Two In One

The Bonus Chapter

hey friends so this chapter is extra special just cause it can be. it's a flashback and it isn't from Sody's POV its from her dad's so just keep that in mind.

—July 29, 1996—

Once we were finally able to get Rhapsody asleep for a few hours, we went to photographer for the kid's portraits. It's not the best time for it with everything going on but we might as well get it over with now.

Seeing the kids lay on the ground with their eyes closed was the mot peaceful moment I've had in a week. No crying, no whining, no complaining. Just silence.

Then she woke up.

One of the photographers picked her up and brought her over to us. He assumed he would be giving her to Sarah. But she covered her eyes and held her hand up. So the guy handed her to me.

"Okay. Okay Sody. It's okay. You're okay."

"Sody? Honey it's not a weird nickname but don't you want her t have a nickname that's a little more normal?"

I walked over to her while trying to calm Sody down.

"Sarah I think it has already been determined that she is never going to be normal. We knew from the moment she was born that she would be different so we might as well face the fact that she won't be and add to it."

"You want her to be different? What about fitting in? What about making friends?"

"Everyone will want to be her friend. I mean look at her. But fitting in just isn't in anymore. You have to be different."

"Movie stars can be different. Olympians can be different. The President can be different. But until they decide to be different, we can't be."

"A difference has to come from somebody normal. And I guarantee it will be her."

"You thought it was going to be Bo."

"Well Sody will just have to take his place."

A young boy ran in and told Sarah the doctor had called there. I followed her out of the room holding Sody waiting for what the doctor had to say.

"He wants to talk to us about her. He thinks he might know why she's acting the way she is."

We rescheduled finishing the portraits and took the kids to Sarah's mom's before going to the doctor. Sody cried the entire twenty minutes we spent sitting in the waiting room. Then the nurse finally came to get us and took us to our OB-GYN's office. She screamed for the five minutes we sat in there waiting for her.

Once she walked in, Sody finally fell asleep. We had to quickly tell the doctor to shut the door slowly and quietly. The last thing we need is her waking up again.

"So I think I might have a pretty accurate diagnosis for Rhapsody's problem."

She flipped some papers on her clip board and clicked her pen a few times before finding it.

"She's not with her twin. She knows he's not here so her body is missing a piece."

"Hold the phone," Sarah remarked sarcastically, "you're trying to tell me that my one week old baby knows that her twin isn't with her?"

"I know it's strange and this case is extremely rare. But it is still possible. She knows that she wasn't the only one in there for nine months. She knows she was with her brother. Her mind and body are having to learn to live without her as I'll say 'other half."

Sarah sat back and rolled her eyes. But I wanted to know more.

"Twins have a special connection their entire lives. From the time they're born to the time they die there is something there. It feels strange to them when they aren't together. Even if they're in different rooms. But Rhapsody knows he's not here at all. She's crying for her brother. That's her way of telling you that she wants to see him."

When I looked over at Sarah again, she was crying.

"So what are we supposed to do about it? Is she going to I guess get over it?"

"I hate to say it, but there is no way of getting over it. Rhapsody is a twin. That's something that's never gonna change. She will learn to adjust over time but she will always have a part of her that yearns for her twin."

I took Sody from Sarah and laid her in her car seat beside me.

"What are we supposed to do about that? I mean is she just going to be lost and upset all the time."

"It's hard to say. I've only dealt with one other case like this and the child ended up being fine. But my mother way an OB and she dealt with a few of these. Some of those kids ended up lonely kind of the third wheel of their friend groups very quiet. But only time can tell. And if I were in your shoes, I would tell her when she gets a little older and is able to understand it. That way if anything happens to her, she'll understand why."

I looked down at Sody sleeping. Is she going to end up as that lonely confused girl? She's supposed to be my singer. My superstar. What if she's too shy for that?

"My mother did tell me that in due time, the twin does understand why they are the way they are. She'll always have a connection with her brother. But as of right now, that connection isn't there. And everyone in your house is gonna have to learn to live with that. But in all honesty, no one will have to learn harder than that baby right there."

That poor baby right there. All shy and confused and alone. And all because we couldn't save her twin.