Grown Folks Business (36 page)

Minutes stopped moving and Quentin leaned, his lips aimed for hers. As the edges of his lips touched her, she turned her head, so that his mouth landed on her cheek. He kissed her and let his lips linger against her skin. Softly. Easily. Sadly.

When he leaned back, there were tears in his eyes but none in hers.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

She nodded.

“Good night.”

He opened the door and stepped outside. She watched until his Mercedes joined with the night. And then she closed the door.

Sheridan couldn’t sleep.

Her mind was a tousled mass of thoughts—Christopher, Déjà, Brock, Quentin. It was enough to keep her eyes stretched open as if it were three in the afternoon. But it was three in the morning and she gave up trying to win the battle to rest.

Sheridan tightened her robe and then wandered downstairs. Inside the office, she looked around the room. Six months ago, only pain stayed with her as she studied Quentin’s words. Now, she felt nothing. Next time she saw Quentin, she’d have to tell him—she would be closing their business.

She sat at her desk and frowned when she saw the FedEx envelope. She wondered where it had come from, and then remembered that her parents had come to pick up Tori when she rushed with Déjà to the hospital. Maybe it had been delivered then.

She glanced at the return address, and her heart pounded. Slowly, she ripped open the envelope. Her eyes stayed on the large letters. And she waited for the tears to come.

“Final Divorce Decree.”

No tears, but sadness filled her nonetheless. It was over. Officially now. All that was left for her and Quentin was a lifetime of sharing their children. And a love for him that she knew was there—but it was tucked away into a corner of her mind.

She stared at the paper for a moment longer and then filed it inside her drawer under “Important Papers.” But even though the notice that legally recognized Quentin’s deception was in the file cabinet, the thoughts stayed with her.

Six months ago, he’d told her about Jett. She remembered that day and all of the horrific times in between. And then, she recalled the good days. When she knew that she and Christopher and Tori were going to make it. She had quite a testimony.

She paused. That’s what her father had said.

You have quite a testimony. And testimonies are not for you alone. They’re meant to be shared.

Sheridan pulled out a pad.
Maybe I’ll just make some notes,
she thought. But the pen wouldn’t move, even though her mind was racing, even though she had ideas—remembering the way Quentin had come to her. Remembering her fear of AIDS. Remembering the emotional devastation that rocked Christopher and Tori.

Quentin may not have had down-low behavior, but he had a down-low attitude, keeping the secret from her for far too long, hiding who he was, sending their world into chaos.

Down low.

And then her pen moved across the paper. She wrote the first words, studied them and smiled:
My Life as a Survivor: How I Learned to Live Up High.

Whew! This was the most difficult novel I’ve written to date. Not only because of the subject matter, but because I have friends who are gay whom I love dearly. I decided to write
Grown Folks Business
(in 2002) for two reasons. One, I know the Word of God and the truth of God’s Word. I know what He says about the act of homosexuality. I wanted to write a book about that. However, the other reason for this novel is that I often hear the judgment of Christians regarding homosexuality and how Scripture is often mis-quoted in this regard. I’ve heard people say that homosexuality is a sin on a different level—that it is an abomination and the only sin that is an abomination. That’s not true. So, I wanted to write a book that addressed those issues as well.

While I understand God’s direction on how we should judge one another as Christians, I also once heard wonderful words from a friend who was about to get married. He said, “You can love someone into submission.” I believe as Christians, we can love someone so much that we can lead them to know the truth. I prefer the love approach. And that’s what I wanted to show in this book.

Also, please note that this story is told from just one point of view. This novel is not about Quentin Hart and why he is gay or why he chose a particular time to leave his family.
Grown Folks Business
is
just
about Sheridan Hart’s journey. This novel is about what would happen if your husband came home and told you he was in love with a man. I had the pleasure of speaking with a wife who experienced this and also with men who have left their families. I thank all of you for your candor.

My hope is that this book will open up discussion in a positive way and that we all come to know the truth—which is the Word of God.

1. Quentin tells Sheridan that he’s in love with someone else, but that he hasn’t been having an affair. Do you think that an extramarital affair includes sexual infidelity by definition? What do you think constitutes “cheating”?
   
2. Sheridan feels that she is suffering the worst kind of betrayal by her husband. Is it harder for her because Quentin loves another man and not another woman? Do you think Sheridan would have felt differently if Quentin confessed to sleeping with a man, but not having fallen in love? How would you feel if you were in Sheridan’s shoes?
   
3. Grown Folks Business
   presents situations that cause us to reconsider what makes a man a man. Consider Quentin’s sexual identity crisis, Cameron’s prostate cancer, and Christopher’s attitude toward his father. What do you think the defining characteristics of a real man are?
   
4. Similarly,
   Grown Folks Business
   asks questions about womanhood and femininity. Kamora, with her sexy clothes and active love life, resides at one end of the femininity spectrum. Sheridan, with her sweat suits and celibacy, believes she resides at the opposite end—and, in fact, blames Quentin’s abandonment on her lack of femininity. What do you think it means to be a real woman?
   
5. Homosexuality is an increasingly sensitive issue in our communities. What are some of the different views on homosexuality presented by the various characters in
   Grown Folks Business
   ? How do you feel about these opinions?
   
6. Kamora tells Sheridan, we’re all “only human.” What do you think is the difference between the hypocrites in this novel and the people who are “only human,” but are trying to do right by God? To which camp would you assign each of the following: Sheridan, Quentin, Sheridan’s brother, Kamora, Beatrice and Cameron, Déjà, Francesca, Christopher, Brock, and Pastor Ford?
   
7. When we are first introduced to Brock, he doesn’t seem a likely candidate for Sheridan’s affections beyond the initial physical attraction. Why do you think Sheridan is able to open her heart to him? Have you ever dated someone much younger than yourself? How do you feel about women who date younger men?
   
8. There are many things about Déjà that Sheridan doesn’t like. Do you think Déjà is right in saying that Sheridan doesn’t think she is good enough for Christopher? What reasons do you think are significant enough for a parent to forbid her/his teenager from dating someone? Where do you draw the line between a difference in taste and knowing that a relationship is a bad idea?
   
9. When Sheridan and Quentin explain to Déjà that Christopher is too young to marry her, Sheridan recalls being on the receiving end of a similar lecture from her own father. What is different about Sheridan and Quentin’s young, rushed marriage and Déjà and Christopher’s situation?
   

10. Do you think Quentin was ever truly in love with Sheridan, or do you think he married his best friend, someone he could make a life with, in order to cover up his repressed homosexuality? What is the difference? Do you feel any sympathy for Quentin?