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church, in his office. He’d changed out of his suit, which was wet from the sweat of the last service, showered and was wearing a pair of casual navy pants and a white polo shirt with navy ribbing around the collar and sleeves. His shoes were off, and his feet rested on the edge of his massive maple desk. He picked absently at the fish dinner that his staunchest supporter and oldest member, Mother Bailey, had brought him when she found out he’d be staying through until the evening service. His Bible lay open on the other side of the desk along with a copy of the day’s program and a picture drawing of Jesus surrounded by lambs that Mother Bailey’s great-grandson, five-year-old Joshua, had colored in Sunday School. A yellow legal pad of paper was to the left of it with unfinished notes for the Sunday night message written in outline form.
    “You got to think of your family, man,” Derrick was saying as King picked up the pen on the legal pad and began to doodle. “That’s your obligation—to God and to them.”
    “That’s all I’ve thought about for the past six months, in fact, the past few years. I’m trying, Dee, I’m really trying. Like I said, I still love Tai; I’m just not in love with her. And this other thing, well, it may be too big for me to control.”
    “What do you mean, too big for you to control?”
    “It’s like no matter what I do, it won’t stop.”
    “Ah, come on, King, this is Derrick you’re talking to. I’ve known you for twenty years, and I know you can do anything you set your mind to.”
    “This isn’t a mind thing.”
    “It’s a dick thing, right?”
    “That’s cold, man.”
    “Well, isn’t it?”
    “It’s a spiritual thing. She’s gotten into my spirit and I can’t get her out.”
    Derrick was unmoved. “Start by getting out of her bed, King. That’s the first step to getting her out of your spirit and your life.”
    King changed the subject after that, confirming that everything was set for Derrick to be the guest minister at their Leadership Conference coming up in July. They talked about their children: “Yeah, Vivian’s fine, kids growing like weeds.” King congratulated Derrick again on his church’s mass choir CD debut, Kingdom Citizens’ Christian Center Sings Thy Kingdom Come! Derrick reiterated his continued support for the Total Truth Association, an organization of Baptist, Methodist and other churches who’d broken away from their more traditional organizational umbrellas to embrace practices not recognized in their denominations, like miracle healing and speaking in tongues. King told Derrick about the Angels of Hope, and Derrick told King about the Kingdom Kick Boxers, a martial arts program for the church’s young men. Finally King looked at his watch, then at the pad, and realized he needed to get back to work. He’d had a sermon prepared, but as so often happened, God had another one in mind.
    “Take care, bro’, I’m praying for you,” Derrick said to his brother, whose pain resonated through the telephone.
    “Me too, Dee, me too.” King hung up the phone and pushed the half-eaten fish dinner aside. He crossed his arms on the desk, put his head down on top of them and started silently praying in tongues. He had been praying for about thirty minutes, had started feeling his spiritual and physical strengthreturn, when the phone rang. The red private call light lit up. King raised his head, looked at the caller ID. Slowly, resolutely, he picked up the receiver. His “spiritual thing” was on the line.

Blessed
    “Daddy!” Elisia’s high-pitched voice rang out cheerfully as she knocked on the door. “Daddy, Mama says to tell you dinner’s ready.”
    “Come in, honey bunch,” Derrick replied, smiling as his angel bounded through the door and into his lap. He kissed her cheek and playfully tugged at one of her long hair twists as she beamed appreciatively. She studied her father’s profile thoughtfully for a few minutes,