Chapter 10

Anita

At the mention of me having twins, my thoughts immediately went to Avery. I remember how we always stumped our parents because they could never tell us apart. We would apply to the same extra curricular activities and if one of us got rejected, we simply didn't join it. We literally did everything together. There wasn't anything we didn't agree on.

We even consulted with each other before entering a relationship. She was the first I came out to and she was quick to accept me. I told her about my crush on the girl who lived next door, who at the time I didn't know was Raven. We would watch her from our backyard as she did yard work in her sports bra and baggy shorts. She was there for me when I came out to our parents and just as she was, they were quick to accept me.

Then thoughts of that night flooded my head. The way she was huddled against me after our mother was killed. Her lifeless body pinning me down as I struggled to breathe passed the blood gushing from my mouth.

Green eyes suddenly looking into mine abruptly broke me from my thoughts. I knew she knew what I was thinking. Her thumbs sweep away my tears and I close my eyes to her loving touch. Her lips delicately press against my forehead and when I open my eyes again, I realize we're sitting in the back seat of her parents car, parked in the driveway.

I look at the house nextdoor. Caution tape still crossed over the front door, withered over the years. I haven't been inside since that night. I look back at Raven and she gives a knowing smile. "Please take Evan with you," she says in a gentle whisper, caressing my stomach.

I give a relieved sigh and nod at her request. Her father helps her out and into the wheelchair. I grab Evan and we walk nextdoor in silence.

Hesitating with my hand on the door, I take a deep breath and open it. Flashbacks from that night echoe in the distance as I enter the room it all happened. Blood still stained the door and tears roll rapidly down my cheeks.

Turning away from it, I head upstairs to the room I shared with Avery. Memories hit me like a tidal wave as I stepped through the door. I walk over to her bed and the teddy bear id gotten her from our last birthday together, still laid against her pillow. I pick it up and the last photo of us together on her nightstand.

Unable to stay in this house much longer without the constant reminder of that night, I bolted out of the room and back to where Evan was waiting at the front door. I rush passed him and nextdoor.

Entering the house, I ignore everyone calling out to me as I lock myself in the guest room Raven and I have been sleeping in. I slide against the door until my knees are against my chest and break into uncontrolled sobs. I look down at the picture of the two of us and wished she was still here.

"Anita," Raven calls through the door with worry in her tone. "Baby, please let me in."

I get up after a moment and open the door. I don't wait for her to roll in and simply straddle her lap in the wheelchair. She holds me without a word as my breaths shutter from the calming sobs.

With her arms still around me, I feel as the wheelchair is being moved, but don't bother protesting. We're brought to the living room where the others were sitter with concerned faces. "Sweetheart," Charlotte says in a soothing tone, kneeling in my view. "Would you like to move to the couch and be comfortable?"

I climb off Raven and walk away to the kitchen. I fix myself a small snack and go back to the living room. I dip my apple slice into some peanut butter and sigh at how good it tasted. I ignore the conversation held the others and focus on the delicious snack.

I notice Raven watching me and she smiles lightly. "Can I try some," she asks with a smile.

I scoop some peanut butter on an apple slice and hold it up to her mouth. She takes a bites, humming with delight. "That's good," she says and I offer her more.

Raven

She shares her snack with me and I notice Evan checking something on his phone. His eyebrows raise and it catches my attention. He looks over at Anita and I could see he had something to tell her. I just hope it doesn't cause her stress on the twins.

"Anita, I have something I need to tell you, something I've kept to only myself since that night and I only hope you don't hate me after what I have to say," he says with tears in her eyes.

"Unless you're confessing to killing my family, I won't hate you," she says quietly, taking another bite of her apple with peanut butter.

"Avery is alive, held in protective custody at the hospital. Only Doctor Mathews knows about this. She's been in a coma until just now. I don't know if she'll have memory or not, but I can take you to see her," he says as tears roll down his cheeks. "The bullet went through the inside of the frontal lobe before entering your chest."

I look at Anita and could see the shock from the news we all just heard in her eyes. In a split second that shock turns to tears as they roll down her cheeks. She didn't need to speak as I knew what she was thinking. Tears fill my own eyes as I turn to look at Evan. "I'm coming with you," I choke quietly and he nods lightly.

Anita

Walking back into the hospital was a daze. I just learned my sister has been alive after all these years, in a coma. Doctor Mathews was waiting for us as the nurses station with a sympathetic look in his eyes. He guides the three of us to a secured floor and I could feel my heart rate with each step closer.

We stop outside a room and tears fill my eyes. I reach for the door and open it. Inside laid a woman who looked just like me, like Avery. Her eyes were closed and I step next to the bed, taking her hand. Her eyes slowly open, looking around before meeting mine.

The same cobalt blue eyes stare back at mine. Moments later I watch as tears fill hers and we both break into sobs. I don't hesitate when climbing in her bed and her arms immediately wrap around me. I lay my head over the beat of her chest and hoped this wasn't a dream.

"Nita, is it really you," she asks in broken sobs and I look down at her. Her hand caresses my face, having a hard time believing I'm real. "I've been stuck in a nightmare. They told me it's been five years, but it feels like that night."

"I thought you were dead all these years," I sob uncontrollably and she takes me back in her arms. "I have PTSD from that night and storms trigger attacks."

"I'm here Nita," she says in a soothing tone and I shutter a calming breath.

A knock on the door brings our attention to Doctor Mathews and Raven. He holds up a portable ultrasound machine and Avery asks, "What are you doing?"

"I'm pregnant," I choke with a light smile, looking up at her.

Her eyes widen before becoming confused and asked, "What about the girl who lived nextdoor?"

Feeling my face burn and look at Raven. She smirks and rolls next to the bed. "I'm the girl nextdoor, but I'm intersex. We'll catch you up on things, but first I would like to check on our babies. We've had a rough, stressful week," she says quietly and meets my eyes. Tears fill hers and says in a wavering whisper, "I need to know they're okay Anita, especially after this morning after everything that's happened."

I nod with understanding about her concerns. Avery scooches over and I lay on my back next to her, exposing my stomach. Avery takes my hand in hers and Doctor Mathews applies the gel for the ultrasound. Moments later the twins show up on the screen and a switch is flipped. Two strong heartbeats echo in the room and relieved sobs escape my lips.

"The last time I heard this was when we went with mom a week before everything happened," Avery chokes in a whisper. "I was so ready to meet our sister and I'll never get the chance."

I look at Raven on the other side of Avery and she takes my sister's other hand. Avery looks at her and Raven says with a light smile, "Actually, she's alive. Until recently she thought Anita and I were her parents. We sat her down the other day and told her the truth."

Avery looks at me with tears rapidly rolling down her cheeks and I nod to confirm what Raven said. She breaks into uncontrolled sobs and I take her in my arms. Her hand caresses my stomach as I stroke her hair. "Call your parents to bring her here, please," I ask in a choked whisper and Raven nods lightly.

"What happened after I was shot," Avery asks in a distant whisper, sweeping her thumb over my abdomen.

"The bullet that you were shot with went all the way through and ended in my sternum. They were never able to remove it," I choke quietly and she looks up at me. "One of them was going to shoot me, but the leader said to leave me to choke on my blood.

"Raven watched them leave before coming over, calling the police. Paramedics were able to deliver nd revive Amelia, but it was touch and go for both of us for weeks..."

"You named her after Mom," Avery asks in a choked whisper with a light smile.

"Amelia Avery Ramirez," I choke quietly and she lays back on my chest.

"Who was behind it," she asks curious, stroking the scar on my chest.

"Joe, Jefferson and now we're thinking Lexi," I say in a scared whisper and her head whips up at me.

"Lexi," she asks in anger and I nod, confused about what was going on. "Stay away from her Nita, she's obsessed with you. That's why she was taken off the will. I caught her in the bathroom while you were in the shower. I told Mom and Dad and they threatened to have her arrested."

"She took the case about us. Joe tried to kill Ray and she was acting weird while she was recovering from the hospital. I haven't seen her since the other day," I say in a disgusted whisper.

"Does she know you're pregnant," she asks in a protective tone and I nod vigorously. "No one knows I'm alive right?"

"No, just Evan, Doctor Mathews and us," Raven says quietly, holding my hand over Avery's stomach. "I won't let her near you again."

"There aren't any cameras in the office," I say quietly and Raven looks at me confused. "Think about it Ray. She wanted you to act natural around Joe, sneak in his office. She was the only one who knew you were in there and probably tipped him off after you sent dirt on him about us. She probably wanted you out of the way to get to me."

Evan steps out of the room with a hardened look in his eyes and speaks with a trusted detective outside the door. Moments later he walks back in with Raven's parents and Amelia. I look at Avery as her hand covers her mouth at the sight of Amelia. Tears start rolling rapidly down her cheeks and I look at Amelia. She was looking between the to of us before she realized who I was in the hospital bed with.

"Avery," she asks hesitantly with tears in her eyes.

Avery holds her arms out and Charlotte helps her up on the bed. Avery takes her in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. I take them both in my arms and watch as Raven asks that the three of us get a moment alone. I took them both in my arms and together we let our emotions go as we reunited with Avery.

The three of us laughed at memories of me and Avery pulling pranks on teachers at school, taking each other's classes. No one could tell us apart and they never found out. Avery and I took turns telling Amelia about our parents and our brother.

"I can't believe how much you look like Mom," Avery says quietly, tucking hair behind Amelia's ear as tears fill her eyes.

"What do I call you," Amelia asks in a choked whisper.

"You can call me Avery, Nita already filled me in that you call her Mommy," Avery says in a soothing whisper and Amelia looks at me.

"I'm okay with whatever you want to call me, it'll just take time getting used to you not calling me Mommy if you choose to call me Anita," I choke quietly.

She nods lightly before rubbing her eyes, tired. We've been bonding for hours. She snuggles between me and Avery, her head on my chest while Avery played with her hair. It didn't take long before she was asleep and the others quietly walking back in.

Raven was the first to notice Amelia asleep and smiles with adoration in her eyes. She looks at me and I ask quietly, "Can we stay? I don't want to leave and wake up tomorrow thinking it was all a dream."

"Evan already asked that spare beds be brought in here. He doesn't feel safe with us going home not knowing where Lexi is," she says in a protective whisper.