When she gave birth to twin boys, Tish felt a surge of joy and dread, all at once, but she kept her trepidation to herself. She was determined not to fuel the curse with fear. She was convinced that as long as she appeared strong, she’d be safe.
There were moments when she had felt especially petrified. When Bobby was hospitalized with the mumps. When 9/11 hit and Nick was living in the city. Every time either of them got on an airplane. Perhaps the scariest day of all had been when Bobby announced he was going to marry his pregnant girlfriend. Tish had threatened to have him disowned—and she’d meant it. There was no way she was going to let her son marry a two-bit hussy passing off as the girl-next-door type. But then Nick intervened, telling her the truth and Tish felt as disgusted with him as she felt sorry for Gina. The poor girl was nothing more than a foolish lamb. Tish didn’t condone Nick’s behavior, but he had inadvertently solved a problem that had previously been both unknown and unsolvable, and Tish chose to believe her son’s actions were an act of divine intervention. She continued to pray fervently and privately for her sons’ safety.
And it worked. The curse hasn’t struck her like it did the women before her.
Tish has been spared.
Tish enjoys a good life. Her marriage is far from perfect, but then again, she has always known that Charles isn’t without flaws. Calan is a bit of an odd duck, but all boys go through an awkward phase. Alice is clearly not all there, but hopefully she will snap out of her toddler-in-a-silent-tantrum attitude and give Nick the twin boys that every other Dewar wife has managed to produce.
Now, as she stares at the names inscribed in gold on the Dewar family tree, Tish realizes that, up until very recently, she has allowed herself to feel blessed. In a sense, she is the luckiest of all the Dewar women. Her two boys live only minutes away from her and, while they’ve had their differences, they are as close as brothers can be. Gina is a breath of fresh air: loyal, nurturing, the perfect daughter-in-law. Both Calan and Allegra are smart and affectionate. This abundance of joy has caused Tish to let her guard down. She had convinced herself that both Nick and Bobby are safe. That her family is safe.
And then Eva Stone came along.
Tish knows there are many ways to lose a son. Death, while the most tragic, is not necessarily the cruelest. To have one of her sons despise her and maybe even shun her could be worse. Much worse. And to have Eva’s name adorned in her precious family tree, after all that she’s sacrificed? Well, that would be an unspeakable horror.
Which is why she needs to find a way to get rid of Eva Stone.
Interview with Jane Knowles
Member of the Alma Social Club—Second Generation. Enrolled in 2005
We were all devastated when Gina kicked Bobby out.
Not that I blamed Gina. I would’ve done the same thing if Noah had written an email like that. In fact, if I were Gina, I would’ve thrown Bobby’s things out in the middle of Backer Street. I’m not afraid of making a scene! But it still pained me, the idea of those two apart.
Which is why I reached out the very next day. Gina doesn’t drink or else I would’ve showed up at her doorstep with a fresh batch of margaritas. Margaritas make everything better, don’t you think?
Anyway, I completely understood when she said she needed space. I told her to call me back whenever she was ready.
Except she never called! And it wasn’t just me, either. Practically everyone from the ASC reached out to offer support and she kept avoiding us, which made no sense. It’s not like there were any secrets: at that point, we’d all seen the video and the email.
Here’s the thing you need to understand: we weren’t just concerned for Gina. We were concerned for ourselves, too. We didn’t know if Gina was going to divorce Bobby. Or if Bobby was getting ready to step down as CEO. Or if Souliers really was making a new offer and, if they were, if there were any plans to sell. Oh, and don’t forget the threats to boycott Alma Boots! That was so scary!
My point is: our fates were aligned. This wasn’t just about Gina and Bobby’s marriage. We needed answers. We needed reassurance. We’re a community, for heaven’s sake. We do everything together. It’s the whole point of living in Alma. Gina was acting like she’d forgotten that. I didn’t know what to make of it!
And then came her friendship with Alice. I’ll be honest: when I heard about that, I assumed Gina had lost her mind.
You know what I wonder? I wonder if Alice would be where she is now if she hadn’t befriended Gina. Somehow, I don’t think she would.
Twenty
Alice
Saturday, September 28th
Alice and Gina have secured their drinks—Bloody Mary for Alice, Virgin Mary for Gina—and found a quiet table at the back of the Chelsea Arts Tower.
“Cheers.” Alice raises her glass.
“To you,” Gina says. They clink their glasses. “Thank you for helping me out.”
No one had been more surprised than Alice when Gina reached out yesterday to ask if she could borrow a dress for the Pink October fundraiser. Alice had half expected Gina to hang up once she realized she had mistakenly called Alice—and not Caroline, Holly or any of her actual friends. But Gina really had been looking for Alice.
Alice had felt like a fairy godmother. She lent Gina a floor-length black gown (the fabric stretched just enough to fit Gina
