Free The Pastor's Other Woman by Denora Boone Page A

directing us to go one way, but what’s presented to our flesh looks like the better choice. We mess ourselves up and have to deal with a season, sometimes a few seasons, of darkness that may take us years to be able to see the light again.
    Me not going for what I knew God presented to me in Jewel all of those years ago caused me to miss out on so much. It caused her to deal with pain and disappointment for so long. It also caused me not to be there for my children. Yes, that’s plural. Both Kammy and Avery were my daughters, but it seemed that no one picked up on that. My parents could tell Kam was my child because she looked just like me, and although Avery resembled me some, she was the spitting image of her mother.
    Neither Jewel nor myself was proud of the mistakes we had made, not once, but twice, but it was time to finally face the music. On the two occasions that our emotions and hormones got out of control, Jewel conceived our daughters. Like I said before, God works in mysterious ways, and we won’t always understand them.
    My mind was so focused on what I was going to do I hadn’t even realized that I had made it to Jewel’s house until I pulled into the driveway. I noticed the living room light was on as well as the light in Avery’s room since she faced the front of the house. Just as I was about to back out of the driveway because I didn’t want to disturb them I looked to my left and saw Jewel sitting in her car crying. As soon as our eyes met, I knew that she was in need. I could tell by the look on her face that she was kind of hoping it was Drew coming home, but her eyes also revealed that she was glad it was me.
    I got out of my car all the while keeping my eyes on her. Neither of us broke the stare as I got closer to her. Without a word, she unlocked the door, and I wasted no time opening it for her. The love that I had for her by now was so overwhelming and powerful that I couldn’t keep the tears from falling from my eyes as I opened my arms to receive her in them. I prayed that she wouldn’t make me feel like a fool and shun me, but to my relief, she got out and fell right into me. Holding her in my arms was one of the best feelings in the world, and though we were both hurting, I wouldn’t change this moment for anything in the world.
     
    ******
     
    It felt like hours that we had been standing outside crying in one another’s arms before we actually got ourselves together and went inside. Walking through the foyer this time felt nothing like any of the other times before this. Usually when I came over I felt a weight so heavy every time I walked inside, but tonight that burden was nowhere to be found.
    Making it into the house, I continued to hold Jewel as she cried on my shoulder. I couldn’t imagine the hurt and pain that she was feeling right now. Just by the look on her face, I knew the hurt was deep, and it was breaking me down that I couldn’t do a thing right now but pray for her.
    Once she was seated in the living room, I went to the guest bathroom to get her some tissue and a warm rag for her face. Before I took it to her, I went into the kitchen and got her a glass of ice water to drink. Moving about this house felt like I was right at home, and although I shouldn’t have been thinking about that at a time like this, I couldn’t help but to take notice of it.
    Walking back into the room, I saw Avery sitting there with her head on her mother’s shoulder as Kammy sat on her other side wiping Jewel’s tears away. It was at this moment that I knew that I had to be there for the three of them come hell or high water. No matter what, I would not let them down, and I would help build them back up as long as God allowed me to.
    “Here sweetheart, take this,” I said, handing the items to Jewel.
    She looked up and me and smiled but said not a word. I sat down on the other couch and just observed the three women that sat before me.
    Avery was growing into a wonderful young woman.