LUCIOUS & COOKIE: TUG OF WAR (REMASTERED)

IT'S A NEW DAY

6 months later

A bright smile consumed my face, my fingers sliding the platinum hoop though my ear, I watched my child hopping around to the sounds of Tiana and Keem's latest hit as my feet guided me back into the master bedroom from our walk-in closet.

"And ain't no competition out here. Petition out here, Petition out here. Ain't no competition out here. Petition out here, Petition out here. I don't see no competition."  Laylah gleefully sang, a brush in hand, she's standing in front of the full-length mirror giving a full-on concert.

I chuckled while pulling her white dress from the bed and heading over towards her.

"So, you like it huh baby girl? Think it's a hit?" I asked as she held her arms up and I slid the frilly fabric over her head.

"Yea mommy, Keem and Tiana always sound good together, don't' you think so." She complemented, then continued with the show, my fingers fastening and tightening the various sections of her dress in place.

The song coming to an end, hyper hazel finally settled down so I can finish getting her ready. My eyes drifted upon the scar that dreaded bullet left next to her heart.  The day we almost lost her, the day that changed this family forever.

I thank God every day that he watched over her through that scary ass experience we endured a few months ago. All that blood, her pale little face, nearly lifeless body, followed by months of countless follow-up appointments had me scared out of my mind.

Nevertheless, she's still here and doing better than before if you ask me. It's like she always has endless amounts of energy and continuously walking on cloud nine. She has an indescribable glow.

"It doesn't hurt anymore mommy." Her words invaded my thoughts as my attention shifted onto her vibrant eyes within the mirror. She must have noticed me staring and immersed in my own world.

I tied the waist bow of the dress right above her hips, flipped her around to face me, then pecked her smiling lips.

"Oh yeah, well mommy's glad to hear that princess." I admitted, while rising back upward and grabbing her hat from the bed. "Here take your hat love. Go wait downstairs with your big brothers. Mommy and daddy will be down in just a few minutes alright. I love you." I instructed.

"Love you too." Laylah nodded then skipped off in her frilly little white dress, without a care in the world. Strutting towards the twins' nursery I see that Lucious already has them ready, in their carriers, and on his way out of the door.

"Gone head turn around, I got this slow poke, let's go we're gonna be late if we don't leave now. The boy's downstairs?" He asked, planting a kiss on my lips in passing and I nodded.

Ever since Laylah started showing signs of life after the shooting, he's been acting so different.  I mean he's still Lucious but something about him has changed, each day that passes, he reminds me more and more of the bright-eyed boy I fell in love with when we were teenagers.

No matter what he says I kinda feel like Dwight Walker has always been a part of him, he just never wanted to let him out because he felt like that side of him was a weakness or a liability. He buried that part of himself years ago, but I think that's the true reflection of his soul.... the reflection of his humanity if you will.

When we first met and were married, oblivious to me, he was the perfect mixture of the two.  No, he wasn't a saint but he damn sure wasn't the devious, devil filled, man he'd morphed into while I was in prison.