodded. “I never forget promises to kiss you.”
I took a deep breath, and said, “Come on.” I pulled him along, passed the bench and through the dry sand. When our feet reached the damp, compact beach – not the waterline, but close – I stopped. We kissed. The dark shadows in my head stirred, like ghosts through abandoned hallways, and echoed. My heartbeat reflected their attempts. Power. Love.
But, I smiled and edged closer to the waterline anyway. The moon, with all its breaks, still shines. So, would I. I may have scars that will never go away, but I am swimming in the Sea of Serenity, embracing who I am – my depth – and the damage I’ve suffered – my character. God had saved me again, and even gifted me the unexpected surprise of an aunt in my corner (one out of three isn’t bad!). And, I had the love of a very good man. Power. Love. Sound mind. My cup was overflowing.
Sam kissed me again, and when we parted, he asked, “Are you afraid?”
And for once believing it, I shook my head. “Not anymore.”