Matthew pulled his headphones from his ears, letting them drape around his neck, but he didn’t say anything. He sat contently and hadn’t come in there for any particular reason, and Charlotte knew he was just as happy his dad had moved back into the master suite as Curtina was. He was eighteen and heading off to college, and of course had his own issues with his mother, but he was no different than any other child who wanted their parents to be happy. He’d claimed he didn’t blame his dad for divorcing her, but the serene expression on his face told a different story. The son Charlotte saw now was glad his mom and dad were staying together.
Charlotte sat up in the bed a little farther. “You have finals tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday, right?”
“Yep, and Racquel and I are going to the library in a couple of hours so we can study.”
“Good. Do you think you’re ready?”
“For the most part. We studied most of Saturday and all of Sunday.”
Charlotte knew it was wrong, but she hoped that’s all they’d been doing. Especially, since Agnes didn’t work on weekends, and Charlotte had dropped Curtina off at Aunt Emma’s before heading to O’Hare. She knew Matthew was an adult now, but she still worried about him having sex too soon the same as any mother.
But she didn’t want to think about that, so she got up and told Curtina, “It’s time for you to get ready for school, so we’d better get busy.”
Charlotte’s mojo was back, and she felt wonderful. She hadn’t been on the treadmill in over two weeks, but she still had no trouble striding along at her usual four-point-eight-miles-per-hour speed and couldn’t get enough of it. For whatever reason, it seemed as though she hadn’t missed a beat because she didn’t feel exhausted the way she sometimes did whenever she missed too many days of working out. Normally she had to coax herself back into the groove at a slightly slower speed, but not today. Right now, she’d already been going for fifty minutes and saw no problem with finishing her final ten.
But she knew her stamina, determination, and bubbly attitude had everything to do with Curtis, her marriage, and their new commitment to each other. She was also happy to say she was done drinking and done wallowing in the effects of liquor whenever she had problems. She must have been completely out of her mind to ever have started down that path, anyway, and she was ashamed she’d allowed anyone to see her so inebriated. It would have been humiliating for any woman, she was sure, but somehow since she was a pastor’s wife and first lady of a large congregation, it seemed worse. Maybe because, had their members found out about it, they wouldn’t have appreciated it too much. So she was glad the lightbulb had flashed in her head, and she’d used some common sense.
When she finished her five-minute cooldown and wiped her face and neck with a towel, she realized there was someone else she was grateful for, too, and to whom she owed a huge apology. So, she drank half of her bottled water, grabbed her phone, and dialed the number.
“Pastor Black’s office, this is Lana speaking.”
“Hi, Lana.”
“Hey, honey. How are you?”
“Embarrassed.”
“For what?”
“The way I spoke to you and for the way I acted. I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Don’t think twice about it. We all have our moments, and we all say things we don’t mean when we’re troubled.”
“Still, I know you were only trying to help, so I never should’ve asked you to leave my room.”
“Well, the good news is that everything turned out great. I could tell that as soon as I saw your husband’s happy face this morning.”
“Yes, everything is wonderful, and we owe you a lot.”
“You owe me nothing. I told you, the two of you are like family, and I would do anything for you.”
“I know that, Lana, and I won’t ever forget it.”
“Hey, I have another call, so can you hold for a minute?”
“I’ll let you go, but thanks again for everything.”
“Anytime.”
Charlotte ended the call and saw she had a new text. It was from Greg, so she called him.
“Hey, how are you?” he said.
“I’m good.”
“So what’s been up? Haven’t seen you at Chelsey’s lately.”
“No, and you probably won’t again.”
“Why?”
“Well, as you know, I had just a little too much to drink when you saw me, so my drinking days are over.”
“I can understand that, but they do serve more than alcohol you know.”
“Yeah, but I think it’s best I stay away.”
“What about lunch somewhere else maybe?”
“No, and I may as well tell you, my husband and I have decided to stay married, so this will be my last conversation with you. I don’t mean that in a rude way, but we’re really trying to start over, and I don’t want to do anything that might hinder that.”
“Wow, well, good for you. I won’t say I’m happy about not seeing you again, but I’m glad you and your husband are working things out. To be honest, I’m a little jealous.”
“Why is that?”
“My divorce was just finalized about six months ago, but had it been left up to me, my wife and I would still be together.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Divorce is tough, so my hat goes off to you and your husband for not giving up.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
There was a bit of silence, and then Greg said, “Okay, then, I guess I won’t hold you.”
“You take care of yourself.”
“You, too, and all the best to both of you.”
What a nice guy he is, Charlotte thought. His character was kind and sincere, and she could tell he truly wished her and Curtis well. Of course, that hadn’t been the case when she’d ended things with Michael Porter last year, so it was good to know that some men weren’t pushy. Although, maybe the difference between Greg and Michael was that Greg wished he was still with his wife, while Michael had wanted out of his marriage for good. Either way, Charlotte was thankful she hadn’t gotten involved with another man, because it would have only meant more trouble for her and Curtis. She was pleased to have made the right decision about something.
Chapter 35
Pastor, Tyler and Deanna are here to see you,” Lana said.
“Sounds good. Send them right in.”
Lana opened the door, and the couple walked over to Curtis’s desk. He shook both their hands. “Please, have a seat.”
Deanna, a tall, model-like young woman, scanned her surroundings. “You have a beautiful office.”
“Why, thank you.”
Tyler examined the room as well. “Yes, very nice.” He was at least six-two and dressed with the utmost class.
Curtis looked down at his notes. “Well, first, let me just say how honored we are to have you as two of our newest members, and I hope you’ve both been enjoying the service.”
“We really have,” Deanna said. “You’re a wonderful teacher and speaker, and we love that.”
Tyler nodded. “We’re not for all that screaming and hollering kind of preaching, so we were thrilled the first time we heard you. We knew this would be our church home right away.”
“Glad to hear it, and thank you for your kind words.”
Deanna crossed her legs. “We also love the couples’ ministry as well.”
“So you’ve already joined? Good.”
“We have,” Tyler said. “But we’re also glad to have the opportunity to speak with you because we know you can’t possibly counsel everyone. Not with so many members.”
“True, but I try my best to handle most of the premarital sessions myself, because I think it’s important. You’re getting married in two months? Is this correct?”
“Yes,” Deanna said. “We set our date at the beginning of the year, and our ceremony is taking place in the Caribbean.”
“That’s great, and I look forward
to hearing all about it when you return,” Curtis said, leaning forward. “Well, what I’d like to ask you first is if there’s anything you have concerns about in particular?”
Deanna looked at Tyler, and he laughed and said, “Oh, here we go.”
“What? You know that bothers me, and I told you I was going to bring it up.”
“Let’s hear it,” Curtis said.
“Well, I just think as a Christian man, Tyler shouldn’t drink alcohol.”
He shook his head. “Baby, not even a beer every once in a while?”
“No. But what do you think, Pastor?”
Curtis was always amazed at how some of the problems he and Charlotte experienced usually paralleled those of the couples he counseled. Their problems were rarely identical, because if he had to guess, he doubted Tyler was hanging out at sports bars, getting drunk, but still the subject of drinking now resonated with Curtis more than usual.
“That’s a question many Christians ask, and depending on who you talk to, you’ll hear a different answer every time. But for me, I’ve always chosen not to drink alcohol. Not because I think it’s a sin, but because it’s not something I’ve ever wanted to do. My father was an alcoholic, and I have a lot of bad memories.”
“See, I told you!” Tyler was proud to say. “Even Jesus drank wine, and the Bible clearly states Jesus never sinned.”
Deanna smiled but rolled her eyes at him.
Curtis smiled, too. “That’s correct. However, drinking does become a sin if a person drinks excessively and it alters their behavior in a negative fashion. Or let’s just say, it harms your health or causes you to break the law, for example. That’s when you know it’s a problem.”
“I don’t even drink every day, Pastor,” Tyler said. “And, actually, it’s mainly only when my boys come over to watch football or basketball. But nobody ever gets drunk.”
Curtis looked at Deanna. “Is that true?”
“I guess.”
Tyler laughed. “She knows it is, but Deanna doesn’t want me drinking period.”
“It’s not very Christian-like to me, but to each his own.”
“Is this a problem for you?” Curtis asked.
“No,” she said. “It doesn’t really bother me, but I just wanted clarification on it, because my hope is that we can start our marriage out living as closely by God’s Word as we can. My parents never went to church, never really believed in God, and they’ve been miserable for years, and I just don’t want Tyler and I to end up like that. I also want our children to grow up in a safe, loving, Christian environment once we have them.”
Tyler took her hand. “Baby, I want the same thing, and that’s how it’ll be.”
Deanna beamed, and Curtis could tell how in love they were with each other. “So, is that the only concern the two of you have?”
“Yep,” Tyler said. “Because I don’t have any. I love this woman, and I don’t want her to change a single thing about herself.”
“I love him, too,” she said. “More than anything.”
“Well, if that’s true, then you’re way ahead of the game. Especially if you’re best friends.”
“We are.”
“There are many things that help sustain a happy marriage, but I’ve always believed the top three are keeping God first, keeping each other second, and being best friends. If you’re not best friends, that means you can’t confide your deepest desires and dreams to one another, and you’ll never have a reason to laugh. You’ll never have fun, and without fun and laugher, you’re doomed before you even get started.”
Tyler agreed. “That makes a lot of sense, Pastor.”
“It does,” Deanna said.
Curtis asked them a few more questions and they discussed a few other items, and when they left, he got up to go talk to Lana. Until his phone rang. He cringed when he saw it was Sharon. He’d thought since he hadn’t heard from her since Saturday night, maybe she’d never call him again, and he debated answering her call. Although, based on her actions, he realized it might be best to make things clear to her again.
Curtis pressed the Send button on his cell. “Hello?”
“I thought I’d give you a couple of days to calm down, but I guess you’re still mad at me.”
“If you’re talking about Detroit, I’m over that.”
“Well, I’m sorry things happened the way they did, but we didn’t have a choice.”
“What do you mean, we?”
“I could tell the last time we spoke that you were starting to feel guilty about divorcing your wife, so I knew it was time I stepped up to the plate. Of course, I wasn’t counting on her flying to Detroit, but then I realized God allowed that to happen on purpose. He set things up so I could tell her everything. It was time she knew the truth, Curtis.”
This woman was a bona fide lunatic. She lived in a world filled with fantasy, and he had no idea how to get through to her. “What truth are you talking about? Because for the most part, all you did was lie to Charlotte.”
“Maybe a little, but it had to be done. I had to embellish a few things because otherwise, she might have thought there was still a chance for you and her. I needed her to understand that her marriage to you is over and that you’ve already moved on.”
“But that’s just it, Sharon, I haven’t moved on. I’m not going anywhere. I love my wife, I’m committed to her, and I’m not leaving her.”
“I know this is a tough time,” she said as if she hadn’t heard any of what he’d just explained to her. “But it’ll all be over soon. You’ll finally be free, and we’ll be able to marry the way God wants us to.”
“No!” Curtis shouted a lot louder than he’d wanted to. “Listen to me, Sharon. I appreciate the friendship we had, but it’s over. I never slept with you, and now you have to forget we ever met and go on.”
“But I know you love me. You have for a long time now.”
“No, Sharon, I don’t. I liked you a lot, but I could never love you.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I mean every word. I love my wife, and it’s time you accept that.”
“So you used me?”
“How?”
“By coming to me when things were bad with your little wifey. You called me all the time, and I was always here for you. I gave you my undivided attention. Even worse, I gave up a six-figure salary and a house just so I could be near you. I told you that.”
“You told me you moved here because you’d seen me on television, but you never said you gave up that kind of a job. I thought you said you transferred here with the same company you’d always been working for?”
“Well, I didn’t. I gave up everything for you, and I’ve already used up half my savings on the house I live in and all my living expenses. I do a little contract work here and there, but I don’t earn nearly what I used to. I sacrificed my career and everything else that mattered to me so I could do what God told me.”
“I guess I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’re going to divorce your wife and be with me.”
“I’ve already explained that to you. Charlotte and I are not breaking up, Sharon, and that’s all there is to it.”
“This really disappoints me. You disappoint me, and I’m not okay with it.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“You never should have led me on and played with my feelings, Curtis.”
“Like I said, I’m really sorry. I truly am.”
“Oh yeah? Well, not as sorry as you’re going to be. That I can promise you.”
Chapter 36
Today was a new day, and while Curtis had been sure he’d hear from Sharon again, he hadn’t since yesterday. He’d also thought she might crash Bible study, but it was ten after seven, he’d already prayed and he was now ready to get started.
“I’m so glad to see so many of you back this week, because I’m very excited to continue the Book of James. Last Wednesday, we covered chapter one, verses two through e
ight, but this week, I want to move on to verses nine through eighteen. So if you’ll open your Bibles with me, I’d like to begin with nine through eleven.” Curtis paused and then recited the verses. “ ‘Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.’ ”
Curtis saw a young man standing up with his Bible in his hand. “Wow, I guess you had your question ready as soon as I finished reading.”
The young man laughed and so did many of the members. “Well, actually, Pastor, I’ve sort of wondered about this scripture and a few others like it for a while. I get the part about those who are rich and how they should feel glad because it means God has humbled them, but then where it gets confusing is when it says, ‘and the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.’ So, does that mean it’s a bad thing to be wealthy?”
“I can see how that passage could be a bit puzzling. What it means is that if you’re wealthy and humble, meaning you give freely from your heart, you go out of your way to help those who are in need, and you’re not just focused on hoarding and spending lots of money on yourself; then this is pleasing to God. But if you’re rich, and you believe you’re above everyone else, you look down on those who are less fortunate, and you never help others who are struggling financially, well, then that’s a problem. Then the part about fading away, well, that’s very true no matter what your situation is because when it’s all said and done, when you die, you won’t be able to take money, luxuries, or anything else with you. On Judgment Day, everything will in fact fade away, so your primary goal in this life should be to make sure you have things right with God. Make sure you’re living in a way that pleases Him and also in a way that uplifts Him daily.”
“Thank you,” the young man said. “That helps a lot.”
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