Free Ex-Terminator Life After Marriage by Suzetta Perkins

from her seat and raised her hands. “I’ve been loosed to love,” she repeated over and over. “I’ve been loosed to love.” Again, she felt the high she had experienced the night before. No more pity parties for her. She had just been given the key to new life, new hope and possibly new love if she’d just believe.
    “I’ve got to get up from here and go to church,” she said with enthusiasm.
    Turning off the television, she looked at the digital clock on the microwave. It was ten a.m. She had enough time to make it to Mt. Calvary. Sylvia ran through the shower and put on a loose-fitting, rose-colored, silk chemise and a matching long jacket. A pair of Joan and David rose-colored pumps completed the outfit. She swung her hair from side to side, pleased with Arial’s work. Sylvia applied makeup, took one last look and started to get Adonis’ approval out of habit. She threw her hand forward to dismiss that thought, and walked out of the door.
    Her neighbor, John Hendricks, was mowing his lawn when she exited the house. He nodded in approval. Sylvia smiled back and climbed into her BMW, showing more thigh than she intended. Mr. Hendricks continued to smile until Mrs. Hendricks wandered into the yard with a pair of gardening shears, catching Mr. Hendricks’ attention. Sylvia laughed to herself. Old Mr. Hendricks couldn’t do anything for her even if he was younger and single.
     
    Church was dismissed, and Sylvia was still in good spirits. The pastor’s sermon, “Don’t Let Satan Steal Your Joy!” was still on her mind. She got in her car, waved to a few acquaintances and drove away.
    Now that she was on her natural high, she wondered what she would do with the rest of the day. Her daughter, Maya, was still playing newlywed with her husband, Carlos, so this was not the time to be around them. She could stop by her parents’ house, but her mother would get on her nerves ten minutes after she arrived.
    She continued to drive and as she saw the after-church crowd—families five to six deep—pile into restaurants for their lunch, loneliness began to tug at her heart. Just at that moment, the pastor’s message flashed by on a marquee in her subconscious: “Don’t Let Satan Steal Your Joy!”
    “It is resolved,” she said aloud. “I’m going to fix myself a great meal and enjoy my own company.”
    Sylvia crinkled her face. There was nothing in her refrigerator except for last night’s leftovers, and she didn’t want that. She saw a Food Lion and pulled in. There were others dressed in Sunday frocks migrating to the store for a last-minute item they had forgotten to get to complete Sunday dinner; Sylvia felt she was in good company.
    Sylvia looked in the rearview mirror and applied a tad bit of lipstick. She always had to look her best. She slid her tongue across her teeth for extra measure and, finding that all was well, got out of the car and headed for the store.
    Colorful vegetables drew Sylvia in. Ogling over them, she touched each one as if it were a cashmere sweater or a pair of Prada boots. Yellow and white onions; red potatoes, sweet potatoes, baking potatoes, white potatoes; romaine and iceberg lettuce—so many varieties to choose from. She had forgotten how many since she ceased shopping the day Adonis walked out of her life. She’d been relying on takeout. That was about to change because she deserved to treat herself to the best, whether she cooked or a handsome gentleman offered to take her to the restaurant of her choice. She picked up some fresh broccoli and put it in her cart.
    Clickety-clack went the shopping cart as Sylvia glided through the store like she owned it. She rolled past the pork section, the poultry section and stopped in front of the beef section and picked up several porterhouse steaks and a filet mignon. She examined them, finally settling on the filet mignon.
    She wheeled the cart forward, headed for the steak sauce. She moved down the aisle as if she were on a mission