Free Religious Love by T.P. Horton Page A

never once talked back about taking care of her sisters. I was ashamed most of the time. I didn’t want them to see me strung out on drugs. I selfishly didn’t allow them to see me at all no matter how much they begged for their mother to be at home. The funny thing is that every time I would get faded, was when I thought of my babies the most.
                  I thought about how Denien quit school because no one was there to manage her sisters. She would never get to experience the prom, graduate and become someone successful.  I stone cold cheated her out of any chance at life; no shot would find her.               You see ladies I cared; I just couldn’t fight my demons and they won every time. I was beaten, worn, a sinking ship just like the titanic. And the music I heard on the way to the bottom of the ocean was screeching violins.
          After many years of self-rehabilitation, I reached out to my daughter on several occasions. Some of those occasions, I let her down some kind of messed up way. The thing about my child’s heart is that it’s forgiving and patient, so I thought.  The last time I hurt her, she completely walked out of my life and it killed me.
                  That day I vowed to never make her suffer by my hands never ever again, and I put that on God. It took me two years to get through to my child. One day through heavy prayer and fasting. She reached out to me. We have been tight ever since.
                  That time apart it was Lee that picked up all of her pieces. She became a woman of so much substance. Lee was in a space with her that I’d never seen; he was in the middle of her heart.  When I tell you all, she was one of the hardest hearted people in the world. When it came to love she was always giving, but it was hard for her to receive it.
                  I watched with my own two eyes’ a powerful transformation. Her eyes no longer were sad. Her smile wasn’t hiding behind anger and hurt. She was vibrant and had so much resilience to live, love and be loved.
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                  He gave her a reason to believe in herself, dreams and goals. She picked up a pen and started to write. She talked about Lee with her actions by taking trips just to be in his presence. That was not like her.
                  It was at that moment that I knew Lee was more than just a jump off. He had become her everything, made me proud. I wanted her to experience a love that was real. I’m not going to lie at first; I had my doubts because of the distance. There were times that I didn’t think they wouldn’t make it, but they fought through it all and we are here.
                  I could remember those times when we gotten back close, she would be sad because the other piece of her heart was so many miles away. As her mother I knew; she didn’t have to tell me one word. She finally had gotten what she wanted but could not touch him, talk about a huge obstacle.
                  I knew the love was real because she was unshakeable in her relationship. We could be out- and- about, and some nice men would try to get at her. She would always cut them down before things could even get started.
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                  When I met Lee for the first time, he was everything a mother could want for her daughter. He had one of the biggest hearts a man could hold in his chest cavity. He was articulate, had some damn sense, and I loved the way he looked at my daughter.
                  He really took her life by storm. I think it would be safe to say that she did the same for him. I remember her telling me that she knew he was her husband all those many years ago. God was right.
                  When they moved in together life started to climb for them. Lee had got a 2.5 million dollar deal for his energy shots. Denien’s publishing company shot through the