Raven
Surprisingly Anita and I slept through the night without a nightmare. I was cuddled at her back while Amelia was cuddled against Anita's chest. Anita's arms wrapped securely around the small child. The peaceful look on her face told me she was content. I look out the window facing us, seeing gray skies. The first signs of rain falling loudly on our roof. Anita stirs in my arms, a light whimper coming from her. I whisper soothingly in her ear and feel her relax in my arms. Her facial expressions relax from her brief frowning in fear. A low rumble of thunder causes her eyes to fly open, breaths quickening. Amelia starts crying and it seems to distract the woman in my arms. "I'm here sweetheart," Anita says in a trembling whisper. "Mommy, where's Daddy," the fragile voice asks in a choked whisper. "I'm still here baby," I say in a soothing whisper, startling both of them. "It's okay, I'm here." Amelia carefully climbs over Anita and lays on top of me while Anita rolls to face me. I hold them both in my arms as a loud rumble of thunder rattles the windows. Anita screams and Amelia and I both try our best to calm her. It was no use. My phone, ringing on the nightstand made her look up at me, a small distraction from the storm. Picking it up, I see it's my mother. I answer her on speaker and her soothing voice fills the room. "Why don't you try bringing Anita and Amelia over here? The basement is soundproof and there are more storms coming." "M-Mom," Anita asks with shaky sobs that turns into a scream as another roll of thunder hits. "Can you come get us please? I don't want to let go of Ray." "Of course sweetheart," my mother says in a soothing whisper. "Thank you," Anita chokes between shuttering breaths. Thankfully it was quiet with the occasional rumble of thunder while we waited for my mother to pick us up. Amelia let my mother carry her down to the car while Anita clung to me, arms and legs wrapped around my neck and waist. Her body trembled against me, silently whispering about not letting them get her. She jumps in my arms at the sound of the car doors closing and I wrap my arms around her, holding her close to me. "It's okay. I just closed the door," I say in a soothing whisper. I slip my hand up her borrowed hoodie and rub her bare back. She shutters a calming breath at the contact on her skin and I kiss her head. I let my free hand play in her hair. Moments later I feel her body relax against me in the back seat of my mother's car as more thunder rumbles quietly. My mom looks at me through the review mirror, surprised at how calm Anita was right now. Amelia leans over, moving hair from Anita's face only to reveal her sleeping. I look back up to my mother's eyes in the review mirror as tears fill my eyes. She just gives a light smile not knowing what to say. Anita has always freaked throughout a storm. I was wondering if it was the pregnancy draining her energy. I know once the weather calmed down we'd make an appointment to check on her with the pregnancy. It wasn't planned for her to get pregnant, but nonetheless we welcomed it. I thought back a few weeks ago, when the storms first started for the season. My parents happened to take Amelia camping that weekend two towns away. We'd made love to distract her from the storm outside. That was roughly eight weeks ago and there have been other more recent activities. I was broken from my thoughts at the halt of the car moving. I realize we're in my parent's driveway and Anita is still fast asleep. Deciding on not waking her with her lack of sleep lately, I carefully climbed out and carried her in my parent's house. Even my father was surprised to see Anita asleep through the storm. My parents built a soundproof basement when we first took Anita in after being released from the hospital. Yes, my parents still live next door to the house it all took place. The house is in Anita's name but no one has been in aside from the police since that night. I took her down to the built-in bedroom for us down there and laid her on the bed. She immediately cuddles with the life-size teddy bear I got her years ago. She hums with content and I let out a breath of relief. Amelia lays on the other side of the bear, instantly falling asleep. Mitsy, my parents dog, climbed in at Anita's legs, resting her head on her thighs. I went back upstairs to see my parents waiting in the kitchen. The tears in my eyes fell and my mother's arms wrap around me. I let the sobs expel from my lips as I held onto her. It killed me to see the raw emotion in her eyes when it storms. The sound of her broken voice calling out to her parents and siblings. I slowly calmed with the thought of the pregnancy and her accepting my proposal. My mother pulls back enough to wipe my eyes before moving us to sit at the table. "Were you able to finish the setup for your proposal," she asks with a light smile. I shook my head and her smile faltered. "I didn't need to, she said yes last night after the storm calmed down," I say with a big smile on my face. "Daddy, Mommy is getting sick downstairs," Amelia says with worry in her tone. She knows Anita doesn't normally get sick often. I didn't wait for reactions from my parents, I ran downstairs to find her bent over the toilet getting sick. I held her hair back, rubbing her back comfortly. Moments later she leans into me, wiping her mouth with shaky breaths. I took some of her hair, enough to keep it out of her face and tie a loose braid. She turns sideways with her legs bent, sitting across my lap on the floor of the bathroom in the basement. I rub her bare back and she groans with relief. A throat clears in the doorway and I look up to see my mother with concerned eyes. "Anita," she says in a soothing whisper and Anita looks at her with hooded eyes. "Is everything okay sweetheart?" I look at her as her lower lip started to tremble before she hid her face in my chest, sobbing out of control. For the first time since we've been together, my mother didn't know what to do. "What if more men try to get my father's work and they learn that I survived, that Amelia survived? What happens to my baby," she asks between broken sobs. My mother's gaze moved to me, asking without words if she heard right. "She told me last night," I choke quietly as a light smile forms on my trembling lips. Anita My heart was pounding against my ribcage at the thoughts running in my head. My new found fears coming to light. The fear of reliving what I already survived. The fear of losing my baby sister who I call my daughter. The fear of losing my child I just found out about. The biggest fear of all, losing Raven. She's been there for me since that night and the thought of life without her hurts more than a bullet to my chest. I lay my ear over the beat of her chest and used the soothing rhythm to calm down. Her chest vibrated as she spoke, but her words didn't reach my ears. The soothing strokes of her fingers in my hair brought a distraction from my thoughts. A soft caress to my cheek brought my eyes to her mother. Her eyes held sympathy the moment she looked in mine. It was as if she could read my thoughts through my eyes and held her hand out to me. Hesitant, I took the offered hand and let her help me to my feet, keeping my hold on Raven as she stood behind me. She was leading me towards the stairs out of the basement and I stop in my tracks, causing her to jolt back and look back at me. "The storm has passed for now," she says in a soothing tone and Raven kisses my temple. My grip on Raven's hand tightened and she gives me an assuring squeeze back. We continue upstairs and gather in the living room where Amelia and Raven's dad were watching the live action movie of Beauty and the Beast. Amelia runs to me, hugging at my left leg and I let go of Raven's mother's hand. I wrap my arm around her small shoulders and she returns to her spot next to her grandfather. I pull Raven towards the loveseat and she immediately takes her spot, letting me lay with my head in her lap. Instantly, she runs her fingers in my hair as her mother kneels in my view. "I'm here, if you need someone to talk to," she says in her motherly tone. "Thanks Mom," I say quietly, voice raw with emotion. She smiles lightly, leaning over to kiss my forehead before moving to sit next to Amelia, leaving the child in the middle of Raven's parents. My focus returns to the even strokes of Raven's fingers in my hair. I let out a sigh of contentment and look at the ring on my left ring finger. My hand rested on her knee as a small pillow cushions her lap for my head. Still feeling tired, I roll towards Raven and bury my face in her stomach. Her hand continues to stroke my hair as I wrap my arm around her waist. The nausea that woke me had passed and I let out a tired sigh. The movie was a distant noise that lulled me back to sleep with the soothing strokes in my hair. I woke to the most heavenly smell of Raven's apple pie. I realize I was alone in the living room and make my way to the kitchen. Raven was just placing the pie from the oven on the counter to cool. I wrap myself at her back and she jumps slightly at my presence. "Hey," she says softly, looking over her shoulder at me with soft eyes. "Did you sleep okay?" I nod lightly against her shoulder and he turns gently, taking me in her arms. "Your pie woke me," I say quietly and she kisses the top of my head. "You mentioned the other day you were craving it," she says softly. "I have an appointment to confirm the pregnancy next week. Can you come with me," I ask in a choked whisper. She's usually booked at the restaurant and lately with all the storms, Joe has been letting her leave to be with me knowing they cause PTSD for me. Joe was my Dad's best friend from childhood. My mother was always skeptical of him, but my dad thought it was because Joe always flirted with my mother. Joe was also co-founder to the work my father had that he was killed for. The two of them came up with it in college, but Joe opened his restaurant instead of being co CEO to the company that my father started, that I now run. I offered Raven a position at the company but she had a love for cooking and didn't want to pass on her dream of being a cook at a high end restaurant. I helped get the job at Joe's restaurant and he was more than happy to help out. "I'll ask Joe," she says with a smile and kisses my forehead. Raven was about to step out onto the patio off the kitchen when a feeling of nostalgia hit me like the bullet in my chest. I dropped the glass of iced tea I didn't realize I was holding that Raven must have given me. It shattered at my feet and in an instant I was surrounded by three very concerned adults. It made sense now. Why Joe always allowed Raven to be with me during my attacks. It gave him the chance to leave the restaurant to try cracking the safe in the house next door. He was jealous that my father used his part of the formula for this technology but didn't get any credit towards it. He was the only one left to get everything if something happened to me and my family. I shake my head vigorously and Raven caresses my face in concern. I was finding it hard to breathe and Raven carefully guides me away from the broken glass. She tries to get me to sit but I refuse. "It's Joe, my mother was right to be skeptical about him. He and my father formulated an algorithm for cyber security. If that program falls in the wrong hands, no one would be safe on the Internet. "Ray, he's been letting you come home to me so he can leave the restaurant," I choke in broken sobs. "Joe killed them and he knows I'm alive, that Amelia is alive."Anita Little did Joe know, I moved the contents of my father's safe. The combination to the safe had been my parents wedding anniversary. I head back down to the basement where I had asked Raven's parents to put in a hidden safe in the wall. I frantically open the safe and take out the entire contents my father kept. Knowing what I was looking for and gathered the information needed, putting the rest back along with the USB that held millions of dollars of my father's work. I call the detective handling my family's murders. She was a friend of my mother and also skeptical about Joe. Though she's only five years older than me, her mother was friends with mine. When her mother passed away, my mother was the person she turned to for motherly advice. "Lexi, it's Anita," I choke quietly. "Everything okay, you sound like you've been crying," she says with concern. "I discovered something that you need to see. Can you meet me at the neighbors house from my parents house? It's urgent,"
Raven I woke with pain on my left side. Anita was still peacefully sleeping on my chest and thankfully a nurse was walking in. She looks in my pain filled eyes and presses a button on the machine to give me a dose of morphine. She smiles sympathetically at Anita before checking my vitals. She walks out and my parents, Amelia and Lexi walk in. My mother covers her mouth at the sight before her. Tears roll down her cheeks as she sees Anita is sound asleep in my arms. Relief fills her eyes as they meet mine and I give a light smile. Amelia was cuddled in my father's arms, asleep on his chest and I was relieved to see she was okay, that they were all okay. Finally, my eyes meet with Lexi asking a question without words. She gives a subtle nod and tears silently roll down my cheeks. She comes closer, showing me a printout of an ultrasound Anita must have done yesterday. I smile through the tears and kiss Anita's head. "She's eight weeks and they have a strong heartbeat," Lexi says with
AnitaI jolt awake from a nightmare, breathing rapidly. As I look around my surroundings, I remember I'm in the hospital. Raven lay next to me, asleep with her head wrapped and casts on her left arm and leg. Tears well in my eyes from relief that my nightmare was wrong. She's alive, not dead.My nightmares usually consist of the truth, they usually consist of the tragic night five years ago. I find myself lightly tracing over her lips until those green eyes meet mine. One look in mine and I know she can see something is bothering me."I'm still here," she whispers soothingly as if she could read exactly what I was thinking.I nod vigorously as the tears fall rapidly down my cheeks. I give her a kiss and feel someone tap my leg. I look behind me at Amelia and she had fresh tears in her eyes. "Can I lay with Daddy," she asks in a choked whisper.I nod, stealing one more kiss before climbing out of the bed. Amelia carefully climbs in and takes my place, sobbing in Raven's neck. Raven hol
Anita There was a huge storm coming in tonight. I didn't want to stay out in it and I didn't want to go home without Raven. I was torn between my decisions to make and it was making me emotional. Raven has been there for me with every storm since that dreadful night.The terrified look in Amelia's eyes when the storm was mentioned helped me make my decision. I put her before myself and I didn't want to see the scared look in her eyes. I meet eyes with Raven and knew she knew I was going home. Worry filled her eyes and looks to Lexi. Lexi gives an understanding nod and I watch Raven relax against her hospital bed.I walk over, caressing her cheek before leaning down to give her a kiss. As I turned to leave with her parents and Amelia, I felt her grab my hand. I look back at her, standing next to her bed. She kisses her fingers and places her hand on my stomach. Tears fill my eyes at the gesture and she takes my hand to kiss my engagement ring.Lexi places her hand on my shoulder and I
RavenIt was two agonizing days before I could go home. We'd have to stay with my parents until I was capable of getting around for myself. With my fractured left wrist and multiple fractures in my left leg, it's at least three months before I can use crutches. By then we should be okay to go home.My mom had set up the guest room on the first floor for me so I wouldn't have to climb the stairs. The only problem is there's another storm tonight and it's not soundproof for Anita. Having to sleep two nights without me and I knew she'd deal with the sound of thunder than sleep another night away from me.She was currently helping me get comfortable in my parents living room, elevating my leg. Though we didn't have eye contact at the moment I could still see the battle of emotions in her eyes. I take her hand from fluffing the pillow under my leg and her eyes flick up to meet mine. Pooled tears threaten to roll down her cheeks as I watch her lower lip tremble, fighting against her crippli
AnitaAfter spending the last hour in the tub thinking, I had to tell Amelia the truth. She's smart for her age and understands more than you'd think. This lie has been eating at me and I can't live with it anymore.After collecting the courage to talk to her, I walked out to the living room where they were all watching a movie. Amelia was the first to notice me and came to give me a hug. "I didn't mean to upset you," she says feeling bad and it made me feel more guilty. "You didn't upset me, but I need to tell you something, something you probably won't fully understand. I was going to wait until you were older, but this has been eating at me and I can't keep lying to you," I choke quietly and the three adults watch in sympathy. I sat with her straddling my lap and looked into a pair of eyes that matched my mother's and mine. "I'm your sister, not your mother...""I know," she says quietly, unfazed by what I just said. That's until I saw tears fill her eyes. "I heard you talking wit
AnitaI woke the next morning and Raven was still beside me, her left arm and leg elevated. Thinking back to last night, I broke into relieved sobs, hiding my face between her neck and shoulder. She's still here, I'm not dreaming.I feel her hand slip up the back of my shirt and shutter a calming breath at the contact. I lay a kiss on her neck and move my head over her chest. Her heart beat was soothing to me and I'll never get tired of hearing it. I trace my finger over drawing Amelia did on the cast on her arm, a heart with a bandaid."Anita," Raven asks with concern and I look up at her. "I know I normally wait for you to express your thoughts, but this morning you woke up sobbing.""I thought I was in a dream yesterday and didn't want to go to sleep or wake up and you'd be gone," I say in a wavering whisper."I'm sorry," she says feeling bad, but she has nothing to apologize for."Don't apologize for being alive Ray," I choke quietly as her mother walks in. "Can you help her to th
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