Heart Of A Fighter

The End.

Lavender finished off the stitch, sharing a loud laugh with Jacob and Kalif. It was weird how scars kept using Damien's body as their canvas. No longer from Issac's whip but from random things.

Damien gulped on some more scotch in confusion.

"Aye, did your wife tell you that in her dream when she stitched your arm you cried like a little bitch," Jacob cackled.

Kalif slapped Damien's arm as he doubled over. "What did I tell you about hitting me when you're laugh K," Damien flinched, gulping on some more scotch. Lavender smiled, watching the similarities of her dream unfold in front of her eyes like deja vu.

"Oops, sorry Charming," Kalif teased. "I can't believe that your name was actually Damien Danger Charming Ryder either."

Grace walked over, joining into the conversation with ease. "You think it's because Lav heard you and Shavon calling him those names for years?"

Kalif stared down at her as if she were a trophy.

Lavender rested the threaded needle on a napkin.
"Maybe, I'm just too happy that they're over. Now, enough of my dreams. We came here to party. I can't wait to bake you guys cake for your wedding."

Damien glanced over at his stitch as if it was nothing and stood up. "Babe, what you need to do is calm down."

Grace laughed pulling Kalif on the dance floor. She was a terrible dancer but she was enjoying her moment.

Someone kissed her stomach. "If he comes out looking like me, both of you owe me ten bucks," Jacob said.

Damien rolled his eyes. "You got lucky the first time," Lavender said.

" "Aye bro, I'm unto the Philips."

Over the years Damien and Jacob had their own company. Jacob wore the suits, being the mastermind in getting clients whereas Damien got his hands dirty. Damien's level of expertise for someone who didn't go to college was amazing.

"Finally." Damien "Those are the most thick-headed clients so far."

Lavender looked around, smiling in content. She was at Kalif's engagement party that was held in her backyard. Kalif wanted to go all out, but Grace enjoyed the comfort of her close ones.

It had been approximately two months since her mother-in-law's death. Jacob barely shed a tear when he first heard the news of her death. He still held a grudge against his mother. He argued that although life was cruel to her, she worsened her situation by running into the arms of a man who abused her son because he wasn't his.

She could've easily found a man that worshipped her and love Damien as his own. But no she chose the drug addict who claimed he loves her, yet dragged her into his world of addiction.

"If someone loves you then they wouldn't encourage you to walk down the same path as them. She's my mother but she caused that upon herself," were Jacob's only words at her funeral.

But Damien, having a softer spot for his mother, took Sophia's death terribly. He didn't sleep for the first three weeks.

The kids cried because she was their grandma but not because they had a connection. They always knew their grandma Sophia was different from their grandma Blossom. Not because of their skin color but because of how she always itched.

She felted someone tugging on her dress and looked down.

"Mommy, why is baby Arlo taking so long. I wanna play," Otis frowned, his mouth forming an adorable pout.

Lavender sat with a smile, placing his small hands over her bulging stomach. She loved this version of her life better than her dream.

And thankfully, ever since Sophia's death, those weird nightmares of hers had ceased. It was if they were a warning of what was about to happen. 

"Soon, Cruz. Like next week soon."

His pout stayed. "But how far is next week?"

"Okay, let's see...today is Saturday so it could be in two days or even tomorrow. The doctor said on Thursday, but babies come anytime."

"Well, he betters make up his mind and hurry."

Lavender laughed, "We'll do a countdown together."

"I dunno what's a countdown."

Lavender looked around, looking for an escape.
She nearly splattered all her ice tea from wanting to laugh at how close Damien and Liam had gotten over the years. There was a point of time when  Damien almost broke up with her because of her and Liam's friendship. But Liam talked some sense into him, telling him that Damien wouldn't be with Lavender if anything was going on between them.

Lavender found it bizarre that the roles switched in her dream to the point where she was saying those exact words to Liam's late wife Taylor. She died giving birth to Naila.

"Would you look at that, Uncle Lele is calling you," Lavender finally told Otis. Otis dropped his mother's hand, bouncing towards Liam. Otis said something and Liam's head snapped to hers, feigning anger. He threw Otis over his shoulder and ran into the bouncing castle.

She felt eyes on her and looked where Damien was still standing. His eyes were on him as he walked over to her. His steps slow and teasing and confident.

When he reached to her, he helped her in one swift motion. One of his hand rubbed the exposed skin on her back and the other held her waist firmly.

"You never told me why your favorite color is emerald green."

His stare made her giddy and hot. Yes, so hot. He still had that effect on her after all those years. The feeling was surreal.

His lips spread into a wolfish grin. "Because of that emerald green panties you had back when you were in college."

Lavender blushed. Looks like some part of her dreams were real after all.

"What?" Damien stared at her.

"Nothing it's just that I've had a few uh-" she scratched her head, looking for the right word. "-flashbacks."

Damien laughed and shook his head in mock disappointment. His eyes had a glint in them. He was sincerely amused. "You naughty girl. You've been fantasizing about me in your dreams."

"Mrs. Ryder," Anjelica smiled, interrupting Lavender's thoughts.  "I haven't seen you eaten all day and you're pregnant."

"Oh, I ate alright. My husband made sure of it."

"See, why I admire you two."

Damien shrugged. "What can I say, she's my peace in this godforsaken world."

Anjelica smiled. "I can still remember how troubled he was when I first started working for you two. And he's--well the man riles you up. There's always fire at the mere mention of his name. It's as if he awakens every cell in your body. Ahh- I'm going to get out of your hair now."

Anjelica walked away still muttering to herself; "She's twitching her nose again."

"See you around you observant woman," Lavender called out with a laugh.