One of the babies stirs, her tiny face scrunching up as a soft, delicate little cry bubbles from her mouth.
“Awww, I hear you, little Dove.”
A sob catches in my throat as my hand flies to my mouth, my eyes filling with tears. I watch as the shot stabilizes, the camera clicked into place on what must be a tripod. A woman in baggy sweats and an oversized hoodie steps into view.
“Lydia!” Agatha scolds. “Stop it! You should be in bed.”
“Please,” Mom scoffs. “I’m fine.”
“You just gave birth to twins. Quit being so stubborn.”
Twins.
Tears roll down my cheeks, my face caving as I press a hand to the TV screen.
“Come here, little Dove,” Mom whispers, taking the crying baby…me…from Agatha. “You’re just hungry, aren’t you?”
She steps slightly away from the camera, unzipping her hoodie and bringing me to her breast. For a second she turns, and I see her smiling, tired face.
Another small cry burbles through the speakers, and Mom laughs. “Oh boy, nowyou’rehungry too, aren’t you, Lark?”
“Hang on, hon,” Agatha says, gently standing from the rocker holding Lark.
My best friend.
My other half.
…My fucking twin sister.
“Let’s shut this off for now.”
Agatha steps over to the camera, and the screen goes black. Then it switches to dull, silent blacks and white static.
Something in me breaks.
Something shatters.
The cry that erupts from my throat is somewhere between mourning and happiness.
That place between pain and release.
I crumple, sobbing as I drop my face to my hand, the other still pressed to the static screen. Feeling like my reality just broke. Like the floor is giving out beneath me with a creak.
Except then it creaks again, audibly.
My eyes are blurry, my face wet with snot and tears as I turn to look up to where Bane is standing in the doorway of the living room behind me, his face haggard and drawn.
“Baby…”
I somehow tumble to my feet and rush into him, slamming into him with a gut-wrenching, twisted sob from deep in my chest. I collapse into his arms, sobbing and weeping in pain and relief, in grief and in joy.
And my whole world is upside down.
34
BANE
I can hold her,give her something solid to cling to and tell her I love her.
