Chapter 50: The Roses in Bloom

It was May 17, 2013, the first anniversary of the day when Mareesa Tyler became Mareesa Sartori, and she and her husband were having a party for two on the rooftop of Casa Sartori. As Reesa gave herself over to the massage and serenade Myko was pampering her with, she couldn’t help but reflect on what led them to this point.

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Among the Gullah-Geechee, the phrase ‘day clean’ refers to the fresh starts, or the new beginnings, inherent in each day, and after Reesa’s first exhibition at a gallery named for this saying, a new beginning with Myko is precisely what she got.

“I owe you an apology,” she said when they walked through the doors of the house where she grew up. They were alone, Ivy having orchestrated an impromptu feast at her place to divert everyone else. “I was too hasty, and I should’ve tried reaching you before I sped off.”