Free Flaw Less by Shana Burton

depressed this time of the month,” remarked Lawson and tossed aside a worn jacket. “Why the sudden euphoria over the prospect of seeing me in bloomers and flannels all week instead of lingerie?”
    Garrett plunked down next to her. “For one, if Mary skipped our house this month like I’m hoping, we could be holding our baby a year from now.”
    Lawson hated letting him down. “Not this time, honey; maybe next month.”
    Garrett pressed his lips together and nodded. “I guess this gives us an excuse to keep trying every night, right?”
    She rubbed his chest. “I hope you’re not too disappointed.”
    â€œIt’s not the news I wanted to hear,” he admitted, “but I know it’ll happen soon. It probably takes awhile for your body to readjust after coming off birth control. The doctor said this could happen. It must be frustrating for you too. I know you want this baby as much as I do.”
    Lawson started bagging up the clothes. “God doesn’t put more on us than we can bear. At least, this gives me more time to concentrate on grad school.”
    â€œBaby, I don’t want you throwing yourself into work and school because you’re not able to conceive. All that extra stress and pressure you’re putting on yourself might be part of the problem.”
    â€œI can handle it,” she told him. “The minute I do get pregnant, everything else will be put on hold. Until then, I should try to stay active. Speaking of being active, don’t you and Namon have plans for tonight?”
    â€œKicking me out, huh?”
    â€œNever that.” Lawson kissed him. “You know the girls are all meeting up here for a clothes-sorting party. We’re going through everybody’s stuff to get it organized for the clothes drive.” The doorbell rang. “That’s probably them.”
    â€œI hope it’s more exciting than it sounds,” joked Garrett.
    â€œWith that crew, I’m sure it will be!”
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    The clothes carpeting Lawson’s living room looked like fall leaves spread over the ground outside.
    â€œOkay, we need to separate everything by colors and seasons,” directed Lawson. “Kina, you take all the summer stuff. Sully, you take spring. Angel, you get fall, and I’ll take winter.”
    Kina began gathering clothes. “You know we complain sometimes, but you can’t look at all these clothes and not know we’ve been blessed. These are just the clothes that we don’t want. It doesn’t include what we still have in the closets.”
    Angel nodded. “You’re right, Kina. God is good.”
    Lawson shuffled through the pile for winter clothes. “So, what’s been going on in the lives of you girls today?” she inquired.
    â€œI got a massage and a facial,” replied Sullivan. “I swear . . . that Jennifer can work miracles with my pores.”
    Angel let out an exasperated sigh. “Of course, this isn’t nearly as exciting as Sullivan’s shrunken pores, but one of my patients died this morning. As a nurse, I’m glad to see him out of his misery, but it’s never easy to see the toll death takes on the family.”
    â€œAw,” groaned Lawson. “I’m sorry to hear that, Angel.”
    Angel smiled in gratitude. “Thank you, but to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. At least he’s in peace now.” Lawson nodded, agreeing.
    Kina cleared her throat, anxious to divert the conversation into another direction. “Umm . . . I met a lesbian.”
    â€œWell, let’s start with that, shall we?” spoke up Lawson with renewed interest.
    Angel blinked back. “And just where and how did we meet said lesbian?”
    â€œPower lesbians always have the best shoes,” Sullivan noted wistfully.
    â€œOh, they have powers now?” asked Lawson in a snarky tone.
    Sullivan turned to Kina.