Will paused for a moment, visually struggling to make the words form in his mouth. “You know when you and Shelby were having problems a few years ago and you went to that couple’s retreat?”
“Yeah. The retreat was wonderful. You know I was able to lead one of the retreats a few months back. It did wonders for Shelby and me, and it also did wonders for some of the couples I taught. I’m thinking about going up there again to lead another retreat within the next few months.”
Phillip wondered why his friend was asking. “Why do you ask? Do you know someone who is thinking about marriage counseling?”
A far off look formed in Will’s eyes, like he was concentrating hard on something. Then he said, “Yes, I do know of someone who would like more information about the retreat.” Will paused again, “Me.”
“You?” Phillip asked in bewilderment. “You and your wife are having problems?”
Will nodded his head. “I don’t really want to get into it right now. I’m still trying to sort some things out. But I know the retreat worked wonders for you and Shelby, and I was thinking maybe it will work for our marriage.”
Phillip didn’t know what to say. It did make sense now though. Will hadn’t been acting like himself in recent months. He wondered what kinds of problems they could be having. From the outside looking in, Will and his wife, Morgan, had what seemed like the perfect marriage. He didn’t think his friend had been stepping out on his wife; the man had been a virgin until he got married. He wondered if it were the opposite, and Will’s wife was stepping out on him. Then Phillip cut his thoughts off. He shouldn’t be thinking anything bad about his friend’s marriage.
“Will, I’m here for you if you need me, not only as a friend and fraternity brother, but also as a man of God and your brother in Christ.”
“I know,” Will said. Looking at his watch and with urgency, he said, “Can I get that information from you? I really need to be getting back to my house.”
“Oh, yeah. Just a second.” Phillip left his friend standing by the front door to retrieve a sheet of paper to write down the information.
After he handed it to over, Phillip reiterated, “I’m here if you need me.”
Will looked at the piece of paper and held it as if it were gold. “Thanks. If I need to talk, I know exactly who to call.” He turned toward the door.
Reaching for the doorknob, Phillip gave his friend a hearty pat on the back. “Hang in there.”
“I’m trying,” Will said. “Talk with you later.” Then he left.
Closing the door behind him, Phillip looked upward. “Dear Lord, if it ain’t one thing, then it’s another.”
“Found it,” he heard Shelby exclaim from upstairs.
“Found what?” Phillip asked, calling back upstairs to her.
“Your cell phone.”
“Great,” Phillip said his voice void of enthusiasm.
A few moments later, Shelby descended the stairs. Phillip hadn’t moved from the spot he was standing in deep in thought about his friend.
“The mail came?” Shelby asked.
As if coming out of a trance, Phillip said, “Yeah. I put it on the kitchen counter.”
“Oh, look,” Shelby said with excitement in her voice.
Phillip joined his wife in the kitchen.
“It’s a letter from Charlotte and Xavier. The retreat forwarded the postcard.”
“What does it say?” Phillip’s ears perked up.
Shelby read the letter, “Dear Phillip and Shelby, we hope this card finds you doing well. We just wanted to thank you again for being a part of our life changing moment and helping mend our broken family. Xavier and I are doing well. We took all you taught us at the retreat to heart and have studied the scriptures you gave us.
We communicate throughout the day about big and small things. We strive for agreement between us, but when we don’t agree on something, we pray about it and find a middle ground.
And Xavier has been getting professional help for his problems.
We have some good news to share. Xavier and I are expecting a baby! I am about three months pregnant and as ecstatic I don’t know what. And if it’s possible, Xavier is even more ecstatic!
I encourage you to keep on doing what you are doing to help marriages and families. Stay blessed always, Charlotte and Xavier Knight”
Shelby closed the letter. “That is wonderful. See, I told you the retreat was successful. Now we know the status of all three couples.”
Phillip shook his head. “That is wonderful news.”
“Then why are you shaking your head?”
“I am glad Nina has been totally weaned off the valium. She and George are on that second honeymoon as we speak, right?” Phillip asked.
Shelby nodded her head. “Yeah, they are. They were supposed to have left yesterday for St. Lucia.”
“Two out of three ain’t bad, I guess,” Phillip said again shaking his head as he remembered the e-mail Shelby had received from Beryl a month before.
“No, it isn’t bad. So stop shaking your head like that.”
“I just wish all the couples could have been helped by this retreat. It is a sad thing that Beryl and Travis weren’t able to stay together,” Phillip said.
“Remember the e-mail she sent me said the retreat had been a blessing to her. The retreat helped her to evaluate many aspects of her life, including the problems in her marriage. So even though they didn’t stay together, you still helped her.” Shelby placed her hand on Phillip’s forearm.
“She said even before the retreat that she’d done all she could do to try and keep the family together. The retreat helped her to be more at peace with her decision.”
“No word about Travis, huh?”
“Nope. She didn’t mention how he was doing,” Shelby said.
“I haven’t heard anything from him either.”
“Maybe no news is good news,” Shelby said with optimism.
“Maybe no news is just that; no news. I don’t want to judge the man, but I don’t think Travis gave it his all. He was a fast talker and seemed like the type who just liked to take the easy road. There are some strongholds where he is concerned. And at some point, he is going to have to have a come to Jesus meeting with himself,” Phillip said.
“Amen to that,” Shelby said as she nodded her head in agreement.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think Charlotte went to the extreme to gather information about Xavier?
2. What would you have done if you found out your spouse/significant other was cheating on you?
3. Do you think Beryl stayed with Travis or not?
4. How effective do you think Phillip and Shelby were in helping these couples?
5. Do you think Travis was justified in his reasons for not being able to find a job? (A) It being so hard for a black man? (B) Companies not appreciating his educational background?
6. Do you know anyone as loving and forgiving as George Jones?
7. Do you believe couples should stay together for better or for worse, no matter the circumstance?
8. If you answered no to the question above, then under what circumstances would you say it is okay to end a marriage?
9. Would you have stayed with Travis?
10. Would you have stayed with Xavier?
11. Would you have stayed with Nina?
12. Do you know of any couples coping with some of the same issues these couples coped with?
13. Have you ever accused someone of doing something wrong based on circumstantial evidence?
14. Do you agree with the statements Phillip made about the brain distorting things?
15. Do you ever find yourself asking yourself—Why did I got married?
16. Do you ever find yourself asking why you continue to stay married?
17. Would you consider going to a marriage counselor if you and your spouse were having marital problems?
18. Do you think any of the information Phillip gave the couples d
uring the sessions would help you in your marriage—either to help rebuild your marriage or just to strengthen your marriage?
19. If you are unmarried, do you plan to have some type of spiritual and/or professional premarital counseling?
20. If you knew of someone going through marital problems, would you tell them about this novel?
About The Author
Monique Miller is a native of North Carolina. She currently lives in the Raleigh Durham, North Carolina area with her family, where she is working on her fourth novel. For more information about the author, you can log onto:
www.authormoniquemiller.com
or contact her at:
[email protected].
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Redemption Lake Copyright © 2009 Monique Miller
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, except brief quotes used in reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-6016-2660-8
First Mass Market Printing May 2012
First Trade Paperback Printing November 2009
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 reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
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