The Best of Everything

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  “Well, you know I don’t mean any disrespect, Pastor, but for the first time in my life, I’m not sure God can help me. I’m not sure anyone can help me.”

  “Believe me, God can and will help you. It may not seem like it right now, but He will. And, Mrs. King, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask Mr. King a couple of questions.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Well, first of all, Mr. King, how do you feel about all of this?”

  “Pastor, I made a terrible mistake, I’m sorry, and I’ll do anything I have to in order to save my marriage. I’m just a naive old fool who made a horrible mistake, but I still love my wife.”

  “Mrs. King? Do you believe him when he says he’s sorry?”

  “Actually, I do. But it’s too late for sorry.”

  “Well, before we go any further, there is one thing I’d like to mention. Because Pastor Black and his wife experienced a similar scenario and he openly talks about it in sermons and during interviews, I’m wondering if maybe he might be the better person for you to counsel with.”

  “No!” Mrs. King spoke quickly and loudly. “I disagree. And it’s because Pastor Black and his wife went through the same thing that I don’t believe he’ll be able to remain neutral. It’s my feeling that Pastor Black will automatically expect me to do what his wife did, which is to forgive my husband and accept his out-of-wedlock child.”

  “Okay, fair enough. But what I do want to clarify is that as a minister called by God to preach, my responsibility must first rest with trying to keep the two of you together as husband and wife.”

  “I understand that, but I should let you know that I’ve pretty much made up my mind about filing for a divorce. The only reason I asked for us to meet with you is because as a Christian woman, I decided it was only right to at least try to see if something could be worked out. But the more I sit here looking at this joker, I don’t see where there can ever be a solution.”

  “Well, you definitely made the right decision about getting counseling, and I’m going to do everything I can to help you.”

  Mr. King forced a smile. “We really appreciate your time.”

  “You speak for yourself! I do appreciate Pastor, but from now on, don’t you even think about using the word we when it comes to you and me. Because there is no we as far as I’m concerned.”

  Phillip asked them both a few more general questions and then asked if could meet with them again two days from now, on Friday.

  Mrs. King picked up her handbag. “That’s fine, Pastor.”

  Mr. King agreed. “Yes, that’ll be fine. And thank you again.”

  “You’re quite welcome, and that’s what I’m here for. On Friday, I’d like us to go more into what your marriage has been like since the beginning. Mr. King, I want you to think about your marriage and just how you’ve felt about it the entire forty years you’ve been with Mrs. King, and I also want you to think about why you decided to have an affair. Then, Mrs. King, I want you to think about the same exact things but from your point of view.”

  “I’m not sure what good it’s going to do, but I’ll do what you’re asking. I’m not sure because I’m not the one who went out sneakin’ and sleepin’ around.”

  “You’re absolutely right, but please just think about it so we can discuss it on Friday.”

  Phillip gave both of them all three of his phone numbers—church, cell, and home—and told them to please call him anytime, day or night.

  Mr. King grabbed his hat. “Thank you again, Pastor, and we’ll see you again on Friday.”

  “See you then.”

  Phillip escorted them to the doorway and said good-bye to them, but as he watched them leave, he wondered what it must be like for them when they were alone. The whole scenario was a dreadfully painful one, and it made him appreciate his own marriage. It made him realize that compared with the Kings, he and Alicia actually had a wonderful union and one they should be thankful for.

  Chapter 7

  Woodfield Mall was only about an hour’s drive from Mitchell, and since it was the middle of the week, there wasn’t a lot of traffic or as many people shopping as there would be on the weekend. This morning, right after Phillip had left for work, Alicia had debated back and forth whether she should make the trip but had eventually decided against it. She’d told herself that if she wanted a happy marriage, she had an obligation to at least try to resist all the temptation she was constantly feeling—particularly her yearning for a new pair of princess-cut diamond earrings she’d seen a week ago.

  But then, Phillip had called her on the phone, announcing that his parents were coming to town, and there was no way she could let them see the same old, drab-looking comforter set they’d had to sleep on when they’d stayed with them the last time. Actually, the only reason she’d purchased the one they had was that Phillip had gone with her when she’d bought it and had insisted it was perfect. But Alicia knew he’d chosen it more because it was on sale and less because he loved it.

  However, today, she was going to replace not only that cut-rate comforter set but also the bathroom accessories with plush bath towels, a soap dish, toothbrush holder, as well as tissue and garbage containers. She would buy everything top of the line, and she couldn’t wait to dump every bit of the old stuff into the trash bin.

  Alicia entered through Nordstrom’s north entrance and proceeded through the store and down to the home department. She looked at one set after another, searching for the best one she could find, and then spotted an elegant dark lavender comforter. It was beautiful and, more important, very expensive-looking and she could already picture it in the guest bedroom with four pillows, three shams, the bedskirt, and each of the three decorative pillows that were on the display model.

  So, she went down the aisle, found a queen-size comforter along with everything else that went with it, and she and the sales lady helping her carried all of it to the counter in three trips. But then she realized how there was no way she could bypass purchasing a matching sheet set, so she added that to her pile also.

  The fiftysomething woman signed in to her cash register. “This really is one of our most popular bedding sets, and I just love it.”

  “I do, too, and I think my in-laws will like it as well.”

  “I’m sure they will.”

  As the woman scanned each item, Alicia glanced around the surrounding area, but unfortunately nothing else caught her eye, so she waited for the clerk to finish.

  When she did, she told Alicia the total. “That’ll be one thousand, one hundred forty-seven dollars and fifty-nine cents.”

  Alicia swiped her Nordstrom credit card through the portable machine. “Actually, that was a little bit less than I thought it was going to be.”

  “Yes, most of the items were twenty percent off, so that’s always nice.”

  When her information processed, Alicia signed the plastic screen and tapped the Enter button.

  “Would you like me to call someone to help you with your bags? Or better yet, I can have someone take everything out to our loading dock area and you can drive around and pick it up there.

  “That would be great. Thank you.”

  “No, thank you for your business and have a wonderful rest of the day.”

  “You, too.”

  After Alicia pulled in front of the shipping and receiving doorway and one of the employees had piled everything into her trunk, she drove back out to the general parking lot and parked. She hadn’t been thinking about the diamond earrings she’d wanted to get, but now she wondered if there was time for her to check them out. She’d seen them at one of the first-floor jewelry stores the last time she’d come to the mall, and they’d been on sale for forty-nine, ninety-nine—which was a steal since they had a two-carat total weight with excellent clarity and were regularly priced at seventy-five hundred dollars.

  She knew, though, it probably wasn’t the best idea for her to buy them because if she did, she’d have to use the remaining five thousand do
llars in her checking account. Not to mention, Phillip would certainly go through the roof once he found out about them, and as it was, he was going to be livid about the thousand-plus dollars she’d spent on the comforter set—which was the reason she was going to store everything in the guest-bedroom closet and then wait until Friday to set all of it up. This way, there would be a chance he wouldn’t pay much attention to it until his parents arrived. It would also mean she wouldn’t have to hear any of his complaining because he would never do that in front of them.

  But as far as the earrings, maybe she would just take another look at them and then wait awhile before actually making a purchase. Yes, that’s what she would do and then she’d be on her way home in less than an hour.

  Alicia pulled her car into the first open spot she could find and then went back inside the mall. This time, though, she went through one of the main entrances and not through one of the anchor stores, which was a lot safer because rarely could she walk through Nordstrom, Macy’s, or Lord & Taylor without finding something to buy, even if it was only a bottle of cologne.

  She walked past one specialty store after another and had a mind to stop at Victoria’s Secret, but remembered how she’d only come in there for one reason. She passed a few more places she sometimes patronized and then walked inside the jewelry store.

  She smiled when she saw the same distinctive-looking salesman who had shown her the earrings the first time she’d looked at them.

  “You’re back.”

  “Yeah, but basically I just want to see them again.”

  “Of course.”

  The salesman pulled them from the glass case and passed them over to her.

  Alicia sighed. “I just love these.”

  “Then you should get them.”

  “They have so much fire, and I really want them, but I’m thinking I should wait.”

  “I can understand that, but just the fact that you came back only one week later means you haven’t been able to stop thinking about them.”

  He was right because in actuality, when she’d purchased those few pieces of jewelry from QVC yesterday, she’d been hoping they would suffice and that she’d no longer feel the need to own the earrings she was holding right now. But she knew they’d never left the back of her mind.

  “You only live once.”

  He was right about that, too, because with all the terrible things going on in the world, it was like she’d tried to explain to Melanie, tomorrow wasn’t promised to any of us.

  “I’ll take them.”

  “Good for you.”

  Alicia pulled out her debit card and waited for the salesman to process the transaction. When everything was complete, he boxed them up, slipped them into a bag, and gave them to her.

  “A beautiful pair of earrings for a very beautiful lady.”

  “Thank you. And take care.”

  “You, too, and come again.”

  Alicia felt like she was on a high, and she couldn’t wait to sport her new diamonds. She wouldn’t do it right away and would have to be careful when it came to choosing the best time to wear them in front of Phillip, but once she did, she would enjoy them on a regular basis, that was for sure. It was true that she already had a pair of diamond earrings, but they were round, smaller, and not as noticeable, so she hadn’t worn them in a couple of years.

  After Alicia had exited onto I-90 West, her cell phone rang. It was Phillip and she was hoping he hadn’t left the church yet and was already at home. It was almost dusk, but she’d been counting on his staying late for Bible study.

  She answered in a cheerful and unsuspicious tone. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “Are you still at the church?”

  “No, I’m on my way home. I decided to leave early.”

  That’s exactly what she’d been afraid of, and now she’d have to keep everything she’d purchased in the trunk overnight and wait for him to head off to work in the morning.

  “Well, I’m out running some errands and then I’m planning to stop by the bookstore to browse the writing and publishing section, so if it’s okay with you, I probably won’t be home for a couple of hours or so.”

  She hated lying to him again, but he never left her much choice and she just couldn’t bear another evening of arguments.

  “That’s fine. Do what you need to do and take your time. But did you want me to pick up some carryout?”

  “That’ll be good, or I can grab Chinese once I leave the bookstore.”

  “That’ll work.”

  “Did you need me to get anything else?”

  “No, but I’ll be waiting patiently for you to get here, if you know what I mean.”

  “You’re bad.”

  “I know.”

  They both laughed, and Alicia loved the mood her husband was in. She loved when he was happy. When they were happy. And that’s why she had to hide everything as planned.

  “I guess I’ll see you soon.”

  “See you later.”

  As Alicia drove farther down the highway, traffic eventually began to slow down a bit. She’d been expecting it, though, and that was the reason she’d told Phillip she wouldn’t be home for another two hours. That way she’d have time to get through traffic, arrive back in Mitchell, and still drop by the bookstore to pick up any book she could find—just to prove that she’d actually gone there.

  She didn’t like living this way, but she had to do what worked and what was best for the sustenance of their relationship. And what was wrong with telling a little white lie every now and then as long as it was for the betterment of her marriage? She was sure some people would beg to differ, but the way she saw it, stretching the truth was a lot smarter than doing nothing and then heading to divorce court.

  When Alicia arrived back in Mitchell, she went to the bookstore as planned, purchased three books on writing, two novels, and one memoir. She hadn’t planned on buying as much as she had, but she’d ended up seeing a lot more interesting titles than she’d expected.

  Next, she drove about twenty minutes to their favorite Chinese restaurant, went inside, placed the order, and then waited for them to get it ready. Like most times when they ordered takeout from this lovely establishment, it didn’t take more than fifteen minutes.

  Now, Alicia walked through the parking lot, which wasn’t lighted nearly the way it should have been, and approached her vehicle. As she unlocked the door…

  “Open up your trunk and give me that jewelry you purchased.”

  Alicia thought for sure her heart and lungs were going to collapse. She was scared to death, and it felt like the man who spoke was pointing a gun into her back.

  “Do it!”

  “Oh my God. What are you talking about?”

  “Look, do you think I followed you more than fifty miles, just to play games with you? Now, please don’t make me hurt you.”

  “Oh dear God, please. Please don’t do this.”

  The gunman snatched her by her shirt and dragged her toward the back of the car. “Now, for the last time, I said open it!”

  Alicia fumbled her keys, trying to find the correct button on her keyless-entry gadget, and then pressed it.

  The trunk door flew open and the gunman pulled out the jewelry bag and fled to a car that was waiting a few feet away. When he jumped in on the passenger side, they sped off like nothing had ever happened. Alicia could barely move, but she looked around and didn’t see a soul. Not one person had witnessed what had happened and while she was a nervous wreck and terrified for her life, she knew she could never report this. She couldn’t call the police and she would never tell her husband because if she did, she’d have to disclose exactly what the gunman had taken from her. She’d have to confess to Phillip that he’d taken her newly purchased, five-thousand-dollar, princess-cut diamond earrings, and there was no way she could do that.

  She stood there a few more seconds and finally burst into tears. Then, she slammed down the trunk and sat in
side the car. This was insane. She’d been robbed right in the heart of Mitchell and in the parking lot of a quaint little Chinese restaurant and there was nothing she could do about it. Then, the idea that someone had cased the jewelry store, watched her make her purchase, followed her out to her car, saw her place the bag in her trunk, and trailed her back to Mitchell and even to the bookstore sent chills through her body.

  She was beyond upset, but she started her engine and slowly drove away.

  She drove but she couldn’t help thinking…why couldn’t the gunman have taken her purse, with the little bit of cash she had inside of it, and just been satisfied? Why couldn’t he have taken something that she hadn’t even spent a thousand dollars on?

  Chapter 8

  No matter how many times she replayed the entire scenario, Alicia still couldn’t fathom what had just happened to her less than an hour ago. She’d actually been robbed. What were the chances that today would be the day she’d choose to stop at a restaurant that normally had very few customers during the weeknights? On top of that, it had just gotten completely dark only minutes before she’d gone inside of it. Although, that would explain why the gunman hadn’t confronted her at the much busier bookstore while it was still light outside and had decided to wait until later.

  On her way inside her house, she was glad she’d thought to stop at the pharmacy to get a bottle of eye-makeup remover and cotton balls so she could fix her face before seeing Phillip. She’d bawled all the way to the store, and the last thing she needed was Phillip asking her what she’d been crying about. She was also glad she never left the house without her eyeliner, mascara, pressed face powder, and lip color and liner. During college, she’d gotten in the habit of always carrying them in her purse and today that habit had paid off.

  Alicia set the bags of food on top of the counter, dropped her goldish-tan Coach handbag, the one that had cost her nearly eight hundred dollars, across the back of one of the island chairs and gathered her composure. Then she called out to Phillip. “Honey?”