ꨄThe Debutanteꨄ

99.

...

Two Weeks Later

...

Cookie felt warm breathing against her stomach this morning. She sniffed and continued to doze back into her restful sleep. The person she laid with turned their head in the opposite direction.

Underneath the sheets, Cookies legs were wrapped securely around Anika's waist, while one of her arms were resting on top of her pillow. The other was intertwined in Anika's hair. They were dressed in their pajama sets. Anika was on top of her, sleeping soundly with her head resting on her chest, listening to the soothing sound of her heart beating steadily. Her hands were wrapped around her waist.

They were planning to cuddle and watch a movie last night after Anika's surprise visit from the islands, but their drowsiness got the best of them, and they fell asleep before they could even begin.

Anika wishes that she could move back to the states right away, but visiting would help with avoiding dealing with her mother's questioning on why she suddenly wanted to return to New York. Anika still didn't confront her about how she was fired up with anger after discovering that she initiated her and Cookie ending their relationship. Her mother still didn't know that she knew. As much as Anika wanted to say something, she was too overwhelmed with the joy of the two of them having each other to themselves again. It just felt better for no one to know right now, and for her to just focus on allowing this happiness to consume her.

In the meantime, Anika was fine with taking weekend trips to visit Cookie. As long as she saw her and had the chance to sleep in bed with her melting into her warmth like she did today, she was fine with that.

Anika's eyes fluttered open slowly, and she yawned. She looked upward to see Cookies sleeping frame. She seemed to peaceful anytime she slept in a bed with her. It made her so happy knowing that she didn't toss and turn, or wake up with nightmares. She used to, but they gradually stopped, and she hasn't had them since. Not that she's known of, anyway.

Anika gave a light peck onto Cookies palm after her hand slid out of her hair. She then slowly inched herself from holding onto her, stood up and slipped out of the room into the kitchen.

...

"I can't wait until I can do it properly." Said Anika, rubbing Cookies left hand with her own, brushing her finger over the temporary engagement ring. "It's okay. The way you did it was enough. It didn't have to be fancy." Cookie said, shaking her head. "Have you gotten a traditional one already?" Anika asked.

Cookie didn't have a traditional proposal the first time she was married either. Lucious basically just said 'be my one' and he slapped the ring on her finger right after they had a successful drug bust. Then one day they just went down the the court and got the wedding papers. Nobody was there, because Lucious didn't have any family and Cookie really didn't either. She didn't have a dress, she didn't have a fancy reception or a cake. She didn't have a bouquet or a flower girl. No bridesmaids or groomsmen. Just her, Lucious, a priest, and the clothes on their backs. The ring he bought her was brought with drug money. Cookie never felt right about it, even if they did both sell drugs.

The one thing a wife expects is at least a pure wedding ring. One bought with the cleanest of money that separated whatever that was done in the personal life from it. But it was bought with drug money. Just about everything he ever bought for her was with drug money before he started blowing up with his music. But Cookie couldn't even be around long enough to enjoy that because she was sent to prison.

Cookie didn't realize how light she felt when she finally bought her own piece of real clothing as an adult once she got out. She went all in on a cheetah-print dress and a gleaming pure white fur coat. All the prints and the jewelry and the nail colors. It felt good. Of course Cookie didn't realize just how much changing she had to do on the inside rather than just the outside, but she felt that now she has accomplished that as well. With Anika's help along the way.