Free Love Like Hallelujah by Lutishia Lovely Page B

Angeles back to Clarkstown, New York, to take care of her mother. The transition was difficult. Her mother’s condition wasn’t good when Alison had arrived, and even with prayers, faith, and blessed oil, the Alzheimer’s was getting worse.
    Alison looked out over the ocean. “Be thankful for your mother every single day,” she said, almost to herself. “Call her every day, love her every day, because when things change…”
    Millicent reached over and took her friend’s hand in silent sympathy. These past few months had shown her all too well the value and power of a mother’s love.
    “How is your mother?” Millicent asked.
    Alison gave her an update. “I can’t keep worrying about Mama,” she said after answering Millicent’s question. “Her health is in God’s hands now.” The waiter brought tea, and Alison used that time to change the subject, as well as the mood. She was glad that Millicent seemed to have picked up the pieces of her life but concerned that she might have still carried a torch for Cy. Alison knew from experience that the best way to get over one man was with another. She intended to help her friend jump-start her love life, to truly move on. “Enough about me,” she said. “What is going on with you? How’s the job? It must be nice, surrounded by a group of successful bachelors.”
    Millicent deftly sidestepped talking about men and focused on the job itself. “I love what I’m doing. In fact, just this week I agreed to go full-time.”
    “That’s excellent,” Alison exclaimed. “You had said you were thinking about it. They must have agreed on the salary you wanted.”
    “And then some, plus the benefits are great—three week’s vacation the first year. I don’t know if I’ll stay past the one-year contract though. Just trying to live in the moment, one day at a time.”
    “Is there any other way? One day is about all I can handle; tomorrow will take care of itself.”
    Alison continued to listen as Millicent went on about her job. That’s all she talked about. As Alison suspected, Millicent wasn’t seeing anyone. If she had been, either an e-mail, a phone call, or something in the conversation so far would have at least alluded to it.
    The forbidden topic, Cy Taylor, was on both their minds. Millicent wanted to ask about him and Alison wanted to acknowledge him as the proverbial elephant in the room. She decided to plunge in.
    “Have you heard from—?”
    “So what’s new at—?” They both spoke at once and laughed.
    “No, you first,” Alison offered.
    “Well,” Millicent began again. “I was just wondering if you’d heard from anybody: Sister Vivian, the S.O.S. Summit women, or anyone from Kingdom Citizens. I miss the women’s fellowships, and especially the conferences.”
    Arriving at Cy by way of Kingdom Citizens was fine by Alison. “I haven’t talked to Sister Vivian,” she replied, “but I have talked to a couple of Kingdom members. Ladies First is planning another Sanctity of Sisterhood Summit.”
    Alison and Millicent recapped some of their favorite points of last year’s conference, which Vivian had called a summit to signify the place godly women should occupy in the scheme of life, the very top.
    “Do you remember the slogan we all learned at the end?” Alison asked.
    “Of course,” Millicent replied confidently. Alison remembered it, too. They recited it together:
    “I’m uncommon. I’m unusual. I am not the status quo.
    Set apart, an earthly treasure—’cause my Father deemed it so.
    Yes, I am my sister’s keeper, and it should be understood,
    That today we stand united, the Sanctity of Sisterhood!”
    Reaching across the table to high five, they laughed at how their voices had unconsciously raised as the words flowed. Fortunately, there weren’t many in the restaurant; the ones who were just turned and smiled politely.
    “Wow, I can’t wait—” Millicent began, and then caught herself. She wouldn’t be going to the next