by Shana Burton
“Okay, okay, I’ll take this in the bathroom.” Reginell scooted off to Sullivan’s bathroom to answer the phone. It was Mark. “Hey, baby, what’s up?” she asked him.
“How’s the baby?”
“She’s so beautiful! She’s one of the few things that Sullivan has actually done right.”
Mark chuckled. “Hey, don’t make any plans for tonight. I want you to come over.”
Reginell leaned against the sink. “Why? What’s going on?”
Mark smiled and looked at the jewelry box cradled in his right hand. “You’ll see. . . . I love you, Reggie.”
She grinned into the phone. “I love you too. I’ll see you tonight.”
Lawson crisscrossed her way through the parking lot to find Garrett. “Why did you want to meet out here? Don’t you want to go in and see the baby?”
“In a minute,” Garrett replied brusquely. “I wanted some privacy first. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What—did something happen to Namon?” she asked, panicked.
“No, he’s fine.” Garrett still seemed troubled. He rested his hands on her shoulders. “Lawson, there’s just no easy way to say this.”
Lawson gingerly touched his face. “What’s going on, honey? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Simone,” said Garrett, reaching up to squeeze her hand to comfort her as much as it was to comfort himself.
Lawson held her breath. “Who’s that?”
“She’s the one . . .”
Lawson rolled her eyes and finished his sentence. “She’s the one you had the affair with, right?”
Garrett nodded. “Simone’s been trying to get in touch with me, but I refused to return her calls after I told her it was over.”
Lawson stood back with her arms folded. “Okay, so why is she calling? Does she want seconds?”
Garrett looked down, then back up at Lawson. “No . . . honey.” He griped his wife’s hands. “Simone is pregnant.”
Lawson slowly brought her hand to her mouth. She felt herself go light-headed. “Pregnant? Did I just hear you say that she’s pregnant?”
“That’s what she’s claiming,” Garrett added quickly. “I haven’t seen a doctor’s report or gotten any kind of real confirmation.”
Stunned, Lawson simply said, “A baby? Another woman is having your baby?”
Lawson eased away from him, dazed. Garrett reached out for her. “Lawson, talk to me, baby! Tell me that we’ll get through this. Baby, please . . .”
Lawson’s whole world came crashing down on her. For a moment she couldn’t breathe. Hot tears welled in her eyes and began streaming down her cheeks. “Congratulations.. . . I guess you’re finally getting the child you wanted after all.”
As much as she loved Garrett, she knew it would take nothing short of a miracle for the fragile marriage to survive this time around.
Kina stood outside of Sullivan’s room clutching a bouquet of pink balloons. She looked through the opened door at Reginell, Angel, and Charles doting on the newest addition to their circle. She longed to be a part of that again but knew her presence would feel more like an intrusion than a welcomed surprise.
She stopped one of the nurses passing by in the hallway. “Excuse me, ma’am? Can I trouble you for a second?”
“Yes, ma’am. Can I help you?”
Kina handed the balloons over to her. “Can you take these into room 314?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to take them in yourself?”
Kina nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure . . . They look happy. I probably shouldn’t interrupt.”
Kina thanked the nurse and headed in the opposite direction. She reached into her purse and pulled out the one-way plane tickets she purchased for herself and Kenny, determined to find a little happiness of her own. Maybe one day she could be as happy as the rest of her friends were . . . at least as happy as they appeared to be for now.
Readers’ Discussion Questions
1. Does the ladies’ friendship help or hinder their walk with the Lord? How so?
2. Which character do you think showed the most growth by the end of the book? Why?
3. Do you think Kina was confused or inherently selfish?
4. Should Reginell and Mark have pursued a relationship considering that he and Lawson shared a child together? Why or why not?
5. Do you think Sullivan’s troubled childhood was the real reason for her self-destructive behavior or just an excuse to do whatever she wanted?
6. Is Charles too forgiving of Sullivan, or is he an example of God’s forgiveness toward us?
7. Should Sullivan have accepted Kina back into her life? Why or why not?
8. Do you think Angel and Duke’s relationship would have survived if Channing had not been in the picture? Why or why not?
9. How do you think Garrett’s outside child will affect his marriage to Lawson?
10. Which couple do you think has the best chance of survival? Why?
About the Author
Shana Burton is the author of Suddenly Single, First Comes Love, Flaws and All, Catt Chasin,’ and Flaw Less (Urban Books, LLC) She is a bestselling author and a two-time nominee for Georgia Author of the Year (2009 Best Fiction—First Comes Love; 2011 Best Fiction—Flaws and All). She resides in Georgia with her two children. When she is not writing, she can be found gardening, dancing, or reading. She is currently working on her sixth book, Chocolate Lovers. Find her online on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shanajohnsonburton. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/shanajburton, or catch up with her on her blogs at [email protected].
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UC His Glory Book Club is the spirit-inspired brainchild of Joylynn Jossel, Author and Acquisitions Editor of Urban Christian, and Kendra Norman-Bellamy, Author for Urban Christian. This is an online book club that hosts authors of Urban Christian. We welcome as members all men and women who have a passion for reading Christian-based fiction.
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Flaw Less Copyright © 2012 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: 978-1-6016-2728-5
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 real
ity. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
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