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 a sympathetic smile. "I made my friend who helped swear not to tell anyone about the baby. She was the nurse who just walked out before we came in." I nod lightly feeling as my eyes droop due to the morphine kicking in. "Do you find him or any new evidence we discussed before I fell asleep," I ask in a groggy whisper. "Nothing yet. I have those loyal to Anita's partners working the case and searching for him. He left his car abandoned in a rundown mechanic shop. The owner said one of his loaner cars were missing. So we're looking for him in a dark blue Nissan SUV 2019 model. With his advance on us we have a thirty mile radius from the shop with police check ins on every road in and out of the area. FBI is helping and they have their own check ins at a seventy mile radius from the shop, in and out of the area. Basically he's going to get caught," she says with confidence and I nod lightly. "Thank you for everything you've done and everything you're doing to help us," I choke quietly. "Like I said, Anita is like my little sister," she says in a protective tone and I nod. "Look into the company she took over from her father too," my mother says quietly and Lexi nods lightly. "I brought her lunch a few times and some of the older employees are sketchy." "I'll inform my Captain about all this information. I have strict orders to protect Anita and her family," she says quietly and steps in the hall already on the phone. "How are you feeling Raven," my mother asks with concern. "Better after they gave me morphine and mixed emotional about what's going on," I choke quietly and she nods with understanding. "It's late, we're going to see if it's safe to bring..." "No, I don't want Anita to worry when she wakes up," I say quietly cutting my mother off and again she nods with understanding. The nurse comes back in and with another hospital bed. "I was given orders from Lexi to bring an empty bed for you guys to stay. The chair in the corner opens up into a bed. I'll help set everything up so you can all get sleep," she says softly and I look at my mother. She gives a sheepish smile and goes to help the nurse. Anita bolts into a sitting position, looking around the room before dashing into the suite bathroom. My mother goes to her aid while my father lays Amelia in the empty bed. He comes over and kisses my forehead. "Get some rest," he says in a soothing whisper. I nod lightly as Anita and my mother exit the bathroom. Anita climbs back next to me giving me a kiss on my cheek before getting comfortable on my chest.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
Anita I woke up the next morning in the hospital. Thinking last night was a dream, I look in the bed next to me and Avery was still asleep next to me. Tears fill my eyes as I realize she's really here. I move to lay on her chest and feel her slightly stir in her sleep. Her heart beat rhythmically in my ear and I silently sob as I hold onto her. A low rumble of thunder makes me jump. A loud rumble follows shortly after, bringing a scream from not just me but Amelia. I feel arms around me, but it's not Ray. I look up at Avery, but all I can see is her scared face from that night. "Anita, look at me," Raven says in a soothing whisper, holding Amelia in the spare bed. I meet her green eyes as tears fall from mine. "Keep your eyes on me." I lay my head back on Avery's chest, keeping eye contact with Raven. A rumble of thunder echoes, but I don't break eye contact with her. I feel as Avery strokes my hair and close my eyes. I let out a calming breath as more thunder rumbles. "Don'
Anita It starts with the rain. It paralyzes me. Then the rumble of thunder cracks, sending me back to that dreadful night. The night that changed my life forever. The night I watched my family killed. The night I was left for dead, but survived. The night I wished I’d died with my family. I see it all happen as if I’m living it all over again, the scariest night of my life. Four men in black had us tied up, searching for something my father had been working on. A program worth millions, but if it fell into the wrong hands it would be chaos. They wanted the combination to the safe but my father refused. One of the men put a gun to my little brother’s head. Thunder rumbles as the storm outside picks up. Even over the loud rumble of thunder I could hear the loud BANG of the gun. My brother’s tiny form crumbled to the floor in front of me as blood poured from the small hole in his forehead. His lifeless eyes stuck open. The screams of my mother and my twin sister drowning out the plea