A Sinful Calling by Kimberla Lawson Roby

to treat Levi like he was the enemy. It was wrong, and this was the reason she’d stood her ground for so long. But nonetheless, her mom was heavily on her mind and she couldn’t help calling her.
    Tanya was a counselor, so she dialed her mother’s office number and waited.
    “Hi, sweetheart,” Tanya said.
    “Hey, Mom, how are you?”
    “Everything’s great. What about you?”
    “We’re good. Just thought I’d take a break and see what you were up to.”
    After a bit of silence Tanya finally said, “It’s good to hear your voice.”
    There was another pause, and Alicia could tell the conversation was just as awkward for her mom as it was for her.
    Alicia waited a little longer and then said, “I know you’re probably working, so did I catch you at a bad time?”
    “No, not at all. I have a few minutes.”
    “Good. So what are you and Dad James doing for the Fourth?”
    “We’re going away for the weekend. Heading down to New Orleans for the EssenceFestival. I thought I mentioned that to you a couple of months ago.”
    “Actually, you did. I’d forgotten, though,” she said, thinking how the reason she hadn’t remembered was because she and her mom talked a lot less than they used to. Before her marriage to Levi, she and her mom had sometimes chatted on the phone two to three times per day, but now, they were lucky if they spoke twice a month.
    “We’ve never gone, so we’re really excited about it,” Tanya said. “Been wanting to get there for years.”
    “Mel and I went last summer, and it was a really great time,” Alicia said, referring to her best friend, Melanie Richardson. “One of the best events we’ve ever traveled to.”
    “That’s what I’ve always heard.”
    When her mom had first mentioned it to her, Alicia had wondered how two people her mom’s and stepdad’s ages would even be able to enjoy a music festival. But then she’d realized that there were so many keynote speakers, panels, and old-school singers, anyone could enjoy themselves.
    Alicia relaxed farther back in her chair. “It’ll be a lot of fun.”
    “I believe it will, and hey, how is Levi?”
    Alicia was a bit taken aback, because no one in her family ever asked about her husband. Whether they spoke to her by phone or accidentally saw her out in public, they acted as though she were single and lived alone.
    “He’s fine.”
    “That’s good. Please tell him I said hello.”
    Alicia wasn’t sure how to respond, mostly because she was still too shocked that her mom was asking about her son-in-law.
    “Honey, what’s wrong?”
    “I guess I’m just a little surprised that you’re asking about him.”
    “I know, and I’m sorry for feeling the way I have all this time. But I’ve also been praying about it and doing a lot of soul-searching, and I realize that it’s just not right for us to shun Levi or make things hard for you. We may not like the way the two of you got together or the affair you had, but what’s done is done and we all have to move on. I’ve been asking God for direction, and I know I was wrong.”
    Tears filled Alicia’s eyes. “Oh my God, Mom. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say those words. I miss our conversations and visits, and it’s been so hard pretending that none of this bothered me. The hardest thing in the world is being married to someone that none of your family members love, or even like for that matter.”
    “I can only imagine, sweetheart, and I hope you can forgive us. Your dad James feels the same way, and I know he’ll be calling you later. I’ve been meaning to call you the last couple of days to apologize, but I just couldn’t get the nerve up to do it. I was too embarrassed,” she said, sniffling. “It was too hard to admit that I’d distanced myself from my only child and best friend, all because things didn’t turn out the way we wanted. So I’m really glad you called me today instead. It was all in God’s plan, and there’s