Crescent City Summer

Chapter 19: Aftermath

As the eye of the hurricane hung over New Orleans, everyone waited in anticipation for it to pass. During the worst part of the storm, Gabby, Kacie, and Layla moved downstairs into the lounge area. There appeared to be fewer people in the hotel than Gabby initially thought. They were paying attention to the weather and knew it was time to leave if they were vacationing there.

She would pick up her phone every hour, praying she would get cell service long enough to text Desmond. No luck. Gabby was hoping she wouldn't see Shane. She realized he was a completely different man than the one she knew. He turned into someone who she knew she couldn't love. The thought of him wanting someone like Madeline over her made her sick to her stomach. In the scheme of things, she knew they deserved each other. They were exactly alike, heartless, cold, and selfish.

She hoped that wherever Desmond was, he was safe. She still hadn't seen Josse, so she assumed he made it out and home with his family before the hurricane worsened. Gabby hoped there was still time to make things right with Desmond. She was such a fool, and he probably saw her differently. He needed to hear her just as he needed to be heard.

"I forgot to tell you; I could text my parents before the storm hit," Kacie said.

"Seriously? I feel horrible for not reaching out to my mom. She had that dinner with Dad, and being distracted with everything here, I forgot. Did you tell your parents that we were in a hurricane?" Gabby asked.

"Yes, I did. She said she would tell your mom." Kacie said, relieving Gabby greatly.

"Yeah, my mom was freaking out. But then again, she freaks out over everything." Layla joked.

"True story. But this time, they have a reason, we don't get hurricanes in West Virginia." Gabby pointed out.

"Yep." Kacie nodded.

"I know we are still leavin' after the storm passes, but can we see Collin and Jefferson again?" Layla gently asked.

"I told y'all that you didn't have to leave when I did. You can leave whenever you want." Gabby reiterated.

"We don't want to stay; we just want to say goodbye in person," Kacie added.

"That's fine. I want to find Desmond and pray he doesn't resent me." Gabby put her hands together to mimic praying.

"Girl, he still loves you. Don't worry about that." Layla smiled.

"Maybe, maybe not. I should have listened." Gabby beat herself up.

"Stop. Just wait and see what happens." Kacie put her hand on Gabby's.

The girls played board games and went swimming all afternoon. They had almost forgotten about the hurricane raging outside. It was nice to spend time together. Since arriving in New Orleans and meeting Desmond, Gabby's life was turned upside, and nothing she originally planned came to fruition. This trip was for the three of them, but it became something else. Now, without distractions, they could spend quality time together. Gabby knew that once they returned home, everything was going to change. Her future was up in the air. Kacie and Layla had already found jobs and planned on living close to home. They were always that way. Gabby thought that maybe Sparksville was her forever home after all. She considered the possibility of living in New Orleans, which still appealed to her. But without Desmond in her life, it didn't make sense anymore.

An employee ran to everyone in the pool and announced the eye of the storm had passed over New Orleans. Everyone cheered and celebrated. In the bar, a rich guest bought champagne for everyone present. The girls even had a glass. They were excited they had survived their first hurricane. The hurricane weakened and was downgraded to Category Two before hitting landfall. There was still damage in places, but primarily minimal. Gabby and the girls returned to their room and looked out the window. The rain was still coming down, but not as hard as before. The sky was still dark but with peaks of light breaking through here and there.