Lily's Place

Lily never felt like she belonged. She walked through life one day at a time, never giving much thought to anyone or anything. Oh, how she hated her parents; every time she thought about them, her posture would stiffen, her brows would furrow, and angry tears would fly. She did what she needed to get by in life. She was polite, always smiled, but never gave more than what was asked for or required. This so-called life had been cruel to her since the day she came screaming into the world; she was what was known as a Safe Haven baby. On a cold April morning, when she was about a week old, someone bundled her up and dropped her off at Kinkade City Fire House 109. She was found in a small wicker basket, covered with a badly hand-knit blanket, wearing a small Pooh Bear onesie with a note pinned to the blanket saying, “Please take care of my little Pooh Bear.

That was 21 years ago. The local police chief, Brian McMurry, and his family agreed to foster her until some family members could be found. They contacted local hospitals and notified the local news stations to ask for the public’s help to identify the abandoned baby, but no one ever stepped forward. The days bled into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months into years, until time lost all meaning. She stayed with the McMurry family, but she knew they were not her family. She was treated well, but she saw through the charade. They provided for her physical needs, but not her emotional ones. Giving her everything she needed except affection. She was subjected to constant, humiliating taunts from his biological children; they were relentless in weaponizing cruel names like “Garbage Baby,’ ‘Trash can Baby, and ‘Throwaway’ anything to make her feel worthless. She never complained; she just did what needed to be done to get through each day. The visceral loathing for her parents consumed her. Why did they do this to her? How could they have just abandoned her like that? In this fishbowl town, everyone saw her being discarded like yesterday’s garbage and never let her forget she didn’t belong.

The moment she turned sixteen, she told the McMurrys she wanted out of high school and into the GED program. They didn't outright refuse, but they didn't make it easy, either—not without a rock-solid plan. What followed was a tense negotiation, a battle of wills that would dictate her future.

“My podcast has 850,000 followers: I’ve been making on average $3000 a month on my live events and webinars, I have $68,000 in the bank, and I can make it on my own.”

“What, since when do you have a Podcast and what is it?”

“I kicked off my podcast last summer after you got me that new phone. I’ve been interviewing people on the street and visiting local spots to review their new products. I also feature a 'Photo of the Week' segment where I chat about submissions from the community.”

“And they pay you for that?”

“Yes, I have three local sponsors, Sally’s Beauty Salon, The Blue Apron Spa, and the Twice as Nice Pawn Shop. They pay me a monthly stipend to talk to people about their business and upcoming events.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“There is a Content House in Jacksonville that I’ve been in communication with; they have a room for me if I can get there.”

“What is a content house?”

“It’s normally a large house with plenty of bedrooms that they rent out to influencers to gather and collaborate; we live and work in these homes.”

“What is your Podcast called?”

“Lilly’s Voice”

“You have my permission.”

She dropped out of school, studied for the GED, and left three months later. She arrived in Jacksonville, found the Content House, which was called “The Drop Zone”, paid her fees, and settled in. For three years, she was on a roll, keeping up with daily casts, bringing in new sponsors, and just living her life. Her work was too specialized and refined to align with the sillier content of her peers, which, despite some collaboration, meant she never quite fit in. As the seasons changed, her disdain for her parents only took deeper root.

Just before her 20th birthday, she bought a house in Brunswick, Georgia, and decided to reinvent herself. She changed up her Podcast to include Nature Walks, Eagle Sightings, Dolphin and Alligator talks, and Treasure hunts. While walking on Jekyll Island in December, she learned of a treasure hunt that started in 2002. The Jekyll Island Authority hid three to five orbs around the island starting on January 1st and ending on the last day of February. This was started to encourage people to visit the Golden Isles during the off-season, and it worked. Thousands of people come to the island every January and February to look for these little orbs.

That's when she got the idea for her newest Podcast. She then launched her popular podcast, Lilly’s JI Treasure Hunt, which debuted on January 1st and became an instant success. Driven by a daily ritual, she wandered the Jekyll Island trails, turning every encounter into a conversation. She interviewed everyone she met—from the lucky treasure-hunters clutching Orbs to the tireless walkers searching empty-handed, and the casual strollers simply enjoying the scenery. Second only to her now infamous Treasure Hunt, her nature walks beneath the moss-draped oaks were legendary. They allowed even those who couldn't often visit the Golden Isles to experience the breathtaking, rustic beauty of Jekyll. She would sit in front of the Million Dollar Mansion and tell them the story of Jekyll. She was happy here.

Her following surged past a million by the end of January, accompanied by six new sponsors and increasing requests to feature specific areas of the island. A couple who were married on the island 30 years earlier asked her to create a memorial montage by blending their damaged wedding photo with a new picture of the sunset on their wedding beach. Word of this picture got out, and soon she was flooded with other such requests.She couldn’t keep up with the demand.Her business grew, and she ended up renting office space and hiring help. She was a small business owner. How did that happen? All she wanted to do was talk to people, take pictures, and post about it. The instant sensation was nothing short of phenomenal; the demand far exceeded the supply.

They always say you need to find a niche that people are looking for and market the hell out of it. She named her store “Lily’s Place”. She filled the front of her shop with art supplies and a small café, while the middle was packed with locally made crafts. In the back, she offered tables for rent, allowing artists to create their products and sell them directly in the store. Her life was finally coming together; she wasn’t laughed at anymore, no one called her trash or throw-away baby, and she was becoming a well-respected member of the community. Supporting the community’s monthly First Friday event, she extended her business hours to join the downtown street party

On the last day of the hunt, she had spent the entire day walking the island and talking to people who were trying to find those last few Orbs before the Treasure Hunt closed for another year. As she walked past the Fire Department, she heard a baby crying. She stopped and looked into the station. The firemen were all standing around a small wicker basket which had been left at the station. In the basket was a baby boy, maybe a week old. She walked up to them and asked about the baby. “A Safe Haven Baby,” they said. Tears formed in her eyes. She sat down with local police and child protective services, filling out endless forms to bring him home. Though the process took a few months, it was worth the wait when Jason finally arrived just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

She packed up a picnic basket, and she and Jason went to spend the day on Jekyll. When she passed one of the display tables, she noticed small red bricks were being sold. For $100, you can have a name or statement written on the bricks, and they would be placed in one of the new walkways being built around the Turtle Center. Most people would put, “In Loving Memory of So and So, or list The Blankety Blank Family. She bought 5 bricks and asked to have the words “In Honor of All Safe Haven Babies.” She asked that the bricks be interspersed along the length of the walkway, rather than grouped.

She spent the day with Jason on the island. Every hour she spent on Jekyll was like a gift, filling her heart with joy so profound it would forever be etched in her memory. As she prepared to leave, she lingered for a moment, watching Jason’s chest rise and fall in the quiet rhythm of sleep within his stroller. As she walked past the table with the bricks on it, she saw the workers dismantling their setup and loading the last few heavy red bricks into a crate. Stopping in her tracks, she turned back and asked if she could purchase just one more. With a trembling hand, she left a message beside the purchase: “Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving me life.” With a final, serene smile, she walked away, leaving behind the heavy burden of resentment and hate. In this moment, she realized that by forgiving them, she was giving herself the peace she deserved.