Deliverance (Lucious/Cookie, Anika/Malcolm)

Chapter Nine: Say Hallelujah

"What are you working on?" Malcolm asked Anika early Thursday morning. He expected Anika to sleep in late, but she'd been up for the past couple of hours working in the office. Anika did her most serious work in the large, cozy work room, where she could be alone with her thoughts. Other than Anika whistling "Waltzing Matilda" and the sound of keys clacking, the room was completely silent.

"I'm researching sushi restaurants," Anika answered, her eyes never leaving her laptop screen.

"Sushi restaurants? How come?"

"Because Cookie asked me yesterday if I could eat sushi since I'm pregnant." Anika smiled up at Malcolm. "She's taking me out to lunch after I get back from the doctor tomorrow."

When Anika checked her text messages that morning, she could hardly believe that Cookie had texted her about a place to eat on Friday. Cookie wasn't the only one who owed apologies. Elle Dallas. Beretti. Porsha. Hakeem. All the things Anika should have apologized for when Cookie came to see her yesterday were going to be addressed at tomorrow's lunch. Anika needed to make amends, just like Cookie had. "Don't worry, honey," she laughed at the unreadable expression on her husband's face. "I'm pretty sure our catfighting days are behind us."

"Anika, I just got off the phone with Rhonda Lyon." Malcolm took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before he spoke again. "Baby...Cookie died in her sleep last night."

Anika heard her husband's words, but they made no sense. "Come again?"

"Cookie died in her sleep last night," Malcolm swallowed a lump in his throat as he said the words a second time. "Rhonda called me after she couldn't get in touch with you. I guess Cookie still had my number in her old contacts or something. It wasn't a suicide or anything like that. They think it might've been a pre-existing condition...maybe a heart attack or something."

"Malcolm." Anika set her pencil down and stood on shaky legs. "I know you don't like Cookie, but this isn't funny."

"I'm not joking, Anika." Malcolm looked away, blinking rapidly. He'd be damned if he shed tears for his ex-lover in front of his wife. "Rhonda said that the last thing Cookie asked for was ice water from Andre. When Hakeem took the water upstairs a few minutes later, Cookie was already dead. She just went to sleep and never woke up again - where are you going?" Malcolm asked as Anika left the office without a word.

"To the hospital," Anika called over her shoulder.

"The hospital?" Malcolm followed Anika down the hall and into the bedroom, where Anika was changing out of her bathrobe into a comfortable pair of sweats. "For what?"

"To see Cookie," Anika answered, as if she was talking to a small child. "I mean, 46 is pretty early to have a heart attack, and I'm sure she's okay-"

Malcolm's shoulders sagged. "Anika," he said sadly.

"-but I just want to make sure she's alright. We're going out for sushi on Friday. Wait, I already told you that, didn't I?"

"Yes...you did," Malcolm said when Anika waited for a response. "But Anika-"

"Or at least we were going. We can't go now, obviously, with her heart attack and everything." Anika couldn't stop talking. She had to fill the silence. "So I'm going to swing by and make sure Cookie's okay."

"Anika. Listen to me." Malcolm reached for Anika, who snatched her hand away as she looked around for some shoes. "I'm not much of a fish eater, you know," she rambled on, "but I remember Cookie used to eat that stuff by the pound." Anika laughed, but it felt forced. "I wonder if I can sneak some in for her? That hospital food must be terrible, I'm sure."