Living Life On Life's Terms: Easier Said than Done

By Angie Galler Bowen

This book is pure fiction, influenced by real life circumstances author has witnessed over her lifetime. Primary plot: Cody and David fall in love and know they want to be together. However, their families are bitter enemies. Sound familiar? Unlike Shakespeare's characters however, their lives do not end in suicide. Cody is a confident young woman who can take care of herself, right?

Cody 's biological father is a gay ex-con, but unlike her grandmother, Cody isn't worried about societal snobbery. Much to her family's dismay, she wants to meet this man.

David is the grandson of recently murdered well known male socialite Rick Browning, and Cody 's grandfather was somehow involved!

Cody and David escape to Mexico for a "brief romantic weekend. "The drug cartel, and David's need to please his father by developing a timeshare business, creates obstacles these two must navigate together.

Subplot: Jerry a recovering alcoholic sober for 15 years has finally come out of the closet and is proud to stand before God as a man who knows he has been given a second chance at happiness. Having served his time in prison he is ready for an openly gay relationship. His church excepts him. He has a thriving business and finds the man of his dreams. Life seems to be going well for him. Can it last?

David and Libby; Jerry and Bruce... they're good people, who all want to do the right thing. They want to live life on life's terms. Can it be that easy?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638856269

Book preview

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Living Life On Life's Terms

Easier Said than Done

Angie Galler Bowen

ISBN 978-1-63885-625-2 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68526-433-8 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-63885-626-9 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Angie Galler Bowen

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Epilogue

Questions to Ponder

About the Author

All works of love are works of peace.

—Mother Teresa (1979)

The spectacle of Christians loving all people was the most astounding Rome had ever seen.

—Jane Addams (1860–1935)

Nobel Prize 1931

Pioneer Feminist, Pacifist,

and Internationalist Founding Member, American Civil Liberties Union

Not everything that counts can be counted; and not everything that can be counted counts.

—Albert Einstein (1921)

Nobel Prize Laureate

All religions are steppingstones back to God.

—Guy Zona

Pawnee Tribe Member,

The Soul Would Have No Rainbow

If the Eyes Had No Tears

The teachings of Jesus are like a beautifully cut diamond. They can be viewed from many angles, yet each angle points to the same center.

—John A. Sanford

The Kingdom Within

Twelve-step programs have been called by some the most successful spiritual groups of the twentieth century.

—Davidson Loehr Sermon (November 25, 2001)

Chapter 1

Cody woke up, lying in a beautiful, intricately carved four-poster bed. Yes, she had been born in a ditch—the seed of the devil as her great-grandmother once said to her mother—but life had been very good to her. Her family was quite wealthy. Even so, she had never seen such a beautiful bed. She snuggled under the plush duvet, not wanting to get up yet.

Here she was on a beautiful Yucatán peninsula with the man of her dreams. She pulled off the ornamental duvet, grabbed a sheet, and wandered into the bathroom. On the way, she noticed a tray full of breakfast goodies and grabbed a chunk of her favorite fruit—a luscious, perfectly ripened papaya.

Though she had a wealthy family herself and enjoyed her own luxuries, Cody had never felt so special and beautiful in all her life. She yawned, looking out over the Gulf of Mexico—palm trees swaying in her view.

Where am I? she said, stretching her arms out as she looked out onto the beach. Oh no! She shook her head, remembering the confrontation between herself and her great-grandmother when she had told Gamma about David. It was a week before her high school graduation.

True to her nature, Cody had rebelled when Gamma told her firmly, You will not see that boy again. She had seen him again—not at the graduation, as he insisted on meeting her family under better terms. The sad part is that Cody had no idea why her family was so against David Browning's family. In fact, she had never seen her great-grandmother so harsh—almost mean. But she meant it. Cody knew that.

She also knew that there were two sides to every story and conflicting parts to everyone's personality. Thankful that her mama, nana, and gamma had taught her these insights, Cody wondered how such wisdom could now be used in such a rebellious, spontaneous decision.

She thought of a book she had been reading recently, The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen.

Really two sides of the same coin, Cody mused.

If two brothers could be joined into one personality so that inner opposition is ended, wholeness could emerge. The older brother lends mature, responsible and accountable behaviors to younger brother, who in turn lends deep-felt emotions, compassion and spontaneity. (John A. Sanford, The Kingdom Within)

I will talk to Nana and Mama!

Cody remembered lamenting that night—crying herself to sleep. David had initially agreed to attend her graduation, and Cody wanted him to come to the house first so he could ride with her and her great-grandmother.

But Gamma, who was in charge of her while her parents and grandparents were out of the country, had refused to meet him. She had paled at the mention of the Browning family and had turned abruptly and left, telling Cody to Follow me immediately. We are going home.

Having never seen her great-grandmother act in that way, Cody followed quietly, albeit in bewilderment.

They had been having a quiet lunch at Quotations Coffee Cafe in Brevard. Gamma, as Cody had fondly called her since she first began to talk, was telling her about the times her mother and nana had met there a lot—when Norma was pregnant with Cody. Then Cody had brought up David and how she had met him at the soup kitchen where she volunteered two times a week.

Sadly, Cody had acquiesced to her grandmother's demand but only out of respect for her great-grandmother's age. She wasn't in good health, yet she had wanted to take Cody out for lunch. Cody loved her gamma so much, and she knew in her heart that something was truly bothering her about David—she was just so bewildered as to what in the world it could be.

How can it be? She doesn't even know him. What is the rest of this story? What am I missing?

Cody had tried calling her mama and her nana last night. Neither called back. She wasn't alarmed. They had warned her that they would be out of reach and may not call back unless their agreed-upon emergency code was texted to them first.

Cody knew that Mama and Daddy were on a cruise to the Mediterranean, celebrating Mama's being chosen as clinical social worker of the year by the North Carolina Chapter of NASW (National Association of Social Workers).

Cody had heard all about Helen, the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) who had helped her mother and her nana become better people—knowing themselves in a deeper way than they had ever known before and growing in ways they never thought possible, together and individually. Gamma had even attended a session or two with them. Cody had great respect for the profession.

She had heard many stories and had read many books that their therapist, Helen, had recommended for them to read over the years. She was proud that her mother was following in her therapist's footsteps and was, in fact, very, very proud of her accomplishments in the field.

Also, Daddy had expanded his medical practice, originally a very small clinic. But this year, he had surprised them all by buying out the entire building that he had started in. It was a much-deserved vacation for them.

Cody hated to be in this current state of rebellion. She had always been the good kid. They had been through a lot as a family, especially with Cody's little brother, Rickey. He was a sophomore in high school and doing very well now but had caused them much grief during his freshman year—sneaking out at all hours of the night. He even got arrested once for public intoxication and possession of marijuana. He seemed to have problems with alcohol, even though there was no history of addiction in their father's side of the family.

Then Cody remembered their mother's father and her own biological grandfather. Plenty of addiction there, she thought. Her parents deserved a break.

Likewise, Nana and Big Tom (as Cody was fond of calling her grandfather) were out of the country. They had moved in with Gamma when Cody was just a toddler and had taken care of her through several surgeries. They hadn't really had a long vacation either, other than their honeymoon, also when Cody was a toddler.

Nana and Big Tom had decided to take advantage of a rare opportunity made available through Big Tom's work. He had recently been promoted to administrator of the Catholic Charities organization that served several counties in Western North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Good things were happening, and Cody was thankful.

They were in Portugal, in the Azores—islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. They had spent a week in New York City, visiting some of Big Tom's family. They had been shocked but forgiving of him for leaving the priesthood and marrying Norma. Then they flew into Lisbon, staying there for a week, then flying on to other parts of Portugal. It was a much-needed vacation for them as well.

Cody smiled as she remembered how everyone at church still called her grandfather Father Tom, even though he was now married to Norma. As a child, she had been confused, until her nana had explained it to her.

Cody, Big Tom used to be a priest. He has been granted dispensation from the church. That means they are not mad at him that he wanted to stop being a priest so he could get married to me and have you as a granddaughter.

Cody thought about her grandparents. She pondered how two people from such seemingly different backgrounds and with so many challenges to their friendship could become such deeply connected friends and, because of life's circumstances, live apart for many years, only to come back together and marry.

Then Cody turned her thoughts to her gamma. A registered nurse had been hired to help Cody with Gamma. Maria's niece, Selena, had been their housekeeper since Cody was three. Selena was the daughter of Serena, who was Maria's twin sister. She did all the cooking. It wasn't at all too much to ask of Cody to stay with Gamma and look after her for two weeks, especially with Selena doing all the cooking. Her meals were delightful. A tear slipped down Cody's cheek as she felt the pangs of remorse, having abandoned her grandmother in her time of need.

Cody hadn't known Maria—just that she was a legend in the Galyon family. They all seemed to worship her memory. Cody was told that Maria had been with her great-grandmother most of her adult life, had cared for the whole family, and had especially helped Gamma with her great-grandfather during his last months before dying from dementia-related illnesses. He had died when Cody was just a baby. That's all Cody knew about Maria. She had wondered about how she died, had even asked once or twice, but no one ever wanted to talk about it, so to this day, she still didn't have a clue.

Once Cody asked her best friend, Carlos, who was Maria's nephew, How did your aunt die?

Carlos shook his head and said he wasn't allowed to talk about it. Cody tried her best to get the information out of him, her mother, and grandmother, as well as her great-grandmother. Surprisingly, for a family who didn't like secrets, all of them had said the same thing—like it had been rehearsed and sworn to in some oath.

Maria died suddenly. It was very traumatic and broke our hearts. Let's just focus on what we have now.

It was still intriguing to Cody today that her mother, nana, and gamma had this saying that there would be no secrets between them, but that didn't seem to include information about Maria. She had been a beautiful woman. Cody had often admired the painting in the main hall. And she had definitely been loved like family.

Cody loved Carlos and his mother but hadn't been overly concerned since she did not know Maria, so she had dropped her pursuit of the origin of her death. Maybe they're trying to protect me from something, Cody had wondered at that time. She knew that she was protected from something, but what it was, she had no idea. It was like they were afraid she would vanish from their very midst if they let her get too far out of sight. She had been kidnapped as a toddler. No one would elaborate on the details, and it hadn't occurred to Cody to press the issue because life was good, albeit strict.

Not that Cody didn't enjoy all the latitude in the world when it came to friends, high school trips, classes she wanted to take, whether in school or extracurricular activities, nor did it interfere with any friendships that she had—her parents were very lenient. They just had to know the people Cody chose to hang out with—that's all. And there was always a chaperone not too far away from her, checking up on her safety and her friends because they didn't know them. At least that's what Cody had thought at that time. It didn't bother her. She was, as she like to comment often, Safe in my own skin. Someone had said that was an African saying for having strong confidence.

Cody was thinking back now and smiling. Well, now that I think about it, they knew them pretty well, ha.

She remembered one time when her father just happened to be in the same hotel where Cody and her friends stayed on her senior spring break in Destin, Florida.

Her dad had been spotted in the lobby and had remarked, Well, fancy meeting you here. I'm here on business.

Cody doubted it then and even more so now, but she didn't mind. They loved her fiercely, and she was grateful for that kind of love. She never felt smothered and resisted feelings of negativity or resentment when some of her friends suggested that was what was happening.

Cody loved and appreciated all that she had, so she had never questioned what she