The Second Life of Graciela Vera Hale.

A Traumatic Birth. (Revision)

As time passed, less and less space became available in our little 'home.' It got so bad my sister and I were practically on top of each-other, not that we minded. It was the most we had been able to hug in... well we still had no idea how long it had been.

The voices of our family were getting more panicked, confused, concerned, and jumbled by the day. Much to my dismay, it caused my moms to be drowned out in all the noise. It was...distressing. I hadn't realized how reliant I had become on her voice, on the moments we would share at night; and now without them, without her. I was filled with near constant consternation.

My sister had taken to wrapping her arms around me protectively. Though, trying to protect me from my own emotions, wasn't getting either of us far. To accompany my emotional dismay, a muscle or a bone would often break free from my skin. Protruding from my back. Two of them. It only added to my helplessness.

It didn't hurt, it wasn't the cause of any of my emotions; but it was confusing, and not understanding only furthered my trepidation. It only made me want my mom more. Things were much too quiet for me, and boy was that silence 'loud.'

{Where is she?} I knew it was useless. If I hadn't heard my mom, she hadn't either. I couldn't help the small amount of hope that bloomed in my chest though, even if I knew it was foolish; but the way I could feel my own inner turmoil reflected through our bond, I had my answer before she even said a word.

{I don't know, but it's okay! She'll come back.} We were interrupted by two voices, and neither were my mom. They were my sisters' parents; The woman who carried us and the man who we both assumed was her father.

We had already had this discussion. She admitted while it hurt her to hear the things, he would spew about us; the way that all of them presumed we would be monstrous children that hurt innocents, she held nothing against her father. He simply didn't know any better.

I'm sure it helped that her mother stuck up for her, the same way my mom stuck up for me. Though they had no idea we were twins. No idea that we had different mothers; we knew and that is all that mattered.

They were close, her parents. We could hear them almost clear as day; their first year of marriage. How he was sorry he was leaving her to deal with it all alone. They finally made up. They had been arguing so much, I was afraid they were going to get a divorce. My sister would have blamed herself for that.

As it usually did, the clarity lasted only minutes before it went back to being white noise. My mom nowhere to be found.

{Sing for me?} She had taken too distracting both of us with songs. I knew what she was doing, and I ensured she could feel my appreciation. If she knew any songs, she would have been the one to sing to me, but luckily, this worked for both of us.

{Time don't always make things better; you can't fake a smile forever.

Are you really doing all right?

Everything inside you wanted, you try your best to calm the longin'

But there are certain things you can't deny. Pictures of before, haunt you daily

What happens when the door, opens? A pair of dancing shoes, her only wish...

Waiting on Christmas Eve, now she's laying on her bed.

She's smiling in her sleep. Watch her dance, in the night. There's no worries by her side.

She just knows she wants to be, A little dancer wishing for a dream.}

We settled into a companiable silence, and she took to sending me as many positive emotions as she could to try to counteract my negative ones. It was the first time in... I had no way to know how many days since I had felt a semblance of peace. And as if the universe was laughing in my face, it didn't last.