Scandalous Truth by Monica P. Carter Page B

day, Will—trying to save my child’s life and to no avail. I’ve been researching this condition on the Internet and each story is more horrible than the one before.”
    â€œOkay, well, then get off the Internet,” William said. “You know you can’t believe everything you read on there.”
    â€œSo, what, now you’re saying I’m overreacting?”
    William sighed. “Look, let’s just chill for a few minutes and come back to discuss this.”
    â€œOh, so you need a break from me, is that it?”
    â€œNo, baby, but nothing I say right now is going to work, and quite frankly, I’m tired,” he said. “I just need a few minutes—just a few minutes—to breathe without being disturbed.”
    â€œSo I’m a disturbance to you?”
    William threw his hands in the air. “Impossible.” He grabbed his keys. “Look, I’m going to hang out at Mac’s house,” he said. “I’ll see you when you calm down.”
    â€œI know you are not just going to walk out while I’m talking to you!” Nikki said, her hand on her hip. “So you want to run to your brother’s house to escape me, is that it?”
    â€œBye, baby.”
    William closed the door behind him and Nikki cursed. Every fiber in her being wanted to call William back and let every profanity she could summon fly. She speed-dialed Danielle instead.
    â€œHey, girl,” she said when Danielle answered. “You won’t believe what just happened.”
    â€œWhat?” Danielle said.
    â€œWill can be so insensitive sometimes. He just came home and I told him the insurance company won’t pay for my baby’s operation. And then I told him about all the horrible stuff I found out about this disease. All he could do was say he needed time to ‘process.’ What kind of mess is that? Then he walked out.”
    â€œWell, you know William always was a little slow,” Danielle said. “He never does anything fast. He always has to think about things, or should I say, ‘pray on it.’”
    â€œWell, it’s okay for him to think and pray, but I needed him to be as freaked out as me,” Nikki said. “But he was just calm. Maybe he just doesn’t care.”
    â€œYou know that’s not true,” Danielle said.
    â€œSometimes, I just wonder why I married him,” Nikki said.
    â€œWell, I told you, you should have waited,” Danielle said. She paused. “Hey, look, my other line is beeping, hold on for a sec.”
    A beat later, she returned. “This is old Troy on the other line, trying to apologize. I went off on him when some woman called my job about him earlier today. He knows he’s in the doghouse. I’m going to make him beg, though. He can’t just think he can treat me any kind of way and think that all will be well.”
    â€œSo is he seeing the other girl?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Danielle said. “He said she is stalking him and that’s why she called me. She even made her cousin move next door to spy on him. He keeps saying he’s not doing anything, so I guess he’s not.”
    â€œWell, don’t be dumb over a man,” Nikki said. “You can let him go, you know.”
    â€œOh, I know you’re not giving me relationship advice, Miss I-can’t-even-keep-my-man-at-home.”
    â€œIt’s not even like that, and you know it,” Nikki said. “But hey, I’m going to let you get back to your man. Thanks for listening.”
    Nikki hung up. She let out a heavy breath, as she thought back over the argument with her husband. William seemed calm even at the idea that their daughter could have a serious condition. For him, prayer would take care of it. Nikki wanted that confidence; she wanted to give prayer a chance. She walked across the living room and grabbed a Bible from its spot next to a smiling photo of Psalm