Flaw Less

by Shana Burton

Kina looked over Reginell’s shoulder. “What does it say? Who’s it from?”

  “It’s from Mark.” Reginell held up her phone. “He said he loves me. That’s the first time he’s ever said it.”

  “Aww, Reggie, that’s so sweet!” gushed Kina.

  “Is it?” Sullivan frowned. “He didn’t even have the guts to tell her in person.”

  Reginell slowly broke into a smile. “You, guys, Mark loves me!” she squealed.

  Lawson grabbed the phone out of Reginell’s hand and read it for herself. “Apparently so.” She handed the phone back. “Maybe he meant agape love, you know, that whole Christian brother-sister love.”

  “I don’t think so,” said Angel. “Just look at that Kool-Aid smile on her face!”

  “Are you going to say it back?” asked Kina.

  Reginell exhaled, still beaming. “I don’t know.”

  Angel set a box of unused ornaments down next to Reginell. “Well, do you love him?”

  “I don’t know.” Reginell lifted her eyes. “I think so.”

  Lawson eased in between them. “Wait a minute! Reggie, you are not in love with Mark. The two of you have only been out a few times.”

  Reginell cut her eyes at Lawson. “That doesn’t have anything to do with how we feel about each other.” She turned to Sullivan, Angel, and Kina for support. “Should I text him back? No, I think I should call him, don’t you?”

  “I think you and Mark need to stop this nonsense!” advised Lawson. “The two of you are no more in love than Kina and Joan.”

  Reginell stepped to her sister. “What is your problem with Mark and me? Why are you hatin’? You don’t think I’m good enough for him or something?”

  “That’s ridiculous, Reggie. You’re my flesh and blood. If anything, I don’t think anybody is good enough for you!”

  “So what’s going on, Lawson?” asked Angel. “Are there some lingering feelings between you and Mark?”

  Lawson exhaled. “No, it’s just . . .”

  “What?” pumped Reginell.

  “I get it,” piped in Sullivan. “You don’t want your sister sloppin’ up your leftovers like some beggar.”

  Lawson shook her head. “It’s not even that. It’s . . .”

  “Just say it, sweetie,” coaxed Angel.

  “It’s not that I want Mark because I don’t,” explained Lawson. “I love my husband. He’s the only man that I want.”

  Reginell put her hands on her hips. “Then what is it?”

  “I hate that Mark . . .” She took a deep breath. “I hate that he wants you, all right?” she said at last. “Where was this kind, sensitive, caring guy when I needed him? When I was drowning, trying to raise our son by myself, where was he then?”

  “Lawson, he didn’t know,” Kina reminded her.

  “I know that. All those years I was raising my son alone, I convinced myself that Mark was this jerk that Namon and I were better off without, but he’s not. Mark has turned out to be a really good guy and—”

  “Do you know how selfish and crazy you sound right now?” charged Reginell.

  Lawson was convicted. “Yes. I want you to be happy, Reggie. I do. I want you to find a good man and get married and have babies . . . just not with him.”

  Kina wrapped her arm around Lawson. “It’s okay, honey.”

  “No, it’s not!” screeched Reginell. “Why are you even worried about Mark and me? You have a husband, and you have a good life. All I want is a little piece of happiness for myself, and it sucks that my sister—my best friend—can’t support me!”

  “Reggie, I would be supportive if it was anybody else, you know that!”

  “But it is him. Mark is the one I want.”

  Lawson appealed to her sister’s sensitive side. “Even if it hurts me?”

  “This ain’t about you, Lawson! Mark doesn’t want you. He wants me. You have Garrett, who loves you. He loves you so much that he’s practically begging you to give him a baby, but you’re here trying to break up my relationship. What you need to do is focus on your own man before you lose him too.”

  Kina moved in between Lawson and Reginell. “Okay, let’s just settle down and fall back for a minute.”

  “No,” insisted Reginell. “I’m not backing down because Lawson is too stouthearted and jealous to be happy for me. I’m not giving up Mark either.”

  “Well, I, for one, can see where Lawson is coming from,” spoke up Sullivan. “This is some Jerry Springer, trailer-park mess! How are you going to date your sister’s baby’s daddy, Reggie? What’s Namon supposed to call you now—Aunt Stepmother? It’s confusing to me as an adult. What’s a kid to think?”

  “I could see if Mark and Lawson had some long, beautiful romance, and I came in and stole her man, but it’s not like that,” said Reginell. “They had a one-night stand, and she got knocked up. It’s no different from—”

  “What you do every day?” supplied Sullivan.

  “It’s no different from what people do every day! Lawson, you just need to live your life and let me live mine. How many times do I have to remind you that you’re not my mama?”

  “I’m not trying to be. Look, you asked me to be honest and tell the truth. I did that. Don’t get mad with me if you don’t like the answer. Some people just can’t handle the truth.”

  “No, Lawson, you’re the one who can’t handle the truth, which is that Mark chose me. You can either deal with it or get dealt with.”

  “There’s no need to make threats, Reggie,” cautioned Kina.

  “Believe me, y’all ain’t seen nothing yet, but you will, Lawson, if you don’t back off.”

  Lawson stood aghast. “So you’re going to let a man come between us? Your very own sister?”

  “No, you are!” Reginell stormed off, slamming the door behind her.

  Angel rubbed Lawson’s back. “Do you want me to go after her?”

  Lawson sighed. “If you think you can talk some sense into her.”

  “Or knock some into her,” added Sullivan as Angel raced to catch up with Reginell. Sullivan turned to Lawson. “Are you all right?”

  Lawson rubbed her forehead. “I don’t want to lie. We’re in church.”

  Sullivan laughed a little. “I want you to know I understand.”

  “You do?” Lawson was grateful for the empathy.

  “Yeah, I know this sounds a little selfish and shallow. . .”

  “Selfish and shallow is what you do best, Sully,” teased Lawson.

  Sullivan playfully elbowed her. “Like I was saying, it sounds selfish, but once mine, always mine! Even if I don’t want a guy, that doesn’t mean anyone else can have him either, especially not someone I’m close to.”

  “I don’t know if I should be relieved or ashamed. You just made me sound very egotistical and self-absorbed.”

  “Not egotistical . . . just a little territorial and with good reason! Mark isn’t just someone you once dated. He’s your son’s father. The two of you will always be connected. If he and Reggie seriously hook up, it could get messy. What if they have kids? How would you explain that Namon is both their brother and their cousin? It’s just too weird.”

  “But she’s my sister, and he makes her happy,” Lawson conceded. “Who am I to mess with that?”

  “No one, if it was that simple, but it’s not, and you both know it.”

  Lawson sighed. “I don’t know, Sully. I hate feeling this way, not to mention what it’s doing to my relationship with Reggie.”

  Sullivan bit her lip. “What is it doing to your relationship with Garrett?”

  “Garrett and I are fine,” she insisted.

  “Honestly?”

  “Yes, he knows Mark is no threat to him.”

  “Are you serious? Lawson, you slept with Mark, and you have a child together. Mark will always be a threat to Garrett.”

  “My husband isn’t insecure like other men. We’re solid, Sully. Trust me.”

  “If you say so . . . Just don’t let Garre
tt see you get so worked up about Mark. I don’t care how solid you think you are, no marriage is written in heaven, and even the most solid foundation can be destroyed by a single crack.”

  Chapter 25

  “Did you say the doctor said you were sterile?”

  —Sullivan Webb

  Sullivan studied the calendar. It had been almost six weeks since her encounter with Vaughn, and her period was officially five days late. She didn’t want to get her hopes up too high. It had been late before. Unlike the previous times, however, this time was a welcome surprise. The only dilemma would be pinpointing the exact date she conceived. Not that it mattered, though. For all intents and purposes, any child that came out of her body would only know Charles Webb as its father.

  Charles dragged into house looking downtrodden and defeated. “Hey, honey.” He gave Sullivan a peck on the lips.

  “You look sad, but I think I have news that will cheer you up.”

  Charles sighed and sank down onto the sofa. “My spirits certainly could use a lift.”

  Sullivan rushed to his side, laying a hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong, honey? What’s going on?”

  He reached for her hand. “My doctor called with my test results from my physical a couple of weeks ago.”

  Sullivan covered her mouth with her free hand and braced for the worst. “Charles, please don’t tell me it’s cancer.”

  Charles patted her hand and chuckled a little. “No, nothing like that, sweetheart.”

  She exhaled, relieved. “So what did he say? Does he want you to lose some weight, start working out more?”

  “Yes. My cholesterol and blood pressure are a little higher than he’d like it to be, and he’s worried about atherosclerosis.”

  “My God!” gasped Sullivan. “What’s that?”

  “It’s buildup of plaque in the artery walls. Sometimes it can lead to a heart attack or a stroke, but that’s not what concerns me.”

  “Well, that’s what concerns me!” exclaimed Sullivan. “I keep telling you those hens at the church aren’t doing you any favors by cooking all that fried, lard-infested soul food.” Charles didn’t say anything. “What’s the matter, honey? What aren’t you telling me?”

  He took a deep breath and looked Sullivan in the eyes. “The doctor says I might not be able to have children, Sullivan. He says most of my sperm aren’t active and haven’t been for a long time.”

  Sullivan froze, the air and life seemingly sucked out of her. She began trembling. “Did you say the doctor said you were sterile?” She had to make sure she’d heard him correctly.

  “Well, not completely sterile, but it’s definitely what the doctors consider to be a low sperm count. Without some intervention, there’s a very slim chance of you getting pregnant the old-fashioned way.”

  “Wa-wa-wait, Charles,” she stuttered, clutching her chest. “Doctors can be wrong. Those tests can be wrong!”

  Charles shook his head. “He ran the test twice, honey.”

  “It’s a mistake!” denounced Sullivan. “There’s got to be some kind of mix-up or something!”

  She began panting. Thoughts began racing through her mind. She’d slept with Vaughn. She didn’t use any birth control, and now her period was late. She was prepared for the letdown of not being pregnant. She was even prepared for a possible miscarriage or a stillbirth. Being pregnant with no possible way to pass Charles off as the child’s father was the one scenario she hadn’t considered.

  Charles folded Sullivan into his arms. “I know you’re disappointed, sweetheart, but there’s still hope. I’m already taking steps to remedy the problem.”

  “How?” she wailed.

  “Well, the doctor’s got me started on these fertility pills to increase my sperm count. That alone will increase our chances by about 25 percent. But, Sullivan, there are so many children out there who need homes and two parents to love them. Maybe God wants us to take in and love one of those children instead of trying to make some of our own.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “How could this happen?” Sullivan wondered aloud. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

  “I’m just as disappointed as you are,” said Charles and released her. “But the Lord knows His plans for us. He’s always right. Don’t ever question that. We have to trust Him.”

  “Charles, I want you to get that doctor on the phone. No—we need a different doctor. We need a second opinion.” She began rummaging through the room looking for a telephone directory. She found one inside the ottoman. “That test can’t be right. It just can’t be!”

  Charles took the phone book out of her hands. “Another test is not the answer, sweetheart.” He felt her hands. “You’re trembling, Sullivan. What’s wrong?”

  Sullivan swooned, falling back a little. “All of sudden, I don’t feel so good.” Charles caught her, and she leaned on her husband for support.

  “Come over here and sit down.” He walked her back to the sofa. “Take it easy.”

  Sullivan tried to breathe normally. Then she felt bile rising in her throat. She muttered, “I think I’m going to be sick . . .” before vomiting all over their sofa and coffee table.

  Charles held her hair back while she hacked up everything she’d eaten that day. “Did that make you feel a little better?”

  Sullivan sat up and nodded. “A little bit.”

  “I’m sorry, Sullivan. I didn’t mean to upset you this much.”

  “It’s fine,” she croaked. “I just need to clean all this up, brush my teeth, and jump in the shower.”

  “Baby, you go on upstairs and take care of yourself. You need to go lie down. I’ll clean this up and come check on you in a few minutes.”

  “Okay, thank you.” Sullivan stepped over the mess and made her way upstairs to her bathroom.

  “It’s just stress,” she told herself to calm down. “That’s all it is.” Stress, virus, terminal illness—anything would’ve been preferable to the reality that she might actually be pregnant with a baby no one would ever believe was her husband’s.

  Chapter 26

  “Friends support each other; they’re there for each other. And when necessary, they lie and cover up the truth about paternity for each other!”

  —Sullivan Webb

  “See, it’s like I told you on the phone,” Charles explained to Lawson as they watched Sullivan swaddled in their bed, crying softly. “She won’t talk; she barely eats; and she won’t get out of bed.”

  Lawson touched Sullivan’s shoulder. “Sullivan, are you all right?” Sullivan didn’t respond.

  Charles sighed. “She’s been like this for the past two days, ever since we got that doctor’s report.”

  Lawson swung around, alarmed. “What doctor’s report?”

  “Oh, I thought she told you.” Charles seemed a little embarrassed. “I’ll spare you all the details. Suffice it to say that it’s not going to be as easy to conceive as we’d hoped.”

  Lawson’s heart went out to him. “I’m so sorry, Charles.”

  “I’m still praying for a miracle, nothing is too hard for God. It was a major setback to Sullivan, though. She had her heart set on being pregnant by Christmas.”

  “Is it okay for me to have a few minutes alone with her?”

  “Of course. I actually have to get over to the church, but I didn’t want to leave her alone. If you could sit with her for a little while, I would certainly appreciate it.”

  “Okay, you go do what you need to do. I’ll keep an eye on Sully.”

  “Thank you, sister.” Charles leaned down and kissed Sullivan on the forehead. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours, sweetheart.”

  Lawson listened for the door to close behind Charles before saying anything. “Okay, Charles is gone, so you can stop the drama queen act. What’s going on, Sully? What’s this all about, other than a pathetic attempt to get some attention?”

  “It’s over,” sobbed Sullivan. “It’s all over.”

  “What is—this charade?”


  “My life, my marriage,” she groaned.

  “Is this about the baby? Sully, Charles isn’t going to leave you if you don’t have a child. If he was going to leave you, it would’ve been because you slept with Vaughn.”

  This made Sullivan bawl harder.

  Lawson sat down next to her. “What in the world is wrong with you? Do I need to call in the troops?”

  Sullivan sat up and wiped her eyes. “No, don’t call them, especially not your stupid sister.”

  “If you want any sympathy from me, you’ll need to refrain from calling my sister stupid.”

  “Well, she is, Lawson!”

  Lawson rose from the bed. “Okay, I’m going to leave now that I see what this little stunt of yours was all about. I strongly suggest you find more productive uses for your time, Sully. You might want to consider getting a job.”

  Sullivan shooed her away. “Go on, leave! Walk out like everybody else!” she cried.

  Lawson rolled her eyes. “You know these hysterics only work on Charles, right?”

  “You would be knocking on hysteria’s door too, if you knew . . .” Sullivan buried her face in the pillow.

  “Knew what? That you and Charles may have to adopt? Look at it this way—at least you wouldn’t ruin your stick figure with pregnancy pounds. If you don’t like that option, you could exercise your faith and wait for God to bless you and Charles with a child of your own.”

  Sullivan propped her head up. “When have you ever known me to wait on God or anyone else to make things happen?”

  “That’s the part that frightens me.” Lawson reached for her phone after hearing it vibrate. “It’s Angel.” She answered the phone. “Hello?”

  “Did you and Sully forget that you’re supposed to be meeting Kina and me for lunch? We’ve been waiting thirty minutes!” barked Angel through the other end of the phone.

  Lawson slapped her hand over her forehead. “I’m sorry. I totally forgot; I’m sure Sullivan did too. I’m at her place right now. You two may want to come over. She’s in the middle of another meltdown. I haven’t quite gotten to the bottom of it, other than knowing it has to do with Charles and the baby.”