The Prodigal Son (A Reverend Curtis Black Novel) (22 page)

Three Months Later

M
atthew tossed his son into the air, and he squealed with total joy. MJ was such a happy baby, and Matthew was grateful for that. He was thankful for his son and glad MJ was loved by so many.

Although there were times when no matter how wonderful things seemed, Matthew still thought heavily about Racquel. Their entire marriage had been a disaster, but not ever in his most extreme imagination would he have believed she was capable of causing so much tragedy and pain. From neglecting MJ to frequently getting drunk to stabbing Matthew to sleeping with his brother, it had been one horrible incident after another. On top of that, she’d also stabbed Nicole, who thankfully had recovered fine but had left town because of how devastating her experience had been. Then, as if that hadn’t been enough, Racquel had hurt two people in a car accident and shot a police officer. Racquel had done things that Matthew hadn’t thought she or most people he knew were capable of doing, and although three months had passed since she’d been hospitalized for two gunshot wounds, he still found himself feeling sorry for her. Of course, not everyone understood why he had so much sympathy for her, but he knew it was partly because she was MJ’s mother, and partly because his own mother had taken MJ away from Racquel barely weeks after he was born. Racquel clearly had some issues, but there was no denying the fact that her real troubles hadn’t begun until that day child protective services had picked up MJ. She’d cried and suffered in such a grave way that by the time he’d been returned to her, she’d evolved into a completely different person. But what bothered him more than anything else was that no one had paid enough attention or done anything to help her. Here he’d lived in the house with her, yet the most he’d done was hope and pray that she’d get better. Then, when he’d told Racquel’s parents that she seriously needed help, they hadn’t done a whole lot to get her help either. It had been as if they’d all decided that Racquel was just being mean, lazy, and unsocial, and that eventually she’d return to being her old self. Sadly, though, it hadn’t happened, and her illness and unstable mind had only escalated into something disastrous.

On a more positive note, however—that is, if a person wanted to view it that way—a judge had finally sentenced her to a psychiatric hospital. She’d fully recovered from her gunshot wounds, but instead of sending her to prison, the judge had accepted her plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. She would remain there for a few years, but there was hope that she would one day be well enough to be released. Matthew hadn’t gone to see her more than a couple of times, but when he had, she’d appeared to be doing a lot better. He also received updates from his former in-laws as well as from Racquel’s best friend, Jasmine. Matthew had even offered to bring MJ for a short visit, but Racquel had told him she wanted to spend a little more time getting well. She wanted to be the best she could be before her little boy saw her again. Matthew understood the reason she felt that way, and he respected her wishes.

The one thing he didn’t understand, however, was why she’d gotten mixed up with Dillon and how Dillon could have no problem sleeping with his own brother’s wife. Matthew knew he and Dillon had never been close—actually, they’d never actually gotten to know each other at all—but he still couldn’t fathom any man sleeping with his sister-in-law. There were just certain moral and family lines most human beings didn’t cross. It was the kind of unwritten rule that never had to be discussed, but for some reason, Dillon hadn’t seen anything wrong with it. In fact, had it not been for Melissa, Matthew might never have found out about the affair taking place between his brother and his wife. Melissa had called Matthew and told him everything. As fate would have it, Melissa had seen a breaking news report on the local six o’clock news about Nicole’s stabbing, and this was when she’d realized the police were looking for Racquel. It was then that she’d contacted the investigator to determine Dillon’s whereabouts. She’d had a feeling Racquel might be locked away in some hotel with him, what with her having been with him two nights in a row before that. Then, shortly after notifying the police, she’d called Matthew.

But sleeping with his sister-in-law wasn’t the only vile thing Dillon had been capable of. He’d actually plotted some crooked scheme and tried to blackmail their father. Thankfully, Melissa was the reason Dillon hadn’t gotten away with that either, and right after draining his bank accounts, she’d moved back to the South. Dillon, on the other hand, was still there living in Mitchell, but none of them had anything to do with him or ever saw him. Matthew’s dad had immediately confronted him, though, about his extortion plans—wanting to know why Dillon would do something like that—but all Dillon had told him was that he never wanted to see him or any other member of the Black family again. So that had been that, and everyone had moved on.

Now, things were starting to look up, at least in some respects, anyway, because not only was Matthew’s divorce just about final, his parents had encouraged him to return to Harvard. They’d almost insisted that he re-enroll, not in a controlling way, but in a loving one, and Matthew was grateful to them. He had, of course, lost his academic scholarship, but his parents had offered to pay his expenses, and classes had begun two weeks ago. As a matter of fact, the only reason he was able to have such a great time with MJ at the moment was because his parents had brought MJ out to Boston for the weekend. They’d also brought Stacey along, something Matthew couldn’t believe, since his mother had never liked any girl he’d dated. But for some reason, she seemed fine with his current choice. Stacey was still attending college in Illinois, but she and Matthew had promised to try and see each other every chance they got. It was true that they did miss each other terribly, but so far, it hadn’t affected the special love they shared. They were committed to their relationship, and Matthew believed they would be fine. There was no denying that he hadn’t remained faithful to Racquel, something he still felt pretty badly about, but he’d repented, asked God to forgive him, and he was doing his best to live his life right. He’d made a lot of mistakes, but what he’d promised himself and God was that he wouldn’t keep repeating them—it was hard, but he’d even told Stacey that they could no longer have sex.

There was no way he’d ever be perfect, because no one was, but he could certainly try to do the right thing as much as possible. And he would—for himself and for his son. Matthew would live the way God wanted him to live, and life would be good. He would obey all the commandments, and he’d be fine. He knew this because God never went back on His Word. God was the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and just knowing that gave Matthew peace. It made him smile and thankful just to be alive. And to him, that meant everything.

1. Given his personal history, are Dillon’s feelings of jealousy toward his siblings justified? What would you advise him to do to get his feelings under control? What could Curtis, Matthew, and Alicia do to help Dillon—or should they not have to? 
   

2. Have you ever experienced sibling rivalry? If so, how did you cope with it? 
   

3. Should Matthew have been more willing to forgive his parents sooner? Was he right to walk away from Racquel when she was in need of help? Can all breaks be mended, or are some actions simply unforgivable? 
   

4. Was it okay for Matthew to talk to another woman about the problems in his marriage? How would you feel if your spouse opened up to a coworker or neighbor rather than a counselor, minister, or family member? Who do you turn to when you have problems you need to discuss? 
   

5. Is Racquel responsible for the problems in her marriage? If so, why? Is she still a victim of Charlotte’s action from a year ago? Is she a victim of mental illness? Is there anything Racquel could have done to help heal herself before things got out of hand? If so, what exactly? Should her family have done more to help her? If so, what steps could they have taken to assist her? 
   
6. Should Matthew and Racquel have gotten married at all? Why or why not? Would they have been better off to have waited? Would little MJ have been better off? Can young marriages ever work? What advice would you give a young couple about marriage? 
   

7. Did Vanessa and Neil make the right decision by not telling the judge Racquel’s full backstory? What would you have done in their position? 
   

8. Do you believe Dillon really regrets how he treated his aunt, or is he just feeling sorry for himself? Can bonds with friends be just as strong—or stronger—than bonds with relatives? Do you have an Aunt Susan in your life? If so, please describe her. 
   
9. Why do you think Melissa stayed with Dillon for so long? Did she truly love him or truly fear him? Do you know women like Melissa?  
   

10. Both Melissa and Matthew try to hide the abuse they suffer. Does spousal abuse carry a social stigma? Does it matter who is doing the abuse and who is the victim? What advice would you give someone who you knew or suspected was being abused? 
    

The Reverend Curtis Black Series

A House Divided

The Reverend’s Wife

Love, Honor, and Betray

Be Careful What You Pray For

The Best of Everything

Sin No More

Love & Lies

The Best-Kept Secret

Too Much of a Good Thing

Casting the First Stone

Standalone Titles

The Perfect Marriage

Secret Obsession

A Deep Dark Secret

One in a Million

Changing Faces

A Taste of Reality

It’s a Thin Line

Here & Now

Behind Closed Doors

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