Gold, Fire & Refinement

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ~The Bible, John 8:32

Perched on its stand, Zarah's tablet displayed her best friend's face. They were having coffee together and catching up. Something they did online or in person at least once a month. Yvette was playing devil's advocate, so Zarah crossed her eyes and made a face. "I can't prove it, Your Honor," she said. "And I don't know how he did it, but I know he did it. See. I'm back from the edge of lunacy now. All the way back. And I see his name written all over this."

"But what evidence do you have to show the court, little miss ma'am. What evidence do you have to support your accusation? Are you sure you're not just trying to make it be him? Just because we don't like him? Harvey thinks it was most likely Dinah ... up to her old tricks."

"I beg your pardon, Your Honor, but no. It was not Dinah try'na get Harvey to put a bun put in her revamped oven. It was Thurgood up to his old tricks. I told you. Last night? He tried his best to get me to get drunk. Again."

"Have you told Harvey yet? What you think?"

"I told him. But he thinks T has changed. Still thinks Dinah cooked it up. Said she might have thought she had another chance with him. You know. Now that Grandma Betty and Uncle Drake have reaffirmed they could drink a whole tub of her bath water."

Yvette's whole face had question marks all over it. "So. You and Harvey made up last night, huh?" She smiled.

Zarah held up her ring finger and looped it through the chain of her pavé diamond heart necklace.

After letting out an ear-piercing shriek, Yvette shouted, "Yes! There it is! That big old 'conflict-free' diamond I helped to pick out. Good to see it back home. Right where it belongs."

Zarah laughed. "We're still celibate. No honey til the honeymoon. But he slept here last night ... in my bed. I slept in the guest room. He insisted on being 'near me' by being in my bed. So, I let him. But to be safe ... he said I had to get outta there."

Yvette's face softened. "Oh, that's so romantic! Maybe Sean and I should do that. Get to know each other better in every way other than that way."

"I think it works best before marriage. Harvey and I know each other too ... the other way. But celibacy? It feels better than I thought it would. In a way? It's sexy. You know?"

"Nah. I don't. Celibacy is the one thing I never tried with any of my boyfriends." Yvette laughed. "Sounds incredible though."

"I can't even describe how it feels. Being with the man you love, the man you're going to marry, and not sleeping with him. When you know you're being faithful to each other? It's so, so romantic and sexy. And now? Now I can hardly wait for our honeymoon."

"I bet you can't. It's gone be explosive, that's for damn sure. So, where is he now? Mr. Hotty Handsome Prince. Still there?"

"Yep. Still asleep, in my bed. Right where he belongs." 

Zarah's doorbell rang, and then she heard several loud knocks. 

"Vette, somebody's at my door interrupting our coffee. Sorry, but I have to go."

"Wait," Yvette yelled. "Hit me back, okay? Later. I have to know who was at the door."

"Okay," Zarah laughed. "I'll hit you back to tell you who was at the door. Geeze Louise, Miss Nosey Rosey Posey!"

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Rolling her eyes while walking toward the front door, Zarah smiled. She and Yvette had always been more like sisters than best friends, and it felt cathartic, healing even, whenever they shared some of the most intimate details of their lives with each other. Her smile quickly turned to a frown a second later when, peering through three small windows at the top of her front door, she saw who was on the other side. "Go away!" she shouted. "You are not welcome here."