After Church: Walking Worthy....After the Benediction! (The Greatest Love Series Book 2)

by Genevieve Woods

out her phone to fire off another text, because a Christina Aguilera song playing on her sound system had prompted her, giving her courage.

  Camille: Daddy, say something, cause I’m giving up on you!

  After several long minutes, she knew he was not going to respond. Her father was again abandoning her; she should be able to accept this treatment after all these years. But, why did it still hurt so badly? She chucked the phone with anguish and resentment. Karen just didn’t understand what it was like being raised

  by the Great Jacob Darius James. It was nothing to write home about. Sure, he was there financially but when it came to her first heartbreak, he said, “Did you take your meds?” When she did not make class valedictorian and cried for days because she was one point away, his response was, “Did you take your meds?”

  That is how he raised her from a distance, with respect to Grammy, “Take your meds” and move on from anything negative. She however, continued to reach

  out to him wanting and longing for more. She finally found out how to get more out of him. She became a success; she graduated with her bachelor’s magna cum laude, and went on to get her Masters. Now she owns a successful business. He was proud of that, and proud that she had snagged a man with money and morals. She knew he felt she should have just rolled with the happy parts of life and medicate to avoid the pain of any other challenges.

  These thoughts made Camille come out of her Christian character. She went to her kitchen cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine she had been gifted by a client. She poured herself a glass and changed the music on her playlist. She knew this was the time to take her Prozac and pray. However, she knew better than to mix alcohol with her meds. She had not lost all of her common sense; she just opted for the wine and the sounds of rhythm and blues to deal with the depression she could feel coming on.

  She deserved this pity party. She queued Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” She drank and drowned her sorrows in the lyrics of the song and Nina’s raspy, sultry voice. No scriptures came to her mind, only the fact that in all her do-gooding she was left to blame for hurting her best friend and sister. With that, she decided to put the song on repeat and pulled out a second bottle of wine. While mediating on the lyrics, she was up swaying already in a drunken stupor; at points of the song that she identified with, she raised her glass and slurred a contemptuous “Amen.”

  At the end of the song, Camille fell onto her kitchen floor’s cold tiles and sobbed. She cried out with a voice of despair for the father above to hear her.

  Instantly, as if God had dispatched an Angel, her doorbell rang. She prayed it was Karen. She knew it couldn’t be Benjamin because he had to go out of state to handle a customer who had a system shut down.

  She reluctantly went to the door and opened it, it was indeed an Angel coming to her rescue. It was her future mother- in-law, Ellen. Camille pulled her in

  and fell into her arms. Mother Ellen held her tightly with a mother’s love.

  ***

  “Paige, a baby is a miracle; you know I love you, right? We are getting married.” Paige looked up with a fiery glare. She was staring at her pedicured toes while Kevin was giving his, ‘this is not the end of the world speech.’

  “What do you mean we’re getting married, I don’t have ring?”

  “Of course you do sweetheart.” Kevin immediately dropped to his knees, reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a small blue bag. Paige knew the brand and knew that bag had once been inside a blue box. When Kevin, pulled a beautiful diamond solitaire ring out of it, she gasped and covered her face with both hands. Her emotions bubbled over into tears of shock and tenderness.

  “Paige I love you. I know you are the one for me; there is no one else that can complete me as only you do. The reason I went to Atlanta was to make my parents aware that I would be proposing marriage to you. Although, I have been planning a more romantic setting, now is the time to become official. Knowing that you have my seed inside of you, forming into someone special like their momma solidifies we are a family. So, Paige Antoinette Richards, will you do me the honor of bearing my name and spending forever with me?”

  “Yes! Yes! I will marry you. I love you with all my heart Kevin Anthony

  Michelson.” Kevin scooped her up and twirled her around. The bliss was short

  lived because Paige started beating his back and pointing at her mouth. She needed to throw up. Kevin placed her down to let her make her way to the bathroom.

  Kevin felt like a helpless douche bag for causing her to become nauseated. He remembered that Camille had given her ginger ale and crackers to settle her stomach. He went in of search them. He hummed all the way to the kitchen because she said yes with no resistance. He thought she was going to regress in her personal evolvement, but she didn’t, counseling was working.

  Now that they were officially engaged, he knew they had a lot to work out because they were on a Christian journey and her being pregnant clearly showed they had lost their way a time or two. In addition, he had decided to throw his name in the election for the office of District Attorney. They would have to marry quickly, babies out of wedlock was frowned upon in politics just as it was in the religious sector. Besides, he wanted his son or daughter to be born to parents who were in love and married.

  However, none of the issues they could potentially be faced with was

  enough to prevent him from sending up his own prayers of thanksgiving. Paige had just committed to becoming his wife and he thanked the Lord for it. He made it to the kitchen grabbed the soda and crackers, and made his way back to his bride-to- be. A grin was plastered on his face as he thought; she was also the mother of his child.

  Chapter 6

  I’m Nothing Without You

  Tamala Sykes was on a mission this Sunday morning. Being the lead receptionist and assistant to the counselling staff, she sometimes helped the finance department when they were behind in posting the receipts of the offering and tithes received in the system.

  Truth was, supporting Dr. Whitney and the other counselor’s needs of the church often left her bored. She was always happy when the finance department called her in to help. What that department didn’t know, was that she not only was keying in the receipts, but she also keyed in on her next romantic conquest by the amount that he paid into church.

  This past week she had posted the tithes and offering of the Assistant District Attorney, Kevin Michelson. She was blown away by the amount of his tithes; data entering the number made her insides tingle. If that weren’t enough the offering amount was more than his tithes, that just sent her entire body into orbit.

  Therefore, she was now on a mission, determined to make his acquaintance. She had done her research by watching the sanctuary’s security from the past few Sundays. To watch those videos, she just had to bat her long eyelashes, smile, and wink at Brother George, head of security. Those video feeds equipped her with where the Assistant District Attorney sat, which was always on the same row with that nutcase girlfriend of his. She knew without a doubt that Paige was no match for her; after all, she had read the notes from Paige’s sessions. The girl had deep issues from her childhood, issues that a man of Kevin’s status shouldn’t have to

  deal with. There were rumors going around the city that he would soon be the next

  District Attorney and she wanted to be on his arm, during his election campaign.

  She had come up with the perfect excuse for appearing in their row. She would tell Paige her appointment needed to be cancelled due to a scheduling conflict, and she wanted her to have the earliest notice possible. She would just tell Dr. Whitney that Paige cancelled.

  When she made it to the row, she was excited to see Paige had not arrived. She looked him over; he was a light caramel delight. He was impeccably dressed in a fitted dress shirt that allowed his biceps to be on display, his dark slacks were pressed against lean thighs, and sitting down he looked like a god. She smoothed down her too tight and too sh
ort dress, which was inappropriate for church, and entered the row where Kevin was sitting alone. She leaned down over him as he was writing his offering envelope. Tamala knew it was probably another big check to be posted. Oh how she needed a man with connections and one that could

  provide her with the lifestyle she coveted. She leaned over being sure to let her cleavage appear in his vision.

  “Excuse me; you are our city’s Assistant District Attorney, Kevin Michelson, correct?” Kevin looked up and was taken aback by the beauty that was leaning over him, pushing her perky mounds toward him. He immediately had to check his wayward thoughts as he stared into her dark eyes. She could easily have been the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered. But, he knew he had the real deal in Paige, add to that she was at home today because their pregnancy had her ill. He reigned in his raging hormones and penetrating gaze and concentrated on the fact this girl was in his personal space, uninvited.

  He answered with a sharp and cold tone in his voice. “Yes, I am, how can I

  help you?” Startled by his terseness, Tamala had to regroup.

  “Um, I’m Tamala Sykes, I work for Dr. Whitney and was looking for Paige Richards. I know she is your girlfriend and normally sits with you. Dr. Whitney won’t be able to see her this Friday; I just wanted to let her know a week from Friday would be her next appointment.”

  Kevin felt guilty for slighting the young lady, partially because he knew he did it to avert his attraction to her, she was just trying to do her job.

  “Thank you for the information, I’ll let Paige know.”

  “Oh is she not here today?” Tamala wanted to jump for joy but contained her composure, Kevin seemed to be a no nonsense type of guy. Nothing she couldn’t work with though.

  “No, she won’t be able to make it she is feeling under the weather.”

  “Well I hope she gets to feeling better soon.” Tamala knew she didn’t give two cents about that ghetto chic’s health, but she was trying to gain some footing with the object of her desire.

  “Thank you for your concern, I’ll let her know you sent your well wishes to

  her.”

  Tamala saw an opening for more dialogue and an open seat so she pushed

  forward. “Since we have just a few minutes until the service starts is it okay if I

  take this seat?”

  Before Kevin could object, he saw Frankie and Karen entering the row. He was hoping they would come this morning and not stay away to avoid Camille.

  Paige had told him Camille’s side and he fully understood it and empathized with

  them both.

  However, the couple behind them drained all the color from his face. He was now white as a ghost and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

  He stood up as Tamala was making herself comfortable in Paige’s normal seat. She was none the wiser to the change in Kevin’s demeanor. He rapidly headed toward the couple who was making their way down the aisle.

  “Mother…Dad, what are you doing here?”

  Julia acted as if they did not have a major falling out weeks ago. She pulled her son into her arms and gave him a kiss on each cheek.

  “Son we have come with a peace offering and to share in this worship

  service with you. Is that okay?”

  “Sure Mom, Dad, come have a seat.”

  Kevin ushered his parents into the row while explaining Paige was ill and wouldn’t be attending the service. He ignored the gleam in his mother’s eyes when she realized she would not have deal with Paige. He made introductions to Karen and Frankie, and Miss Tamala introduced herself as a friend and sister in Christ of their son. This left Kevin baffled but he shook it off as his thoughts went to Paige. He hoped she was feeling better and that this nausea part of pregnancy ended soon. He couldn’t call it morning sickness because it was occurring throughout the day. The lights dimmed drawing Kevin out of his thoughts, the praise and worship team took the stage. To his surprise, Benjamin was one of the lead soloists. Who knew his boy could sing like Bryan McKnight?

  Camille could not hold back the tears as Benjamin led the praise and worship team with his anointed voice, singing Jason Nelson’s, “Nothing Without

  You.” The lyrics, in him do I move and have my being, cause I’m nothing without

  you, rang true in her soul.

  Last night, she decided to forfeit her reliance on God and turned to alcohol and self-pity, all because she could not face the consequences of her error in not telling Karen about their family connection. But Glory be to God, Mother Ellen showed up in the nick of time.

  Her heart swelled with joy as she thought about the love of her life sending his mother to check on her. That spoke volumes to the tether that bound them. Even when they were apart, when she was hurting, he felt it and provided her with comfort through his mother in his absence.

  She was happy to be betrothed to this handsome man, who was now ministering to the saints through the ministry of song. He had sent a dove her way, a messenger of peace and love, which is what Mother Ellen represented in her darkest hour. She couldn’t imagine what damage she would have done to herself if Mother Ellen had not shown up.

  Mother Ellen held her for half an hour when she entered Camille’s apartment. She held her until the wails of despair slowed, she prayed with and for her. She made her coffee to sober her up and then told her not to be too hard on herself. Mother Ellen was filled with compassion as she ministered restoration to Camille.

  She had told her, “We are all human and sometimes we fall down, but the most important thing is that we get back up.”

  Her future mother-in-law was the ram in the bush for her. Camille was spiraling into depression because her trigger of abandonment had been ignited with Karen shutting her out and her dad cutting off communication via text.

  But the Lord led Ben to send his mother to her aide. Camille was grateful to

  Mother Ellen, for the patience and love she bestowed upon her. She didn’t scold

  her she just loved on her and ministered words of encouragement. Camille smiled

  at the thought of Mother Ellen’s advice.

  “Camille you have to get down on your knees and have the courage to believe that the Lord will give you strength to overcome whatever comes your way. He does not put more on us then we can bear.”

  Camille repented and then went home with Mother Ellen to spend the night. She did not want to be alone. She slept in her fiancé’s childhood bedroom. Being near his mom, where he grew up brought the peace that she needed.

  Now she was standing in the sanctuary with uplifted hands as Benjamin and the praise and worship team repeated the chorus, I am nothing Lord, I'm nothing without You, I'm nothing without You, I'm nothing without You.

  Karen was also standing on her feet with tears streaking her caramel face. Her husband was by her side, praying that she would allow forgiveness into her heart. He knew the song was referring to people being nothing without Christ. He also knew his wife needed her sister; she would not be complete without working it out. He lifted his hands and worshipped Christ who was the only one with the power to heal sin, sick souls, and repair broken hearts.

  Karen had an emotional breakthrough with the lyrics of the song. She lifted her hands in surrender to allow the spirit of the Lord to breathe through her; she wanted him to live inside of her.

  She knew, as Ben and the praise and worship team continued to sing this song, there was no way the Lord’s glory could rein her in if she didn’t forgive her own sister. Christ had allowed her to escape actual crimes against innocent people. Camille had kept a secret that was, in all honesty, not her secret to tell. Her father should have told her, but Camille had always told Karen he was a coward.

  Therefore, without any delay, she exited her row and went to the row with her sister and Mother Ellen. She beckoned Camille to join her on the altar. There

  Camille said she was sorry as the praise and worship team sang “Let Your Glory Reign in Me.” K
aren accepted Camille’s apology and made her own for not being open to hear her. They embraced and sang to each other, I’m nothing without you, nothing without you.

  Soon the altar was full of family members and friends worshiping together, and holding on to one another. His spirit was lifted. When Benjamin saw his girl embracing her sister, he almost came undone. He held it together and Benjamin looked out onto the packed altar and inwardly gave glory to the Master as he continued to sing to the glory of God.

  Pastor Caine, also felt the presence of God and began to minister to each person on the altar. He, along with his staff of elders and missionaries, prayed for every soul that came to the altar, which turned out to be thousands. A formal sermon was not given, because when the Spirit of the Lord is in the temple, you allow it to have its way.

  After Church, everyone gave Benjamin praise for his anointed singing, he man-blushed and gave all the glory to God. No one could tell who was more proud Mother Ellen or Camille.

  Kevin introduced his parents to the group. Mother Ellen graciously invited them and Tamala to dinner. Tamala was inwardly smiling as she had become joined at the hip with Mrs. Michelson. She was sure she saw something sinister in her eyes every time Paige’s named was mentioned. Yes, she beamed internally; Mrs. Michelson’s was another way for her to enter into Kevin’s world. The Michelson’s and Tamala were going to follow Frankie and Karen, to Mother’s Ellen’s. Kevin was going to stop by Paige’s first to check on her.