How Could She? (Book 2.0) - INTERSEX

Chapter Thirty-One

Olivia

Rayden sits on the couch sleeping, and I can't help but watch her. She looks thinner but still healthy. I smile at her and toss an empty Jell-O container at her face. She opens her eyes and looks at me. "You did not just hit me with Jell-O woman?"

I shake my head at her "Nope... the container" she starts laughing and gets up, coming to me and kissing my lips. I pull her into a more passionate one.

"God, I missed your kisses," she says, and I smile into her lips. I scoot over and pat the bed for her to get on. I lay my head against her shoulder, and she brings her hand up to my face rubbing my cheek. "I missed you so much, Liv."

"Can you tell me everything that happened?" she nods and takes my hand in hers.

"We were on our way to dinner; you said you had something to tell me," she starts.

"I remember that," I whisper.

She starts rubbing my hand and continues, "We were joking around, and when I drove into the intersection, someone else hit us. You got most of the impact, and you had a brain bleed. They opened you up, but your brain started to swell, and you went into a coma. Six months went by, and you still didn't wake. I was angry, Liv, that's why I was yelling when you woke. I just wanted you back, and you signed that stupid DNR so the only thing keep them from pulling the plug were our children." I hear her voice crack.

I pull her face to look at me. "I'm back now, Rayden. I'm sorry you had to go through that." I wipe her tears away. "Who hit us? It wasn't Chelsea, was it?" I smirk and she matches it before shaking her head.

"Not cool."

"Sorry I had to ask."

"Mhmm and no. It was some bitch that was intoxicated way over the BAC level. She's away in prison. We took every penny she had and put it into a college fund for the babies."

Wow, that's something. I think about the babies and instantly remember what it was like in the darkness of the coma. But before I can say anything, the nurse comes in with a wheelchair.

"Okay, both babies have been hooked up to their monitors. Because they are considered premature, we will have to keep them in the NICU for about a month to make sure they are progressing."

"Will they be okay?" I ask.

She nods. "Many babies are born premature, and the success rate for 32 weeks is at 95%." I smile at her answer and shove Rayden to hurry and get out of bed.

She laughs at my eagerness and helps me get into the wheelchair. Ray pushes me while we follow the nurse to the NICU. We all follow proper sanitary protocols, and then she takes us to the twins. Two doors open to the incubator, and the sight of my little ones hooked up to so many wires and tubes hurt my heart.

We watch as they both cling to each other, and I cannot tell them apart. "They're Identical?"

"Yes," she says, smiling. "You can't tell them apart, can you?" she laughs.

"Shut up! I'll figure it out" we both place a hand into the pod and caress their skin. They both are just wearing a diaper.

"Would you two like to try our Kangaroo mother care?" We both say yes, and she opens the pod handling the babies and instructing us on what to do? Both babies clingy to our bare chests as we sit in a chair each, and the nurse lays a warm blanket on top of us.

I look to Rayden, grinning. "Which do you have?" she checks the diaper and smiles.

"Girl," I laugh at her smirk, which means I have the boy.

And a thought comes to me again about the darkness of the coma. Ray sees my expression change and rubs my arm.

"What's wrong?"

"Ray, I think we need to get him tested."

"Tested. Why do you think something is wrong?" I shake my head at her.

"No, baby, I think the baby is like you. I think one of our twins is intersex." She tilts her head.

"Why?"

"You might think this is weird, but... while I was in the coma... sometimes I could hear you. And sometimes I couldn't. When I couldn't, I was stuck in this dark place... The twins came to me when I was there... They were both girls. I think..." I look down at the tiny bundle in my arms and kiss her head. "I think she's special like you, baby. If it isn't obvious your families' genes run deep."

She smiles at me. "It's not weird at all, baby. We'll get them both tested to make sure" she looks to the baby on her chest, running her fingers through the thin wavy hair.

"Do you have any names? I never thought of any in the hopes that you would wake up in time. I had to keep faith that you'd come back to me" I smile at her using both of their names, and I start laughing.

"What? Why are you laughing at me?" she asks.

"Because you just said their names," she looks at me with so much confusion

"Hope and Faith," I say, grinning.

"Hope?" she says, pointing to the baby on my chest—"Faith?" pointing to the one on hers.

I nod my head and laugh at her. "I like it," she said, leaning in to kiss me.