Free Heaven Right Here by Lutishia Lovely

arms aching to hold you. Instead it was a pillow I clutched. When you walked into the church, with that gold shimmering suit that fit like a glove, the dream came back to me. And I knew I was looking at my future wife.”
    Tears shimmered in Hope’s eyes as she looked at him. “For real, Cy?”
    He brushed his lips across hers. “Cross my heart.”
    They kissed tenderly and spent a few moments in companionable silence. “Tell me more about the dream,” Hope said finally, burrowing herself closer into Cy’s embrace.
    “Let’s go inside,” he suggested as he lifted her into his arms. “I can show you better than I can tell you.”

15
    Still in Love
    Stacy looked at her watch as she chatted with Hope on the phone. Where is Darius with my child? “I’m sorry, Hope. What did you say?”
    “I said you were right.”
    “About what?”
    “About how I should talk to Cy about Millicent. My jealousy at her being a mother and everything.”
    “Did you?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “And?”
    Hope resisted the urge to purr like a kitten. Her cat was still tingling from the lavish attention Cy had given it the previous night.
    “Well, let’s just say Millicent is no longer an issue, and Cy and I are all the way back on track.”
    “Oh, so he must have hit it really good last night, huh?”
    Good doesn’t begin to describe it. “We, um, enjoyed ourselves.”
    “Ooh, you make me sick. Over there getting it good and regular while the only penis I’m seeing these days is two inches long. I’m about to climb the walls.”
    “What about Tony? I saw y’all flirting at Pastor’s on Sunday.”
    “Naw, girl. I think Darius messed that up.”
    “Darius messed it up? How so?”
    “Okay, more like I did. Acting a fool when he showed up. I think Tony figured out I was flirting with him just to make Darius jealous. He hasn’t called.”
    “Were you?”
    “Not at first. Tony is fine; who wouldn’t love to spend some time with that brothah? But after Darius and his ‘wife’ showed up, I did start overdoing it. Tony changed after that, started talking to Cy.”
    Hope paused. This was old ground she and Stacy were covering, and she didn’t know if her two cents would be of any value. She plunged in anyway. “I’m doing so much better today because I listened to you, Stacy. Maybe it’s time you take some of the advice that’s been offered where Darius is concerned. Bo and Darius are together, professionally and personally. They love each other. Like it or not, that’s how it is. It’s also obvious that Darius loves his son, and so does Bo. And that little boy is crazy about his father. It seems the only one truly miserable in this situation is you.”
    “Well, what do you expect me to do?” Stacy’s voice became agitated. “Hand my son to him on a silver platter? Let Darius grow up thinking it’s okay to be a faggot?”
    “That’s wrong, Stacy.”
    “Oh, please, don’t even start. This isn’t some show where I’m trying to be politically correct; this is my life, my son’s life!”
    “Do you really think little Darius will become gay by simply hanging around his father? Do you truly believe that, Stacy?”
    Silence.
    “Well, do you?” Hope repeated. When Stacy didn’t answer, Hope continued. “Let’s talk about what’s really going on here—the real reason why you’re keeping Darius from his son. It’s because even though you won’t admit it, and after all that’s happened, you’re still in love with Darius Crenshaw. Isn’t that what all this is really about?”
    The doorbell rang. Stacy didn’t have to look out the window to know who it was. “I gotta go,” she said to Hope. “This asshole should have had my son here an hour ago!”
    Stacy walked through the living room of the three-bedroom split-level Darius had purchased for her, flung open the door, and crossed her arms. “You’re late.”
    Darius stood there, determined to be calm, with little Darius in one arm, and several shopping bags