Chapter Forty-eight
“If Sister Deborah was here to hear that story you just told us, Mother Doreen,” Unique said in disbelief, “she’d write a book about it.”
“A New York Times bestseller indeed,” Bethany said in just as much awe as Unique and Margie were in after hearing the details Mother Doreen had shared with them on their drive back from West Virginia to Malvonia.
“What about Terrance?” Bethany asked. “I mean, you and Lauren are all squared away and cool, but how does he feel about all this?” Bethany shook her head in disbelief and said under her breath, “Ol’ Willie had a kid—wow.”
“I think Terrance will be okay,” Mother Doreen said hopeful.
“You sure about that?” Unique asked. “I mean, that was one angry brother right there; straight hood. And take it from me—I know hood when I see hood.”
A couple of the women laughed, and Mother Doreen replied, “Yeah, I think so. I mean, we really didn’t get to say too much more after Lauren and I talked, but he knows where to find me. He knows he can reach out to me,” Mother Doreen replied. “I still got a few things of Willie’s stored in that old shed behind my house. When I moved back to Kentucky, I was going to throw the stuff out or give it to charity. But now I know just what to do with it.” Mother Doreen smiled and looked upward. “Thank you, God!”
“Amen,” Bethany cosigned. “Amen.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” Margie stated. “I’m glad you know what to do with Willie’s things. But can I ask you one question?”
“Sure; go right ahead,” Mother Doreen replied.
“What in the world are you going to do about Pastor Frey?”
“Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus.”
As Mother Doreen, Bethany, Margie, and Unique entered the church, they could hear someone praying. They’d come back to the church because that’s where the women’s cars were parked. There were still a few cars in the parking lot. Considering it was just a shadow away from midnight, they all went inside together.
“Yes, God. Thank you, God.”
That prayer came from another person. It was a man and a woman and the voices were coming from the sanctuary.
They heard a third voice. “We thank you in advance, God.” It also belonged to a woman.
All four women looked at one another.
“Um, uh, it can’t be,” Unique said, and was the first one to go barging through the sanctuary doors. “Well, I’ll be . . .” Her mouth dropped. She was in awe as she saw that Pastor Frey and Sister Deborah were still pretty much in the same position they had been in hours ago when the foursome had headed to West Virginia. And Paige had obviously joined them after grabbing a bite, because she was in there praying up a storm too. Sister Deborah was sitting on the church pew with folded hands praying. Pastor Frey was on his knees at the altar.
“But it’s been how many hours? And they are still . . .” Unique shook her head.
All Mother Doreen could do was stand there and weep at the sight of Pastor Frey praying like he was praying down the walls of Jericho. Deborah was the first to look up and see that her friends had returned. She stood up from the pew and walked toward her sisters in Christ. Sensing the movement, Paige followed behind Deborah. Once Paige and Deborah reached the women, no words were spoken. All the women just simply embraced.
“God is good, Sister Deborah,” Mother Doreen whispered in Deborah’s ear. “God is good.”
Deborah pulled herself from the embrace. “And so is that man right there.” She looked over her shoulder at Pastor Frey.
Mother Doreen exhaled. “Oh, Sister Deborah, you don’t have to tell me that.” She excused herself from the women and made her way down the altar to Pastor Frey. She managed to kneel down beside him and place her hand on his back. Like he knew her touch, he just began to weep. Before anyone knew it, the two were embraced weeping like two children who had dropped their ice-cream cones on a hot summer day; and the cones had been their only hope of keeping cool.
“I prayed He’d send you back to me,” Pastor Frey said through tears. “I told Him I wasn’t gonna let go of this prayer until He answered it. I told Him I wasn’t gonna let go of this prayer until He brought you back to me.” Pastor Frey pulled away from Mother Doreen and looked her in the eyes. “So did He? Did God bring you back to me, Doreen? Because if so, I still want to be your husband. Do you still want to be my wife?”
“I do,” Mother Doreen replied.
“Then I pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Pastor Wallace Frey,” Margie said as Paige, Bethany, Unique, and Deborah cheered.
It wasn’t quite the wedding Mother Doreen had planned, but it was a wedding nonetheless. Margie had performed the ceremony with the other four women and God as witnesses.
“Pastor Frey,” Margie continued, “you may kiss your bride.”
Pastor Frey put both hands behind Mother Doreen’s head and pulled her into a big juicy kiss. The onlookers cheered even more.
“I love you, Mrs. Frey,” Pastor Frey said, looking into Mother Doreen’s eyes.
“And I love you too, Mr. Frey,” Mother Doreen said back. “You know, for years, I’ve been waiting for God to tell me, ‘It is finished,’ and mean it. Well, guess what? He did say it some time ago, and He meant it too. I’m the one who had to let everything go, though. But guess what? I finally did.” Mother Doreen smiled a huge smile. “I let it go, all of it, everything. My past; it is so finished.” She looked at Pastor Frey like she thought she’d never look at another man—with nothing but deep love and passion. “But me and you . . .” she pointed from her chest to her new husband’s. “Honey, me and you . . .” Mother Doreen planted a kiss on Pastor Frey that would have made a sinner blush. “. . . we are just getting started.”
The End