266: FIRM ON IT LUKE’S POV Mommy had to go out for a little while, but she’ll be back soon,” I said, gently wiping the sleep from Janice’s eyes. Janice pouted, “I miss her already.” “I know, but she’ll be back before you know it,” I reassured her, kissing her forehead. Janice yawned again and rubbed her eyes. “Did I sleep well, Daddy?” she asked, looking up at me with her big, innocent eyes. “I’m sure you did, sweetheart,” I replied, brushing her hair out of her face. “I had a dream,” Janice said. “Oh really? What was it about?” I asked, curious to hear her dream. “Mermaids flying in the air,” she said, her face beaming with joy. “They were all so pretty, and they made the sky really bright.” “That sounds like a beautiful dream.” Ethan chimed in, “But mermaids can’t fly in the air, Janice. It’s impossible.” “It was just a dream, Ethan,” Randy told him, rolling his eyes at his brother. I wrapped my arm around Janice’s neck, pulling her closer to me. “Well, in your dreams, anything is possible.” I winked at her forthwith. “Really, Daddy?” Janice asked, and her eyes widened with excitement. “Absolutely,” I replied, smiling down at her. “Now, do you want to come and play with us?” Janice hesitated. “But I’m not good at video games, daddy.” “That’s okay, Janice. We’ll teach you.” I stood up and offered her my hand. Janice hesitantly took my hand, and we walked over to the couch, where Randy and Ethan were still playing their game. “Here, you can sit next to me,” Randy said, scooting over to make room for Janice. I handed Janice the controller and showed her how to use it. She watched intently as Randy and Ethan continued their game. “You see, Janice, this is how you make the player run,” I said, guiding her fingers to the buttons on the controller Janice tried to mimic my movements, but she was still struggling to get the hang of it. “Okay, now try to score a goal,” Randy said, encouraging her. Janice pressed a few buttons, and to our surprise, she scored a goal. Good job, Janice!” Ethan exclaimed, high–fiving her. She giggled with delight. “Can I play again?” “Of course you can,” Randy replied, smiling proudly at her. Janice continued to play with us, and even though she wasn’t as good as Randy or Ethan, she was having a great time. And that’s all that mattered. As we played, Janice told us more about her dream. She described how the mermaids had colorful wings and how they sang beautiful songs as they flew in the air. “It was like a concert in the sky,” Janice vocalized, with her eyes sparkling with wonder. I was quite amazed by her imagination. “Wow, that sounds incredible.” “Yeah, but it’s just a dream. It’s not real,” Ethan uttered, shaking his head. “That may be true, Ethan, but sometimes dreams can feel very real.” I grinned at him. Janice smiled back at me and continued playing the game with us. It was a remarkable moment with wild imaginations. ARIEL’S POV Andre and I were still staring at each other, the silence filling the hospital room, the question still ringing in my ear. Of course, he knew the answer because it was very obvious. Mason did shit, a lot of shit, and he deserved those shit back. He needed to go through the pain, the misery, and the torture. This thirst for vengeance was indeed a powerful emotion that consumed me entirely, blinding me to reason and driving me towards actions that might sound wild and crazy, which you could say I might later regret, but hell no. We all have knowledge of this–nothing new, indeed a primal instinct -and yes, this feeling was rooted in the desire for justice and retribution because it was fueled by pain, and I was extremely broken and damaged because of the hurt he caused me. This vengeance was all–encompassing, and it had dominated my thoughts and actions. And this path was fraught with inner turmoil and conflict. Yes, this desire.could be somehow intoxicating, but fuck that. Mason was going to pay for his evil deeds. So, Ariel, give me an answer to my question, What are you going to do to Mason? Because my mind keeps telling me that you will not let him get away with this.” Well, your thoughts are right. There’s no way I’m letting him get away with this.” “What are you going to do then? You’re going to call the cops on him?” I laughed right away, getting up from the bed. “I would be so stupid to do that.” “I don’t get it. You’re going to take the law into your own hands.” “I think I’m going to follow through with that.” “Don’t tell me you’re planning to kill him.” “He deserves it.” “But he’s my brother.” “And Lukel was my son,” I countered. “Did your brother think of him before he went ahead to take his life? Absolutely not.” “I understand, but you don’t have to pay evil with evil. Blood by blood isn’t the answer.” “Nice lecture, André. But you’re still not changing my mind. You witnessed what Mason’s men did to us. They almost had us killed. That man isn’t ready to change, so his death is the only thing that will end all of this.” “Please, Ariel. He’s my brother. Think of our family. My mother, do you know the pain that she’ll go through realizing that her son is dead? She’s going to be heartbroken and depressed.” “Andre, you must understand that Mason must be stopped.” “Then you can let the cops do their job. He can be sent to prison and sentenced. You don’t have to kill him.” “How are you even sure that I’m going to win this battle? It’s a mutual feeling, André. Your brother wants me dead, and so do I. The war has begun already; now, if I don’t do anything, the next thing you’re going to be seeing is yourself, shedding tears at my funeral.” “Don’t say that. You’re not going to die. No one’s going to die. I can just find Mason and talk to him. “And you think he’s going to listen to you?” “I’m his brother; he’s supposed to.” “The two of you get along with each other. So what makes you think he’s going to heed your words?”
