Bella stretched languidly in bed like a contented cat, feeling the ray of early morning sun brighten the room and her mood. Today was going to be a great day, she thought with a lazy smile. Today was the day everything must start to fall in place.

She sat up in bed and ran her hands through the light brown bedding, enjoying the silky softness of it to her skin. Her smile only widen as she stood and padded across the glorious guest bedroom in the house Iverson was now renting indefinitely.

Her eyes fell on the royal blue dress with rhinestones laced neckline that she had picked for the day and hung outside the closet, she ran her fingers through the breathable fabric as she walked passed it to the bathroom. She hadn't deem to wear a dress that flattering in a very long time but today was a special day and she intended to look her very best for her daughter's homecoming.

She was going to dress the way she felt; confident and over the moon. Although after taking a glance at her legs, her lips turned down in disapproval. The dress was short, she definitely needed to shave or she might scare people away no matter her confidence.

Bella hit the built in stereo on the bathroom wall as she entered, and like the cheapest clichés out there Iverson's voice instantly came alive through the speaker with one of his songs playing on the radio, she giggled and twirled her way to the medicine cabinet for any shaving product she could get.

Her becoming confidence might have more to do with the sessions she started with Claudia-the therapist imposed on her- more than the joyous fact of Lyric being discharged after four weeks but whatever, right?

She still wasn't sure how Iverson roped her into that one, she had been pretty sure she wasn't depressed but everyone else, including Dr. Silver had begged to differ. Now she'd gladly admit they were right, the sessions was working wonders for her mental health.

Bella got the shaving cream from the well organized cabinet in her favorite brand, it was no secret that Iverson had bent over backwards to make her moving in with him as easy and comfortable as possible. Even going as far as buying her a brand new Nissan Murano the day her car broke down on her way to the hospital and had to be towed.

She continued searching the cabinet for a razor or a shaving stick but there wasn't any in this well stacked cabinet, there wasn't even a scissor in the first aid kit. And come to think of it, Bella puckered her lips in thought, not once had she seen any sharp objects in this house since she moved in!

She'd tried to cook once but couldn't find a knife to cut anything, not even a simple corkscrew in plain sight and she had chunk it to probably not knowing where things were kept but now she was beginning to get another idea.

Getting angry at the thought Bella marched out of her room barefooted and headed straight for Iverson's, clad only in an old band t-shirt that was hardly covering her thong and morning hair all over the place but how hadn't Iverson seen her before?

He had taken it upon himself to personally cook most of the meals she ate, since she spent a lot of time with Lyric at the hospital and then more time with her therapist.

Yes, Iverson can actually cook now.

It had come as a surprise but unlike the smoking this was quite pleasant.

And when she'd teased him about it his response was;

"This girl I was really into told me she only had a thing for guys that could cook, so I hired a chef to teach me everything he knows. Thought I'd impress her someday."

Oh Bella was certainly impressed, but still feigned ignorance. "Sounds like a piece of work, this girl."

"Oh she is." Iverson readily agreed. "She's also easily the strongest, most determined person I've ever met. I'm in awe of her strength and endurance, and that's not saying anything about her beauty. She blows me away whenever she as much as catches my eyes. I loved her. And I love her even more now."

But clearly the talk about her strength and endurance was complete BS, otherwise he wouldn't feel the need to hide sharp objects from her like she was some self harming maniac.

Why even get her a therapist if he believed she was a lost cost?

"Ivers..." She barked as she barged into his bedroom, instantly halting in her track when she caught sight of a butt naked Iverson making weird noises into his phone right in the middle of the room.

He jerked around at the abrupt intrusion, holding a small towel to his hair with one hand and his cellphone in the other. He seemed to lose track of what he was doing for a bit as he discovered her by the door but otherwise made no attempt to cover himself and God, had he always been that big?

Bella's mouth suddenly went dry, what was it she came to him for? Damn he was a proud man. Really, really proud, she thought, unabashedly licking her dry lips.

"Kinda like piano and sax for the bridge." Iverson said into his phone and mouthed some beatbox before clicking it off and tossing it on the bed.

"Got an idea for a song in the shower, had to put it down immediately." He told her, wrapping the tiny towel in his hands around his waist and effectively covering up the wonderful sight before Bella. She pouted and met his amused eyes briefly before her attention snagged to his chest, holy moly was that...

"Something you need?" Iverson spoke, trying to get her attention but he could be snapping his fingers right in front of her eyes and she'd still be transfixed by the scars on his chest.

Bella found herself shutting his bedroom door behind her and covering the space between them in slow, unsure steps until she was directly in front of him, close enough to get heady with the scent of his shower soap and aftershave but felt so conflicted in touching him even though her fingers tingled with the need.

She was seeing him like this for the first time since before he was shot, funny how it never crossed her mind that he had his own scars, too.

"You can touch, I won't bite." He said, his voice coming out raw and thick.

She glanced up at him through her lashes, his intense blue eyes was already burning into hers, mirroring her own need to feel his skin.

Bella lifted her hand and tentatively traced the tip of her forefinger around the dimple like bullet wound scars on his chest. She'd learned with the help of Claudia that she'd blocked out a lot of the things that happened on that godawful day but now it was coming back to her. She remembered how really close she came to losing him forever and shuddered at the memory.

Iverson's hands went around her waist to pull her firmly into his body. "I'm here, Blue. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

God, she hope not. He and Lyric were all she had left.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" He asked, tilting her head up with a finger under her chin.

Bella frown in confusion before remembering she had been giving him the silent treatment for a while now after he came clean about how he'd ended up in bed with two girls when Bella was missing.

Bella wasn't truly mad, it was a very long time ago and the fact that he'd carried the guilt since then was enough for her.

"I love you, Iverson." She said to him. Bella had more appreciation for the people left in her life now, she had known enough sadness and seen enough loss to waste her energy on something that happened ages ago. She knew the man he was, he was no cheater and Iverson never lie or take her for granted. This man, was enough for her.

"I don't deserve you."

"No you don't." She agreed, throwing her hands around his neck. "Neither of us deserve the other but we'll have to make do, hey?"

"I'm going to kiss you." Iverson warned, his eyes darkening. She fitted right into his arms where she belong, her body was soft and warm and he could feel her nįpples grating against his bare chest through the worn out material of her shirt.

"I'm not going to stop you. But if you do that, you should know I'm never letting you go, again. Ever."

"I better make it a very good kiss then, so you'll never change your mind." He said as his lips crashed down on her, warm and firm, igniting fire and awaking deep emotions long thought lost.

-->>

"Lyric told Ivory, or Ivory told Lyric to make it seem like her own idea, I'm not sure but I know there's a conspiracy there and I've been made the middle man to talk to you so Lyric can visit Ivory in New York." Iverson stole a quick glance at Blue in the passenger seat and caught the bewildered look on her face.

"C'mon babe, Lyric can go back to living a perfectly normal life, which includes flying and it's just New York..."

"And your sister in one sentence! That woman hates my guts, I can feel her frostiness all the way here through simple video calls. Didn't she ask you to get a DNA test because you can't just take my word for it after seven years? She literally thinks I'm in this for your money and fame, and you expect me to send my daughter over to her?!"

"I was actually thinking we could all go together."

"Great! That makes me feel so much better." She said sarcastically and turned to press her face against the windshield.

Iverson sighed, he knew there wasn't going to be an easy way to this conversation. "Blue, please," he reached for her hand with one of his and kept driving with the other, alternating between looking at her and the road ahead.

"Ivory doesn't hate you, she have a bìtch face I agree but she doesn't hate you and she hasn't said another word about a DNA since she met Lyric through Skype. They both get along so well and she'll love to come over but I think you and Lyric could use a getaway from the UK for a while."

Bella held his hand in hers firmly, she didn't want to start an argument with him today of all days when their daughter was coming home, and especially not after the passionate morning they shared.

She'd ended up taking a shower in his bathroom and used his shaving cream and shower soap, she smell faintly like him and she loved it. The accusation she later threw at him wasn't confirmed or denied but he promised to get her razors and show her where the knives were hidden.

They got a lot closer this morning and everything was perfect. She was still feeling the warm glow all over her body and Marie Ivy wasn't going to ruin that for her.

"Lyric is your daughter too, I know she'll have to meet your family and the public at some point but can we just get our daughter home first and take it a day at a time from there?" She pleaded, giving him the poppy eyes.

Iverson easily agreed, saying anything she wanted. "Do you have anything else planned? Now that the storm is over?"

Bella let go of his hand and absentmindedly traced her thumb feathery across the fading scars on her inner wrist. Yes, the storm was over, but not before she lost her mother too. She was still learning not to see it as a loss because now she has her mother and daughter in one body.

"I was thinking of enrolling Lyric in a proper school? Dr. Silver said she could basically do any sports she wants, pick up new hobbies, make friends with kids her age. Everything we were too cautious to let her do before."

"And what plans do you have for yourself?"

"Me?" Bella chuckled lightly, she hadn't given that much thought, everything was about her daughter.

"Uhm, I don't know yet. I guess I can also do anything I like? I may go back to school and get my degree, visit the Caribbean with Lyric on holidays, get a tattoo." She looked down at her arm, this she had been thinking very much about and even spoke to Claudia about it.

"I'll like to get my mum and Daniel's initials tattooed on my wrists."

Iverson took her hand again and brought it to his lips. "That's lovely, Blue. I have this artist friend in LA..."

She rolled her eyes. "If you're trying to get me out of my country, you can just say so."

"I want a chance to take care of you and our daughter, it doesn't matter to me where you decide to live, my home is wherever my girls are."

Bella leaned on the console with a big smile and cradled his hand to her chest. She love this man with her entire being, she wasn't sure how she let him go before but this love came back to her and she was going to hold on to it like a life line.

Merry merry Christmas to everyone celebrating! If you aren't, I hope you have a fun day too.

Thanks for coming with me this far
I ❤️ you.