What Brought Us Together

Reactionary.

"Dinner at my house y'all," Mama Carryn said as Virtue and Exodus walked out of the church together. Of course Mama Carryn found out what happened and told her to be at church the next day. Virtue honestly wanted to skip but she was glad that she didn't.

Though she didn't feel like going, it was exactly what she needed to hear. He talked about pain and how pain is necessary. He used the biblical servant Job for reference and how Satan tried to tempt Job into cursing God but he was to loyal. Pertaining to Virtue's situation and circumstance, she asked herself why her? Why let her pain be so great? So heavy, so gut-wrenching?

Have you tried my servant Job? is what God asked Satan. God granted Satan permission to torment Job because he knew that he would never curse him. Job had painful boils from his head down to the soles of his feet, Job lost everything including his own wife, so he had no one. His only defense was God, his loyalty and his righteousness.

Why Job? Virtue asked herself that question multiple times. But of course she answered it and said, Why not Job? God knew that Job was strong enough to handle the hardships and pain. He was strong enough to handle any capacity of which Satan put him in. She felt like Job in a sense. She's been experiencing pain for so long and it didn't just start with Charles and Shelly.

It started with her mother leaving, it continued with her fathers lies, manipulation, and death. It continued with Milan and the endless toxic cycle of old history, pain, and hurt. It also continued when Tareek, Shelly and Charles got killed. Hell, when Virtue unknowingly became a target. Virtue felt like she has been tried the most. She also felt like she's been hurt the most too.

Being hurt so many times and for what? What's the end result of all of this? Is it healing? Understanding? A lesson? Unlike Job, Virtue was asking all of the questions.

It felt like the preacher was preaching directly to her. She couldn't do nothing but cry on Exodus' shoulder. Exodus heard and understood everything so when she was crying, he just held her hand to let her know that he's there. It was well needed and plus, she was glad that it was being released.

They walk to Exodus' Continental and he opened her door and helped her inside. He closed the door and hopped in on the other side. He started the car and right before he pulls off, his phone starts ringing. It was an incoming call from Elias. Exodus answered, and the first face he saw was Crew's.

"Happy Birthday CeCe!" It was officially Crew's 7th birthday and he couldn't be happier. Caleb's was 4 days after hers so he's gonna be getting called by Elias again.

"Uncle look! I got money!" She said excitedly, showing him the 2 $10 dollar bills that she received from Nannie and Big Sir. Crew felt rich.

"Happy Birthday Crew," Virtue said animatedly and Exodus turned the camera so she can see Virtue's face. "How old are you now, big girl?"

Crew put 7 fingers in the camera. "Hi Ms. Auntie Virtue! I'm 7 years old! Daddy said that 7 means perfection so that means I'm perfect, right daddy?" She asked and Virtue cooes because she thought that was so cute.

Just then all of the kids ran to the phone, smashing their faces together to see Virtue. "Hi Ms. Auntie Virtue!" The kids yelled simultaneously. Elias laughed obnoxiously and Camilla rolled her eyes. To be honest, she wanted to hang up the phone but Crew begged her dad to call her uncle Exodus.