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 ...