Blood Bonds and Hidden Ties

Chapter 9

Whatever I heard last night, I try to ignore.
That masked man is connected to me. I don't know how, but he is.
I slept 3 hours, too afraid to let myself sleep until my body couldn't stay awake any longer.
When I stir from my restless slumber, it's Vivi that wakes me up.
"Jude, get up." She says, shaking me so hard I bet the poor babies think I'm a rollercoaster. "Just five more minutes." I groan in reply, before she announces, "We're going for an ultrasound." Her tone left little room for argument.
Nervously, I nod, the prospect of seeing the unborn children on the ultrasound screen seeming both thrilling and anxiety-inducing. As we made our way to the appointment, my mind buzzed with a mix of excitement and utter fear.
In the ultrasound room, the awfully clean smell and surroundings made me feel as if I was in a lab. Vivi stands next to me, as I lie down, trying to avoid eye contact with the woman examining me.
"120 beats per minute girl, are you sure you are alright?" The technician presses, making me swallow in discomfort. "My sister's just nervous, about the babies, that's all." My sister says, making the doctor nod in understanding.
As the technician prepared for the procedure, I turned my head to Vivi, trying to distract myself. "Tell me more Mom, Vivi. What else do you remember?" I can feel my fingernails digging into the skin of my palms as I clench my fists.
I never liked being in a mortal doctor's office. It was always so unsettling. As Vivi brings back memories, her casual voice was soothing against the eerie backdrop of medical equipment. "You have some of her features, Jude. The shape of her face, the large magical expression of her eyes, and her beauty. She had a quiet fierceness to her. She was amiable, but so brave. She was a hero. Both her and Dad were." She sighs before muttering, "Perhaps they were too good for this world."
"What else?" I ask quickly, desperate for distraction.
"Remember when mom would take us to the beach, and how our overprotective mom watched us like a hawk when we were just knee deep in the water? She acted as if sharks could just walk up on shore like it was a common thing." Vivi chuckles, before continuing. "Do you remember Squeaker the stuffed Elephant? You loved that little Elephant. I vaguely remember when you and Taryn were infants, and you'd cuddle with him every night. You'd cry if he was taken away. I remember Dad had told me that you got the stuffed Elephant and Taryn got the stuffed Bunny the day you were born."
The ultrasound commenced, and as the image flickered to life on screen, my heart skipped a beat. The tiny fingers on the monitor appeared, and the two heartbeats echoed, a reassurance of their safety. Two little ones, nestled in there, as one of them sucked their tiny thumb. I felt an immediate sense of connection, and as my sister went "awee", they began to start moving more. I tried very hard not to show any emotion, especially today, but there was a point where my emotions were too powerful, and not even I could control them. My emotions, stubborn against the shield I've practiced wearing for years, finally burst through the dam that had held on for too long.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I turned my head so Vivi couldn't see me like this. I bit my inner lip hard to stifle any sobs from coming out, but my sister knew me too well. She peered over, nosy as can be, and ripped the hand covering my eyes off. "Someone turned on the waterworks." She said with a satisfied smirk. "Shut up." I say, and she chuckles. The babies seem to peer at me on the screen, as if they're saying hello. They snuggle up against each other, and even as I can only see them as little figures on screen, I know they will be extremely cute.
"So everything looks quite perfect. Not a thing out of the ordinary, except for the fact that these twins are growing a tiny bit faster than your average baby. You're 18 weeks, aren't you? Well these little ones look as if they are two weeks ahead of their time. Typically unusual for babies, but I wouldn't worry about it, since that means they're well fed."
I smile as I watch the little babies curl their toes. One of them has their arms stretched out, and the other has its hands on its face now. I've started to feel them sometimes inside my body, and when I really think about it, I can feel them stirring inside me a little bit.
"I must warn you though," the nurse begins quietly, "That you are a little bit malnourished. The little ones seem to be taking the nutrients from your body, sucking you out like little vampires. You're lacking in vitamins, and you are a little bit underweight. Have you been feeling weak?" I nod rapidly in response. "No wonder I've been feeling so terrible." I say. She nods. "If those little ones are not fed exactly enough of what they want, they'll start taking that nourishment from you. Your muscles, and even your bones, will be their next meal. It isn't a common case with babies to grow this rapidly and do this to their mothers, but it is a known thing that all mothers are supposed to be eating for two."
I nod, when she asks me to tell me what I eat in a day. When I tell her, she tells me the instructions. "You must eat twice the amount now, it won't be easy for you to eat that much food, but your body demands it now. And also, take these." She says, handing me these prescriptions of pills. "It will help them to grow." She tells me.
"Also look," she says, pointing to the screen. "You're having a girl and a boy."
The room was filled with a mix of emotions as the gender reveal sank in. Vivi grins in response. "It's been a while since a girl was born into the Duarte family, oh wait, the last time that happened, it was you." She jokes, tapping me on the head. "No longer the youngest female Duarte. I wonder how sassy this one's going to be."
I grin, "I know she's going to love annoying her brother." Vivi crosses her arms, "Yes, that boy is going to run over to me and Heather's place when she drives him crazy. He and I will be the sensible one's, while you and her will be known as the crazy Duarte's."
As we left the medical facility, I immediately grew tired, wanting a nice long afternoon nap. Vivi however, forced us to go out and eat, since she told me it was the doctor's order that I eat more. "The little nuggets will appreciate it." She says, gently patting my stomach. We go to a burger place, and I devour burgers and fries, and satisfy my sweet tooth with a milkshake. Turns out I was hungrier than I thought. "The babies are thanking you, aunt Vivi." I say, before shoving in a mouthful of fries.
***
When I get to the apartment and lie on my bed, I immediately fall asleep.
I'm back in the house I spent the first years of my life in, I notice that I am holding the same stuffed Elephant from my childhood in my hands. I look at my feet, realizing how tiny I am now.
I'm in the kitchen, and I can smell the fresh cinnamon rolls being made. It's a warm summery day, and I can feel the sun shining through the windows. That's when I see the sunlight reflecting on my mothers golden hair, enhancing her freckles. Mom. How I've missed her. My father walks in, sharing the same comforting smile as my mother. They have an otherworldly ethereal glow. My father's deep brown eyes look lovingly at my mother's green ones, and the warm afternoon glow reflects on my dads warm brown skin. I missed seeing my parents, and after all these years, here they are. "Mom? Dad?" I choke, running towards them. They look confused. "Jude, what's the matter baby girl?" Dad says, and I wrap my arms around them.
"I just miss you so much." I sob into my mothers shirt. "I know mi jita." My dad says softly. "We miss you too." Mom chimes in.
I see so much of Vivi's face in my mothers. I want to stay with them, talk to them. Ask everything they never told me. Ask about my family's past.
But they're gone now. And I will never know.
"Are you real?" I mumble, "Or are you just a figment of my imagination, living on in my head."
Mom stares at me, tilting her head.
"What's the truth? What was the story with Madoc? Who are you both really?" I blurt, "Are you even really mortal?!"
I know it sounds absurd, considering the fact me and Taryn are clearly mortals, but how much did mom hide?
Mom puts her hand on my head. "I believe you're just going to have to find out for yourself." She says quietly.
"You just keep fighting, like the warrior you are." Dad says with a grin.
They start to rapidly age, and the world gets darker outside.
"It's time to wake up." Mom whispers, "It's time for us to go."
"Goodbye Jude." Mom says with a smile, pain in her eyes as she and Dad begin to suddenly turn into dust.
"We will always be in your heart, mija." Dad says weakly now, as he begins to fade away.
Now they're nothing but dust. . .
And then I wake up, with tears streaming down my face.