Finding Home (Excerpt)

“I am the LORD. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Isaiah 42:8

1

Nia Montgomery couldn’t believe her eyes. There was no way possible that the text messages flooding the nursery iPad screen were meant for her husband.

“Shhh.. Mommy’s right here, little guy.”

Nia held her son, Junior, closely as she rocked him back to sleep. She was trying to lay him down in his crib without waking him. Nia had just returned home from towing Junior and her two-year old daughter, Aiya, across town and back to pick up takeout from her favorite Italian restaurant. She was certain that her plans for a relaxing evening alone, once the kids were down, had come to an end.

The glow from the screen let her know that the blue bubbles were still coming through.

…Where are you going?

I can’t walk that far in these heels…

I’m so sorry about what happened to you.

Meet me in the parking lot.

I want to give you a hug.

Nia truly could not believe what she was seeing. Her heart was beating fast. She was sure that it was loud enough to wake her son. Either that or just burst completely out of her chest. Who is this woman? I don’t recognize this number. Why isn’t it saved?

Her husband, Jamal, was supposed to be out of town on a work trip. Now, she wasn’t so sure about that. 

If I can just see what he’s saying. 

Nia walked across the room and carefully placed Junior in his crib. She moved swiftly and gently to be sure that she wouldn’t wake him. Her heart was now racing as one thought entered and lingered in her mind.

Is he having an affair?

Nia stood up straight and turned to face the dresser that the iPad was sitting on. As much as she wanted to know, she also didn’t want to know. She knew that this moment could change everything. Nia knew in her heart that whether she learned the truth or remained in the dark, that this moment had already changed so much.

Nia knew that the only thing standing between certainty and uncertainty would take very little physical effort on her part. All she had to do was walk across the room, pick up the device, tap, and scroll. However, emotionally, Nia’s heart couldn’t withstand another heartbreak. Should Jamal be involved in a romantic - or even relatively emotional - relationship with another woman, this could be the fatal blow to her fragile heart.

It didn’t take long for Nia to realize that the screen no longer glowed. Thanks to the blackout curtains she received as a gift from her registry, Nia knew that the messages had stopped. She knew because the room went completely black and she was standing alone in the dark.