Cookie was a little anxious while waiting in Xandri's office. She was constantly checking her phone for any new texts or messages. Dry phone. Cookie's state of unrest found Garrett, Xandri's assistant, offering to check his boss's availability again.

"Oh no, I'm not in a rush," Cookie insisted. "There's just a lot on my mind." Garrett was kind of glad to see the mail carrier dropping off the day's mail. It gave him something else to do. While he was delivering the mail to the various offices, he poked his head into the conference room.

"Ms. Bishop, Ms. Lyon is still waiting to see you. Shall I have her make an appointment to come back?"

"Ms. Lyon?"

"Yes ma'am, Cookie Lyon. Didn't Stephanie tell you?"

"No she didn't." If Cookie was sitting in her office, then something must be wrong and Xandri needed to end her meeting as soon as possible. "Please tell her I'll be there shortly."

"Yes ma'am."

Fifteen minutes later, Xandri walked into the waiting area to see a very agitated and scared Cookie Lyon.

"Hi Cookie. I'm so sorry to keep you waiting but this meeting had been rescheduled three times already." She looked up from her phone to see Xandri.

"Oh don't be. Any other time I would have been glad to make an appointment. This is an unexpected visit."

"So I gathered. Is everything alright?"

"No. Can we talk?"

"Sure. My office is this way." Cookies gathered her things and followed her. Xandri extended a hand to the empty chairs in her conversation corner. "Please have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you." Xandri put everything she was holding on her desk then sat next to Cookie.

"You wouldn't come see me unless it was important. What's going on? Is it Andre?" Cookie took a deep breath.

"Yes; I wanted you to hear it from me before it hit the news, if it hits the news. Andre's been admitted." Xandri was shocked.

"What?! I thought he was going to wait until the IPO was signed? What happened?"

"He wanted to but it didn't happen that way."

"So he didn't commit himself?"

"No, let me tell you what went down Xandri. Do you know the name Billy Baretti?"

"I think I've heard of him."

"Well, he owns Creedmoor Entertainment. He's Empire's arch enemy. He also started Lucious's career. I found out Anika, Lucious's now ex-fiancee, was sleeping with him, feeding him information. Then he came after us, poaching our artists- as many as he could get. They tried everything, hacking into our computers, the security system, the elevators."

"The elevators? Who does that?!"

"I know right? Anyway, it scared us all and we all went into protect mode. That day just happened to be the day Andre decided not to take his meds. But the way he was acting he might have gone a couple of days without them."

"Oh no!!" Xandri groaned. "He promised me!"

"And he was doing so well! I could definitely tell the difference, but I guess I didn't spend that much time with him the days before to notice. When he found out what Baretti was doing, he went off the rails. Andre went and paid cash for an expensive car to give to an artist to make him stay. He had stacks and stacks of money, promises for anything and everything. Hell he might have had drugs on him, I don't know. In the end he just couldn't handle it. He was in the conference room with Lucious and lost it. Andre was yelling at his father and destroying the room. Someone called for help, but I don't know who." The few tears that flowed showed that everything still had a huge effect on Cookie. So Xandri reached out to hold her hands and keep them from shaking.

"My goodness."

"The next thing we all knew, they we trying to restrain him. They shot him up with something and he went limp. Tranquilized my baby like a damn animal and strapped him to a gurney. Lucious refused to sign the papers and pointed toward Rhonda. So she signed to have him committed into the clinic. And she wasn't ready to do that yet but she did."

"Holden C. Jones?" Cookie nodded. "Well, he's in one of the best places. I couldn't trust my family to anyone else." Xandri handed her some tissue from the box on the side table.

"I felt so helpless Xandri! I didn't know what to do. I was so scared; still am. My baby looked so hurt and innocent."

"I know it's not what any of you wanted but maybe somehow it's better this way. I can't even imagine what's going through his mind."

"We can't either. He's not talking much. Sometimes he's just staring into nothingness." Cookie continued to dab her eyes.

"That's part of the leveling out. They have to bring him way down and balance him out. Is he at least responding to your voices? Recognizing you?"

"I think so. He will look at us but that's about it. And his crazy daddy refuses to see him. I could kick Lucious in his damn head! We all need to rally around Andre. I don't think he's ever been like this."

"I don't know why I thought Lucious would do something different, like the right thing and spend some time with his son at a low point. Some old dogs refuse to learn new tricks."

"You preaching to the choir now." Cookie dabbed her eyes again. "How does your mama deal with this and your brother? I'm so heartbroken!"

"She's had time to get used to it. Therron started showing bipolar symptoms in high school. But you never really get used to it because it's a little different every single time. I mean the treatment plans are basically the same, but the dosages change, the therapies change. You have to adapt the treatments to the symptoms."

"And they said something about music therapy. I'm not sure how it's gonna help him."

"We never know. We never knew my uncle was an artist until his art therapy. That's some of his work right there." She pointed to the series of small paintings behind Cookie's head. She turned to look. "He has so much art work he's running out of people to give it to. We finally got him set up in a gallery last year and it's been one of the best things for him."

"But Andre doesn't want to sing for Empire, he wants to run it."

"He does love music though. Andre is all business, math, and numbers; we know that. Maybe he needs to get in touch with his musical side. Perhaps it will help him view the company differently. Even view his brothers differently." Cookie sighed.

"I just don't know."

"Trust the plan Cookie. You've seen Andre in good and bad times; you'll know from that if something isn't working. He'll know if it's not working."

"What's the best way to support him?"

"Be there. The Holden C. Jones clinic prides themselves on family privacy so I won't be able to see him unless he requests me in a session. And since Rhonda's name is on the commitment papers, I doubt that will happen. Talk to him. Keep reminding him that things will be better. Keep him abreast of company happenings; if he's worrying too much about how things are running without him, he won't feel comfortable going through his therapy. Especially if Empire is still headed towards the IPO."

"Good point."

"That's the best advice I can give."

"That's more than what I could have come up with."

"I hope I helped Cookie. I really hope I did." Cookie stood.

"You have helped me more than you know."

"Anytime, you need me please let me know. I'll do whatever I can."

"Thank you. Talking to you was a big help. I guess a little prayer every now and then wouldn't hurt either."

"I can do that too."

     A few days later Xandri found herself in back to back meetings. Not her favorite thing to do. She was very grateful when a client called and asked to move a meeting back an hour. At least now Xandri could get some lunch. As she grabbed her lunch bag from the break room, Garrett came in to tell her that she has an unannounced visitor. She sighed.

"I just wanna eat lunch and check Facebook for an hour." she whined.

"I'm sorry but she just showed up."

"What's her name?"

"Rhonda Lyon." Xandri almost dropped her water bottle.

"Rhonda?"

"Yes. Is she any relation to the Lyon that came in the other day?"

"Rhonda is Cookie's daughter-in-law."

"Oh, you must be a good friend of the family."

"Eh, depends on who you ask." she replied as she walked toward the waiting area to find an unannounced Rhonda Lyon waiting patiently. "Hello, Rhonda." Rhonda looked up.

"Hello. I'm sorry to disturb you and...your lunch but I really need to talk to you."

"Sure, if you don't mind me eating. I've been in meetings all morning and the only reason I can eat now is that one meeting has been pushed back."

"This shouldn't take long."

"Then please follow me." and she led her to her office. Xandri closed the door behind them then sat at her desk. "Please have a seat Rhonda."

"Thank you." Rhonda replied as she sat.

"So how can I or BoMo be of assistance to you?" Rhonda cleared her throat.

"I wanted to let you know that Andre has been admitted into the Jones Clinic. Against his own wishes."

"I know."

"You know? How? It hasn't been in the news."

"Cookie came by to see me." Rhonda rolled her eyes.

"I see."

"How is Andre doing?"

"Well, you tell me. He claims to have seen you walking around in the lobby. I thought this clinic had a family only policy. It was a hard enough decision for me to admit my husband to a mental health facility for mental health issues without his mistress breaking the rules, trying to seeing him behind mine and everyone's back." Xandri paused from opening her sandwich wrap and looked at Rhonda with confusion and laughed.

"Boy are you paranoid! Mistress? Mistress?! Where did you get that from? We've been over this before Rhonda. Andre is your husband; I'm just his friend. Besides, did you forget that I have a brother who has mental health issues? My brother has been readmitted to the Jones Clinic and I was visiting him, not Andre. I know the policy of the clinic. I knew the policy of that clinic before you knew the clinic existed. Both of my uncles were there before my brother."

"So you are not sleeping with my husband?"

"No, Rhonda I am not."

"Then how do you explain him calling out your name and masturbating in a very heated sex dream? Any man that does that is clearly having an affair." Xandri gave Rhonda an annoyed look.

"Remember those are you words, not mine. I have no idea what you're talking about. We're not having an affair."

"I don't believe you."

"Sounds like a personal problem to me."

"I don't even know what Andre sees or ever saw in you." At this point Xandri was dreading inviting Rhonda into her office. The way this conversation was going she wasn't going to be able to eat lunch. And what she would be able to eat was probably going to give her indigestion.

"We are just friends Rhonda. That's how we started, that's how we ended. Did you really drive all the way over here to argue about this? If so, you wasted time and gas because there's nothing to argue about."

"No, I came to ask a couple of favors of you." Xandri almost choked on her water at those words.

"Excuse me?"

"I need a couple of favors from you. And seeing how I think my husband still has feelings for you, I think you owe me."

"Me owe you? Me owe you..." Xandri quickly stood up behind her desk. "You're saying that I owe you favors based on what you think Andre may or may not feel for me? You come into MY office, accuse me of cheating with your husband and you're asking ME for favors?? Girl how about I come across this desk and slap you out of my office! What in the hell is wrong with you??!!" Seeing Xandri's pending wrath secretly pleased Rhonda.

"Both of them are for Andre."

"Well Andre has my number. He can call and ask for these favors and you can get the hell out of my office!" She exclaimed pointing to the door. Rhonda stood up.

"But you don't understand."

"No Rhonda, it's you who doesn't understand. I am so tired of taking the blame for what's not going right in your marriage that it makes me sick. You married Andre, you are each other's responsibility."

"It's not that easy."

"It is that easy! You want to know the secret to getting along with Andre? Encourage him to communicate with you, not just talk, actually communicate. And when he's ready, listen to him. Don't let it go in one ear and out of the other, especially when it's something you're not interested in. Listen to him. You have to hear what he says and what he doesn't say! It's in the tone of his voice, the phrases he uses, his hand gestures. Andre's body speaks volumes when his voice can't. I can't believe after nearly ten years together you haven't learned to read his facial expressions yet! Encourage him Rhonda. Encourage him. You want to know the reason why he calls me? It's because I hear him." Xandri said as she pointed ears then to her heart. "I hear him; I always have. When his realities collide or separate or he has those days that he can't handle anything, you have to be there for him. Convince him that he can handle it, convince him that you will be right there by his side while he's going through it. You can not leave this man hanging! Do you get that?" Rhonda was shocked at Xandri's words.

"That's it? That's what Andre has been holding onto all this time? Just simple encouragement?"

"Are you giving that to him? No, because he's getting that from me."

"Well, since you're so good at encouraging and convincing him, come to his next session and encourage him, convince him to talk to me. To keep our marriage together."

"What makes you think me talking to him will lead to the two of you staying together? If he's changed his mind about your marriage, that's not any of my business."

"It is if you are the reason."

"ME be the reason? You're his wife, Rhonda. He's having a bipolar crisis; anything and everything is going through his mind right now. The medicines have their job to do and when they're done the two of you have to get to work. Communication is an important part of his therapy."

"Then you need to come see him." Xandri sighed in frustration.

"If he requests me and his therapist approves, then I will consider it."

"Good, I can tell the doctor that and let him decide."

"Is that it?"

"For now." Rhonda turned to leave, Xandri sat down in her chair, and then Ronda changed her mind. "One other thing."

"What now?" asked Xandri with her head in her hands.

"Since you're such an expert on our marriage, besides what you mentioned before, how can I keep my marriage together?"

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Well since you asked...You guys could use some space." Rhonda opened her mouth to protest but Xandri stopped her. "Before you say something, I didn't say take a relationship break, I said you guys need some space. Empire rules your lives. You guys work together all day, you spend all night together and I know you still talk business when you get home. You're surrounded by Empire from sun up to moon set. Have you thought about changing companies Rhonda? Or working in a different department, working less hours, starting a family? You guys need something other than Empire calling the shots in your life."

"We have a life outside of Empire."

"Really? Oh you mean your little sex clubs and parties?" Rhonda's cheeks flushed that someone else knew their secret. "Yeah, I know all about them and some of the business deals that developed because of them. Who do you think was encouraging Andre to stop going and spend more time with you? You're allowing too many factors into your marriage. So many that you're forgetting that your marriage is yours. Let some of the outside influences go. I'm not a threat to your marriage Rhonda and I never have been; your paranoia is. The paranoia wouldn't be there if you paid more attention to your husband. The more you're into each other, the more you'll be into each other."

"Duly noted."

"I hope so. If Andre's doctor requests me, please have him call me. And unless Andre is dying, I'd rather not see you in my office again." Rhonda quietly opened the door and left the office. Xandri sighed deeply and reached for her purse to grab some Tylenol. Rhonda's unexpected visit had now given her a splitting headache and somehow squashed her appetite. And she still had four meetings left before she could go home and get rid of the day.