ꨄThe Debutanteꨄ

59.

...

Three Days Later

...

Cookie stood at her dining table, looking down at the phone as she video chatted with her therapist. "I know I've been really busy and I haven't been able to talk to you on a daily." Cookie said. "That's perfectly understandable. You are a very hard working woman, aren't we all?" She asked, and Cookie nodded.

"But how have things been, Cookie?" Asked Dr. Wick. "Well..." Cookie trailed off, thinking about how two days ago she had to shoot someone in the head to save Anika's life. However, she left that out. "Well, remember when I told you she asked me to go to the Cayman Islands with her?" Said Cookie.

Dr. Wick smiled. "Yes, I do. A private trip similar to the road trip may be a good way to the two of you to bond and become more comfortable with each other. Aren't you looking forward to it?" She asked. Cookie nodded slightly. "I mean, I am. I'm just nervous about...meeting her family. Especially her mother...I don't think she's going to like me." Said Cookie.

"What makes you think that?" Asked Dr. Wick. "Well, for one I'm pretty sure that I'm not too much younger than her mother. And there's a noticeable age gap between me and Anika. I can imagine how uncomfortable she would feel knowing that a woman almost her age is dating her daughter." Said Cookie, sighing. Her therapist gave her a saddened look.

"And also, even though me an Anika are comfortable with each other now, nobody else knows. And for Anika to just show up with a girlfriend from her job..." Cookie trailed off.

When Cookie first told her therapist about the trip, she only explained how her fears were going out of the country and not knowing what to expect, but she didn't go into detail about what she truly was afraid of.

"Well, do you think that her mother knows anything about you from Anika? What if Anika has been putting in a good word for you?" Asked Dr. Wick. "I doubt it. Me and Anika used to hate each other. I think that Anika's mother know more bad about me than good...especially how I'm...an ex-con..." Cookie sighed.

"Did you tell Anika about your concern with this?" Asked the therapist. "I did...and she said that her mother won't react badly at all, but I just feel it. I feel like once she sees me it's not going to go how Anika says it will at all. Not to mention that Anika's brothers are probably around the ages of my own sons..." Cookie exhaled, starting to feel a thought of regret.

"Don't doubt yourself, Cookie. I'm sure that once her family sees how happy you make Anika, they will disregard any thoughts they had about you. I'm sure that Anika wants you to use the trip as a getaway, and it would be good for your mental health to use this to your advantage. I do not believe that you will be with her family for the full duration of the trip. I understand your fears about your first impression, it's a big step to make especially after how long you have been together already, but I believe that Anika will only allow them to see the positive side of you." Said Dr. Wick.

Cookie closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Right. Maybe I should look at the bright side. I'll finally be able to be alone with her somewhere where most people don't know me..." Said Cookie.

...

After Cookie ended the call with her therapist, she stood at the dining room table again, looking down at a local newspaper while dressed in a long mint green robe. Her hair was straight down her back. She noticed that Jamal was on the cover of the paper. A bold headline read:

"Empire Artist Jamal Lyon Retiring From Music?"

Cookie sighed. "They even got him in the damn papers." She said. "He needs to get back to making music, ASAP." Cookie groaned.