Page 18 of So I Know it's Real

On cue, Tatum wandered from the kitchen with a PB&J in hand. “Don’t talk about me behind my back. Mama is the one that takes forever, especially when she adds that cat hair to her eyelashes.”

“Boy—” I stomped in his direction as if ready to attack, but instead, I kissed his forehead.

As much as my boys were a handful, I knew God placed me on earth to be their mama. I would never act like motherhood was full of rainbows and sprinkles. There were days I didn’t want to get out of bed, but they demanded my attention. Sometimes their attitudes tested my patience. Still, none of that touched the joy they brought into my life. After what happened to their father, I knew God blessed me with my boys to keep me sane.

“Mama, do we have to stay at church all day? The last time we went with Granny, we didn’t leave until it was dark outside,” Tatum complained as soon as we got in the car.

“I like church,” Pierce blurted out. “Granny said the more services you go to, the more likely you are to get into heaven.”

“Bro, that is not true. The devil was an angel once, sitting in front of Jesus being fake!”

“Shut up! You’re just mad because you know you’re going to—”

“Watch it, Pierce!” I interjected. “We haven’t even left the driveway, and you guys are fighting. Act like I’m raising you right for a few hours then we can leave. Deal?”

“Deal!”

We walked into the lobby of Three Oaks Baptist Church two minutes after ten. A wave of relief hit me when my pumps crossed the threshold, yet reality smacked me in the face when I noticed a group of people waiting to enter the sanctuary.

“Mama, why are these people out here?”

I grinned at Pierce. “Because your granny is on duty. She takes her position on the usher’s board seriously. It’s also Fellowship Day, so there are going to be a lot of unfamiliar faces.”

“Oh okay. That’s why you baked cakes and took them to Granny last night?”

“Bingo.”

Although I knew therules,I wandered to the front of the line and looked through the cutout in the wooden door. A grim glance from my mom met my attempt at pulling it open.

“Oh, my goodness. Stop being dramatic,” I muttered with a smile.

She pushed the door open enough for me to hear her say, “Wait until the deacons are done with the benediction.”

After another five minutes, we walked in as the choir sang an original piece for people who showed up late. The tune was lighthearted, and I usually got a kick out of it. This time, the song acted as a background track for a scene I would never forget.

“Come on, Mama. Let’s sit with Auntie Karlie.”

I followed Pierce but kept my eyes latched on the wine-colored carpet beneath my heels. I didn’t know if I was dreaming or having a nightmare, but I prayed I was seeing things.

“Karlie—”

“Yep! That’s him,” she cut me off to say. “I thought I was tripping. Then I saw the diamonds and tattoos.”

I leaned forward, trying to steal a glimpse of the man with the light eyes.

“What is he doing next to Mother Jo?”

“I do not know, but I’m sure we’ll find out. You know the old ladies love showing off theirboys.” She snickered. “Are you going to talk to him?”

“Right now, I need to talk to the Lord.”

Sister Patty staggered to the podium with her composition book in her hand. She had been handling the weekly announcements since I was a kid, and regardless of having trouble with her vision, she refused to allow anyone else to take over the task.

“First giving honor to God, who is the head of my life...”

What started as Sister Patty reading the bulletin pivoted into sharing her opinion on the church’s dress code.

Tatum groaned and slouched in his seat when she flipped to the next page in her notebook. “Oh, my God. She is taking too damn long.”

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