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Emerald cherished Romy’s support, and she knew her wife was correct. Thomas was inevitably sentenced to 25 years in prison, although the trial and its publicity had taken a toll on Emerald. But she found solace living in Hawaii and co-owning Namaka. In particular, Emerald discovered horticulture eased her anxiety and elevated her soul. It took a few years for Emerald to heal from the violent situation fully, but luckily, with the love of her wife and through a change in location, she was able to find peace and happiness.
“Okay, open the second present now.” Emerald excitedly clapped her hands together. She passed Romy a tiny, gift-wrapped box. Romy grinned, exclaiming, “Babe, you’re spoiling me. I thought we agreed not to get extravagant with the gifts.”
Half-joking, Emerald rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Iknow, but come on. You know I had to get yousomething!I love you so much, and you know my gift-giving habit.” Romy winked at Emerald and fiddled with the box, revealing the custom-designed ring.
Romy gasped. “Oh my god, it’sbeautiful!I love peridot so much. Thank you, so much.”
Emerald reached to take Romy’s hand. “Here, I’d like to put it on you.” Romy presented her fingers so that Emerald could slide the ring next to Romy’s wedding band. Her wife admired the stones as Emerald spoke. “I wanted to have something made that symbolizes our journey, and that celebrates our new surroundings. As you know, the black coral signifies the mystery of the ocean, and the peridot symbolizes strength and balance.”
Romy studied the ring, marveling at its reflective qualities. “I think your strength is amazing, and I feel like I bring us balance. We’re different in the best ways that complement our relationship.”
Emerald’s eyes lit up. “Exactly! And the black coral represents our future, all of the mysteries and adventures that are in store for us.” Romy gazed into Emerald’s eyes.
“It’s perfect, just like you.” The women passionately kissed, leaning over their dinner plates before getting up to clear the table. In the absence of domestic service, Emerald and Romy were left to tidy the kitchen themselves, although Emerald didn’t mind. In fact, she found that sheenjoyedcleaning up with Romy. For the first time in her life, she felt that her house was a real home, and creating a cozy and loving space with Romy filled Emerald with pride and joy.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Emerald mentioned while drying her hands on a dish towel. “I spoke to Marilyn this morning after you left to teach at the center.” Romy turned to face Emerald, appearing concerned. “Oh yeah? How is she? How did the surgery go?”
“She’s doing fine,” Emerald reassured her wife. “Apparently, the hip replacement was smooth, with no issues. She’s at home now, and her daughter is taking care of her. But she sounds like she is in great spirits!”
“Good, I’m so happy to hear that. I thought Marilyn may have been out of the hospital by now. In fact, I was going to call her tomorrow morning. How is she settling into the property?” Romy asked.
Emerald chuckled. “I think she finally feels at home now that the initial shock has worn off. She mentioned that she’s been decorating the back patio. I think she enjoys those little projects.”
Romy giggled. “I can still remember the look on her face when you took off the blindfold. I was worried she was going to have a heart attack! She was just so amazed. It was such a cool thing to see.”
A laugh escaped from Emerald. “I know! I almost cried seeing her expression. But she deserved that house more than anyone. And I know you didn’t feel like it was right for you. We needed a fresh start, and Marilyn needed a break. She’s taken care of me for most of my adult life. And I wanted her to retire in style!”
“That’s the one thing I’ve always loved about you—your generosity. You could’ve made millions from the mansion. And considering all of the expenses related to the retreat, it’s not like we couldn’t have used that towards the business,” Romy commented. “But you absolutely made the right choice. Marilyn is family.”
“Honestly, what’s millions if you can’t enjoy it with the people you love? I know we have some serious repairs to look into, but I don’t care. I’ve been wealthy for most of my life, and neither the money nor the success meant anything before meeting you.”
Emerald looked around their kitchen, which was considerably smaller than the mansion’s dining area. Nevertheless, she adored the quirky Hawaiian knick-knacks and tiki designs that decorated the space and the collection of dishware that she shared with Romy. The room was cozy and eclectic; the energy of their relationship warmed the environment.
The couple retired to the living room to digest and relax. Both Emerald and Romy planned to be onsite at the retreat in the morning, so they were grateful to enjoy downtime with each other. As Emerald snuggled with Romy on their oversized, white leather couch, she heard her phone ring from the kitchen.
“Weird! I wonder who could be calling this late.” Emerald stood up to retrieve her device. While she still kept in touch with past contacts who were meaningful, her phone had become quieter over the years. Then, seeing the calling ID, she noticed it was her agent.
Emerald carried the phone back into the living room and exclaimed, “Hi, Chet! I haven’t heard from you in a few months. How are you?” She listened intently as Chet described an opportunity, his voice full of excitement.
“Hmmm, mmm. Okay, I see.” Emerald’s eyes grew wide as she signaled to Romy. She wasn’t expecting this news, and it caught her off guard. “Wow, it certainly is! Thanks so much. Yes, I’ll speak to Romy about it right now and let you know.”
Romy sat up straight. “What is it? You look surprised.” Emerald sat down beside her wife, putting a hand on her knee. Looking at Romy, she explained, “So, apparently, Chet was contacted by Netflix, and they want to do a documentary series about us.”
Romy appeared confused. “Aboutus? What do you mean? Like, about the retreat?”
Emerald shook her head. “No, no. Like, they want to do a series about how our relationship began and my coming out story. And, my secret lesbian history and all that. Obviously I did the initial TV interview and that has inspired them to want to make a series.”
“Oh wow, that sounds interesting! What do you think?” Romy asked. Furrowing her brow, Emerald felt uncertain about the opportunity. Over the past five years, Emerald had slowly extricated herself from the industry, instead putting energy into the Namaka Wellness Retreat. She knew that her name would be immortalized in Hollywood, so these days, Emerald was cautious about being involved in film projects that drained her emotionally.
“I don’t know.” Emerald laid her head on Romy’s shoulder. “You and I already went through a media frenzy when our story first came out. And that was a lot, remember?” Then, glancing up at Romy, Emerald added, “And I keep thinking about what my therapist said about maintaining my boundaries and personal space.”
Romy laced her fingers around Emerald's, petting her hair. “Yes, I remember. It was definitely a crazy time for us. And it was hard for me as well because I wasn't used to being in the spotlight at all.” Romy shook her head, running her hand through her glossy brown hair. Emerald loved Romy's new haircut with the sides shaved.God, my wife is so freakin' hot! How did I get so lucky?
Emerald lightly touched the longer pieces of Romy's hair while rubbing her back with a hand. “That's what I'm getting at. I adore our love story; I'm even grateful for Thomas' violent behavior because, without him, I never would have met you. But it's still a lot to process, especially when the public is involved.”
Romy nodded, pausing for a few moments of silence. Emerald heard her take a breath before offering, “There is one positive aspect to the offer, though. Imagine how impactful the series could be for other gay women living in the closet. Do you remember the letters and emails we received when our story came out? The whole situation felt bigger than just our own story.” Then, turning to face Emerald, Romy added, “If the series could be helpful to our community, maybe it's worth considering it?”
Emerald hemmed and hawed. She felt slightly doubtful, but Emerald knew it was also because she had become jaded from her longtime career. She had learned long ago that profits ruled the TV and movie industry; providing a public service to communities was never the goal. But at the same time, Emerald knew that Romy had a point.
