by Shana Burton
Kina gazed down at the picture of Donavan. “I bet he is! Your son is adorable, Angel. He’s the perfect combination of you and your husband.”
“How’s Kenny?” asked Angel.
“Kenny is in the air force now. He is stationed in Texas and has been talking about getting married.”
Sullivan laughed. “You ready to be a grandma?”
Kina wrinkled her brow. “I don’t know about all that, but I’m one proud mama!”
“Not to mention a big-time reality star,” Angel said, chiming in. “I love seeing you as one of the weight-loss coaches on Lose Big.”
“Moving back out West proved to be the best thing I could’ve done,” admitted Kina. “If I hadn’t, I never would’ve met my fiancé, Karl, who helped me get the part on the show.”
“Awww!” Lawson embraced her cousin. “I’m so proud of you!”
“So what’s been going on with you, Lawson?” asked Sullivan.
“I’m an elementary school principal now!” Lawson revealed. “It’s a small school in Crawford County, but I love it! Simon attends. He lives with us full-time now.”
Angel was bowled over. “Really?”
“Yeah, Simone went to New York and fell in love, so she decided to stay up there. After a bit of a battle, she and Garrett both agreed that it was best that Simon stay down here with us. She gets him for the summer, but he lives with us.”
Sullivan pressed for more details. “What about Namon? How’s he?”
“He’s wonderful. He’s working on his MBA and working for a nonprofit up in Atlanta,” said Lawson. “Things couldn’t be better between us, probably because we’re in two different cities! I can’t run his life from Crawford County.”
Sullivan laughed. “That’s true! Wow . . . you don’t know how much it warms my heart to see how well you are doing, especially today.”
Kina looked glum. “It’s weird. We all have new lives that none of us are a part of anymore.”
“But I think we needed this time away from each other to fully become the people God intended us to be,” mused Angel. “Kina, you never would’ve gone back to Cali or Reggie to Virginia if things had stayed the same. Our marriages might not be as strong or our careers as successful if we’d stayed in that comfort zone with each other.”
“Plus, we don’t have to see each other every day to be a part of each other’s lives. I still pray for all of you every night,” admitted Lawson.
“Same here,” said Angel. “It makes me feel like we’re still connected.”
Sullivan smirked. “And I will admit, Kina, your weekly blog after each Lose Big episode is my guilty pleasure. I make a point to read it every time you post on it.”
“Even though we’re members of a different church now, Duke and I still stream Mount Zion Ministries online all the time,” volunteered Angel.
“I do too,” confessed Reginell. “It helps whenever I get homesick.”
Lawson was touched. “We’ve been apart, but we’ve all discovered our own way to stay connected.”
The former friends shared an awkward stare before falling into a hug.
“I wish we had more time together,” wailed Kina. “I haven’t seen all of y’all together in five years. I’m not ready for it to end.”
“What time are you all flying back?” asked Sullivan.
“My flight doesn’t leave until tomorrow,” Reginell informed them.
“Mine either,” said Kina.
“I drove, so time isn’t an issue for me,” reported Lawson.
Angel shook her head. “It isn’t a factor for me, either.”
“Why don’t we all go back to my place and hang out, like we used to?” suggested Sullivan.
Lawson was hesitant. “Are you sure?”
“Of course,” said Sullivan. “I think it’s pretty safe to say that we’ve got a lot of catching up to do!”
“We don’t have that long,” pointed out Kina.
“Oh, you’ll be surprised at how much can be accomplished over a bowl of ice cream and a bottle of wine!” proclaimed Sullivan.
“Dang, I’ve missed y’all!” exclaimed Angel at long last.
They all laughed and walked out to the parking lot, arm in arm, realizing that things between them would never be as they were but content in the knowledge that some things, like love and true friendship, never really change.
Reader Discussion Questions
1. Do you think Desdemona was the source of problems for the group, or did her presence only bring the ladies’ conflicts to the forefront?
2. Can Lawson’s attempt to get Shari to terminate her pregnancy be considered an act of love? Why or why not?
3. Was Lawson out of line with her relationship with Mark? Why or why not?
4. If you were Charles, would you have chosen to save your wife or your child? Explain.
5. Do you think Sullivan’s emotional problems stem from selfishness or from her tumultuous childhood?
6. Do you think anything inappropriate transpired between Duke and Mya? Why or why not?
7. If you were in Angel’s position, would you have taken Duke back?
8. Is there anything wrong with Kina dating her late husband’s father? Explain.
9. Did Reginell overreact in her treatment of Lawson with regard to Mark?
10. Should the ladies have remained in their tight friendship circle, or did they need to separate in order to grow? Explain.
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Flawbulous Copyright © 2014 Shana Burton
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-6016-2674-5
This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
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