A Very Rough Draft of Chapter One of Wildcat Fall; suggestions are appreciated

She opened her eyes and looked up. Above was a rich, deep cobalt blue sky, with soft, white clouds drifting slowly in the wind. She got to her knees and found herself on the top of a hill, the sun warming her face. Grasses and wildflowers grew everywhere. After looking around in amazement, she sighed, lay back down, and closed her eyes.

Jenn sat in the lounge, working on her assigned readings. With classes starting in a week, she wanted to be prepared, but all she kept thinking about was Teri. She sighed. They’d been up since five, then walked to the hospital. The two of them sat around until the nurses finally took Teri back into surgery at seven thirty that morning. After she waved goodbye, mouthing, ‘I love you,’ the receptionist directed her to the recovery floor lounge.

Jenn hated feeling helpless and unable to concentrate. When she finally checked the time, she’d been working for hours without a break. Deciding to walk down to the cafeteria, she wanted to scope things out and find something cold to drink.

After asking for directions, she walked down two flights and followed the signs. When she saw the crowd of people, she smiled. It was eleven thirty, and these people were headed for lunch. Jenn smiled as she walked through the doors, looking over the hot foods, pizza, salads, and snacks.

Picking out a bag of chips and a large juice, she thought about Teri announcing her decision during their July break to opt to complete her surgery. She had sounded very matter-of-fact.“Yeah, I know it sounds crazy.”

Jenn remembered listening without questioning to her decision. “I need to do this. And no, it’s not ‘cause I want to have sex with strangers.” Jenn remembered Teri taking her in her arms. “Making love with you.” is perfect, and I don’t think anyone can ever please me more.”

Jenn held back from expressing her opinion. She felt it necessary to be positive and encouraging, reminding herself that she couldn’t see inside Teri’s head.

“Yeah,” Teri said. “I just want to be whole inside and out. I’m not fighting or denying my intersex fate, I just want everything to line up. I guess it’s for my peace of mind.”

After cleaning up her snack, she went back to reading. At two o’clock, a nurse entered the lounge and approached her. “Hi, are you here for Teri Nelson?”

Jenn nodded and stood up. “Uh-huh. I’m her girlfriend, Jenn.”

The nurse smiled. “I’m Julia, and the bearer of great news.
They are finishing up in the operating room, and everything went well. Teri’s on her way to recovery. When we get her all set up, I’ll come and find you.”

As she was walking away, the nurse stopped and turned back to her. “I don’t mean to pry, but is she the same Teri Nelson who plays with the Wildcats?”

Jenn grinned, “The same. The band’s taking a break after touring and performing for the Hollywood Bowl fundraiser.”

“Oh, that TV concert was so great! My daughter and I watched the benefit from beginning to end. It was amazing when Taylor and Bee performed their hits, and the way they sang together was incredible!”

Jenn laughed. “It was a crazy day. And they raised so much money for a good cause!”

After Julia left, Jenn texted everybody the good news.

She lay there watching the clouds drift by and enjoyed how quiet everything was. She heard insects buzzing around the colorful flowers. She propped herself on one elbow and spotted a bright green flash darting toward a brightly-colored red flower. She gazed in amazement as the hummingbird held still in mid-air as its tongue extended out to sip the nectar. Even though she could see the blues and greens of the bird, its wings never stopped fluttering. She could hear the moving wings hum.

When her phone buzzed, Tiffany was lounging with Mike while he edited a Dogfish Head beer commercial for First Cut Studios. Slipping out of his warm lap, she smiled as she read Jenn’s text. Calling immediately and cheering as she spoke. "Hey, girl! Yes! I’ve been hoping to hear from you.”

Jenn was excited. "A nurse just came by to tell me that Teri is heading into recovery.”

“Have you seen her?”

“Not yet. The nurse said that they'll take me to see her once they get her settled.”

“That’s so great. How ya doin’?”

“It’s been a crazy long day. But she’s good, and that’s all that counts.”

“How about visiting hours? Can I see you guys tonight?”

Jenn shrugged. “Don’t know yet. The nurse told me that she’d be out of it tonight but awake in the morning.”

“Sounds like tomorrow would be the time to drop by. I’ll drive down in the morning and keep you company.”

“Sure. Great! They told me she’d be here until Friday; then, we’ll be back in the West Philly apartment. After she’s all settled in with me, I can be her nurse and go to school.”

“Wow, that’s a big job. Hey, remember. I’m just an hour away from West Philly and can be there any day to help out you guys. Seriously.”

Jenn felt a sob. “Tiff, you’re so sweet. Thanks.”

After disconnecting her phone, Tiff searched for Mike. “Hey! Just heard from Jenn. Teri’s out of surgery and okay.”

Mike stood and wrapped his arms around her. “That’s great to hear. When are we visiting?”

Tiff grinned. “I’m driving down to the hospital after rush hour tomorrow morning. Why don’t you come after work, and we can grab dinner together?”

Mike was nodding. “Yeah, I’ll take the train, so we can ride home together. In the meantime, you and I need to finish up the last details on this week’s vlogs. This whole thing is still blowing up!”

Tiffany laughed and shook her head. “We never thought it would become this big.”

“Yeah, well. You were the one who pictured the whole thing happening. I mean, we wanted to make a documentary of the tour, and you’re the one who envisioned the whole vlog idea.”

“Yeah. When you and Andy had the movie idea, it just seemed to make sense to turn it into a weekly vlog podcast kinda thing. But you’re the ones who suggested filming all the behind-the-scenes stuff, all the necessary effort that goes into performing on stage, practicing material during a sound check, or watching Teri rehearse a new song. And it’s so crazy how everyone wants to see shots of riding on the bus, hanging out at festivals, group dinners, and all the other details.”

“Yeah, the fans get to see how you’re just real people.”
“And your idea of posting one-minute excerpts to show on Instagram and TikTok created a lot of interest.”

“Handing out brand-new iPhones to the road crew and the band to have everyone filming was genius!”

“Making it all PG so our young fans could watch. I’m so glad we don’t get any pushback from parents about language or adult high jinks.”

“ I like that when the vlog got hot, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, YouTube wanted to advertise on our channel. The whole band vetoed that idea unless it was public service commercials aimed at helping kids. But as the viewership ran into the millions, YouTube agreed to whatever we wanted.”

She stood and looked down the hill. There were big, tall trees with green leaves waving in the breeze. Under those trees, she could see smaller trees and colorful bushes. She could hear birds chirping and decided to investigate.

Gina was running along the Hudson River Greenway, enjoying the breeze coming off the water, when her phone rang. As she ran along the wide path, she loved looking across the river at New Jersey. It was mindless.

Gina grinned. Staying with Grace certainly had its benefits. She loved wrapping herself in the amazing woman’s arms every day and night. As the friction in her body and mind evaporated after the pressure of the tour was over, Gina felt good about relaxing in the Upper East Side with her successful psychologist girlfriend.

Gina stopped and read the text. She cheered aloud, reading Jenn’s text telling her that Teri was out of surgery and headed towards recovery. Shaking her head, she walked into the lobby of Grace’s building, replying with fireworks, hearts, and smiling emojis.

She waved to the concierge as she hopped on the elevator and pressed sixteen. Teri’s well-being added to her inner contentment. This vacation had been just what the doctor ordered after their hectic summer.

With a great gym within walking distance and a choice of daily runs outside their door, Gina had a lot of time for herself. Earlier, she’d done an hour of meditation and yoga before her seven-mile run. She appreciated the change of pace after being on the road for three months.

As she was riding the elevator, Grace called her. Checking her watch, she realized that she must have been between patients. “Hey! You get the news?”

Grace smiled, hearing her lover’s enthusiastic voice. “I did and wondered when we could go visit.”

“Yeah. I need to call Jenn and set something up.”

“I want to clear my calendar. Let’s see. How does tomorrow afternoon sound to you?”

Gina was nodding as she took off her shoes at the apartment door. “Yeah. I’ll text Jenn and see if that’s gonna work.”

“Wonderful. Just let me know.”

“Uh huh. Whatcha feel like eating tonight?”

“I was thinking seafood.”

Gina was just hopping into the shower. “Okay, I’ll do a rez and clear our visit. How about Ocean Prime? Good crab cakes.”

“Great on all counts. Thank you, baby.”

As she walked down the hill, she paused to listen to the birds calling to each other. Marveling at the many different varieties hidden in the deep woods, she watched them fly and feed.

Walking through the trees, she smelled the pine scent and felt the needles underfoot. She touched the lower branches and ran her hands through the green leaves of the colorful maples. The soft texture made her smile.

Zoe leaned over to share the text from Jenn. Bruno had been busy rubbing too much cocoa butter on her body. But it did feel good. Zoe had become addicted to the stuff.

After the big concert weekend, she and Bruno flew off to Oahu. They’d camped out at the Four Seasons Resort and didn’t venture out for the first three days. Zoe loved the natural rock waterfall shower, and Bruno promised to put one in their bathroom when they got home.

Bruno had been walking on air since Zoe told him she was ready to wear her engagement ring. From that moment on, everything they did became precious. They agreed that bringing a new life into this world would help ease the pain of loss in their hearts.

Neither wanted to know the sex of their baby. Zoe was already looking forward to the Wildcat’s spring tour in Europe, bringing their boomer along. She’d talked to other women who’d taken their babies on tour. And now she was planning how she could do sound checks and play four or five nights a week for three hours each night and still be the perfect mother.

Bruno offered to tour with her. Zoe knew it would be a challenge, but she wanted it all. On the summer tour, she’d insisted on bringing a chef and trainer to help her through her pregnancy. The peace of mind knowing her trainer was an EMT made it easier.

Her doctor had told her that she could keep on doing everything she’d done before getting pregnant which included their daily run, practicing, and playing nights with the band. But the best part was making time for Bruno. Their relationship had never been better and their love had never been stronger.

Zoe dialed her phone and waited for Jenn to answer. She gave a little cheer when she picked up. “Hey, sweetie. So glad to read your text.”

Jenn wiped a tear from her eye. “Yeah, such good news.”

“Have you seen her yet?”

Jenn was shaking her head. “Nah. The nurse said she’d be pretty out of it today but promised to get me back to see her. She’s going to be lucid tomorrow.”

Zoe smiled. “We’re wheels up tomorrow. We’ve got a direct flight into Philly and should be in the hospital on Wednesday for visiting hours. We’re excited to see you and Teri.”

Jenn smiled, remembering how Zoe had taken Teri under her wing. “She will be over the moon to see you. I’ll let you surprise her. How’re you and Boomer doing?”

“We’re great. Another six weeks and she’s going to join us live and in person!”

“So it’s a girl!”

“Nuh-uh. Still going to be a surprise. We are betting on whether she has red or black hair.”

Jenn laughed. “So many surprises! See ya soon!”

As she walked down the hill, she paused to listen to the birds calling to each other.

Smith picked up Lisa’s phone and glanced at the text. He raised it for her to see as she approached the picnic bench. She had been practicing trying to lasso a wooden post that had horns attached to the top. Each time she succeeded, she let out a loud whoop!

“Hey, beautiful. Jenn just sent you a message.

Lisa came over and read the text. “Good news. I’ll bet my little sister’s exhausted.”

She stood there, gazing out over Smith's mountaintop. It was a stunning view. But now she was merely staring, not seeing anything at all. Her mind was racing. She turned to Smith with a tear in her eye. “Hey, cowboy. I’m thinking about all the hurdles Teri has jumped over in the past year. It’s so unfair she’s had to grow up so quickly.”

Smith understood. He’d heard the entire story and knew about Teri’s revelations and her surprise transition. He tried to imagine living his life for eighteen years as a guy only to discover that he was intersex and had ovaries, making estrogen deep inside his body. And in the midst of this discovery, starting puberty sealed the deal. “Tell me I’m out of bounds. Your sister was your brother growing up, right?”

Lisa nodded.

“And I’m guessing that she dressed as a boy and acted like one, too? And no one ever wondered?”

“Right.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

Lisa stared up at the sky before she tried to answer. “The whole thing’s been unreal. Teri’s still the same, quirky, gifted, extremely caring pain in the ass. But this whole change made her aware of the real world. All that geeky slacker behavior has been left behind. She’s a changed person. And I’m totally willing to do whatever I can to help support her.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah, she’s lucky.”

Lisa looked at him strangely. “How so?”

“She’s got all these folks around her who love and protect her. It seems like everyone she’s come in contact with loves her. She hasn’t met the hateful people who’ll tear her down just for existing. When we were on the road, there were lots of jealous, frightened, ignorant folks ready to throw shade at anything that’s different. Punk bands got a lot of shit thrown at them.”

Lisa wiped a tear from her eye. “Uh-huh. You’re right. The band has been a bubble for her. Everyone loves her so much and has done their best to protect her. I think the Cats are something special. We’re more than a rock band, we are family.”

Smith hugged her. “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious that they love her.”

Lisa paused. “And this whole thing has really raised my perception of the whole LGBTQ community. I never thought of Gina as being odd or different. We grew up together, and her gayness never seemed to be an issue. Now I especially feel sorry for the trans community because of how much hate they receive for no reason at all. It’s hard to understand why anyone is treated like a criminal when they are just trying to exist. Every time we do a show, we donate a portion of the profits to a local agency. We’ve given a lot of money to places that can help teens, especially those with gender and sexual issues.”

Smith leaned over and kissed her, then pulled her into his lap. “You make me so proud to be with you. Even though I’m eight years older, I look up to you and everything you do. I’m so lucky to love you.”

He squeezed her and nuzzled her ear. “How come we communicate so well? I feel like we’ve been best friends all my life. What’s with that?”

Lisa grinned. “I’m not doing anything special besides adoring and loving you too much. I worry that I’m smothering you.”

“Nah. Everything is perfect.” He lifted her hand to check her watch. “Opps! Will you look at the time? All this talk has made me hungry.”

Lisa nodded. “Okay. What do you want to eat?”

Smith grabbed her hand and started pulling them down to the ground. “Uh, you.”

As Smith started to undress her, she held him out at arm’s length. “Uh-huh, sounds good, cowboy. But the big question is, how soon can we be in Philly?”

Walking along, she smiled. She’d never felt more at ease. She was happy.

End of chapter one