Dear Readers,
I took some time off and rewrote the first chapters that were published here. So this is the newer story.
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She stood up and looked down the hill. She saw big, tall trees with green leaves waving in the breeze. Under those trees, she could see colorful bushes. She could hear birds chirping and decided to investigate.

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

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

When her phone buzzed with a text, Gina stopped and looked. She cheered aloud. Jenn’s message that Teri was out of surgery and headed to recovery was the best news. Smiling broadly, she walked into the lobby of Grace’s building, replying to Jenn with fireworks, hearts, and smiling emojis.

She waved to the concierge as she hopped on the elevator and pressed sixteen. It still amused her that Grace’s commute was all in her high rise on the east side of seventy seventh street. She owned her offices on the second floor and her apartment on the sixteenth. As she rode upward, Gina tried to calculate how much Grace paid each month in condo fees and mortgage payments. It was no surprise that her hourly charges were high.

Gina was glad to hear about Teri. She’d been concerned knowing she’d been in surgery all day. She’d known her for so many years as Lisa’s little brother. She’d been her best friend since elementary school.

She agreed to taking a break. After a hectic summer touring the country behind their newly released music, everyone needed down time. Zoe and Bruno got time alone before their baby arrived as they disappeared in Hawaii. Lisa and Smith headed south to his place outside Nashville, and Tiffany seemed content to hang out with Mike at his video company in Allentown.

Gina knew that her life had never been better. With a great gym within walking distance and a choice of daily runs outside their door, she had a lot of time for herself. This morning, after kissing Grace goodbye, she’d done an hour of meditation and yoga before starting her seven-mile run. She appreciated the relaxing change of pace after being on the road for three months.

It wasn’t playing music or being around the band that exhausted all of them. They’d been a touring band for five years. Before Teri joined, their playing schedule had been much more taxing. They’d played in small clubs five nights each week, traveling in their old fifteen passenger van pulling a trailer full of musical equipment. The four of them set up and packed away everything themselves.

But those days were behind them. Now, they were expected to play to crowds of five to ten thousand fans who paid concert admission prices to hear them perform. Each night had to be perfect and the band had to work a lot harder to achieve that level of success. It was great but much more draining.

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

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

“Yeah. Well, I need to call Jenn and set something up. I’ll head down to Philly real soon, but we can go together when you have the time away.”

Grace was thinking. “I knew you’d want to go down ASAP. But I have to clear my calendar. I’m still working with Teri on Thursdays, so I can switch patients around.” She opened her computer. “Let’s see. It’s going to take me a few days to clear it. I’m thinking I can get down there Friday and then we can stay in Philly over the weekend.”

Gina was nodding as she took off her shoes at the apartment door. “Yeah, that would be great. I’m going to text Jenn and maybe slip down in the morning.”

“Wonderful. Did you get a run yet?”

“Yep. It was great. I had time for an hour of meditation and yoga, and then a seven mile run.”

“Mmm. I love my woman with a hard body.”

“Uh-huh. And I adore being in the arms of my beautiful doctor. Whatcha feel like eating tonight?”

“I was thinking seafood.”

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

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

Gina picked up her phone and texted Jenn saying that she’d been there on Tuesday morning.
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As she walked down the hill, she paused to listen to the birds calling out 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 with Bruno. He’d been busy rubbing too much cocoa butter on her body, but it did feel good. Zoe didn’t want to encourage him, but she’d become addicted to the stuff.

After the big concert weekend at the Hollywood Bowl, Zoe and Bruno had said their goodbyes and flew off to Oahu. They found a suite at the Four Seasons Resort and didn’t venture out for the first three days. Dining on love and room service, Zoe thought that the natural rock waterfall shower in their suite was her favorite thing. Bruno promised to install 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 together became precious for him. And when they agreed to bring a new life into this world, they both knew that it would help ease the pain of loss in everyone’s hearts.

Zoe had lost her mother to cancer when she was a teen. It had devastated both her dad, Conor, and her. Since then, Bruno had been her biggest supporter. And when Bruno’s brother had a complete breakdown involving mental illness, kidnapping, and murder, watching him tragically die when his own weapon misfired was a horror. Both Bruno’s parents took it hard when they lost their youngest son.

Zoe was the first Wildcat to get pregnant, and soon she would be the first band member to bring a baby on tour. In her mind, she felt mature enough and mentally prepared at twenty-four. She was already looking forward to the Wildcat’s spring tour in Europe and bringing their boomer along. She’d talked to other musicians who’d taken their babies on the road with them. Now she was planning on how she could successfully play four or five nights a week for three hours each night and still be the perfect mother.

Bruno offered to go on tour with her. He could financially afford to play their baby sitter for three months without hurting his own business. His commissions could be put on hold to take care of their new baby while they traveled. Zoe knew it would be a challenge, but she wanted it all. On their 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 had made it easier.

Her doctor had told her that she could keep doing everything she’d done before getting pregnant, which included her daily run and playing 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.

After getting Jenn’s text, 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 but promised to get me back in to see her before the end of the day. The nurse assured me that she’s going to be lucid tomorrow.”

Zoe smiled. “Well, 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. 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!”

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As she walked further down the hill, she paused to listen to the birds calling to each other. The temperature had cooled and the air felt more humid.

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 trying to lasso a wooden post that had steer horns attached to the top. Each time she succeeded, she’d let out a loud whoop!

Smith smiled and called out. “Hey, beautiful. Jenn just sent you a message.

Lisa came over and read the text. She hugged Smith with glee. “That is good news. But 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 that were making estrogen deep inside his body. And in the midst of this discovery, she was starting puberty, which sealed the deal. “Tell me if 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 that no one ever thought it odd?”

“Well, looking back, we always wondered why Teri never gained a lot of muscle and all the stuff that went along with other guys. But the doctor always explained that he was a late bloomer and eventually catch up. Teri used to talk about having testosterone treatments and getting all muscle-bound. Of course, now we realize that his body was getting ready for estrogen and a woman’s puberty. But no one ever suspected what was really happening.”

“Do they have any idea when her puberty really started?”

Lisa shrugged. “In hindsight, her gender was starting to make itself visible earlier, but no one was looking for it. Because she was always so lean and tall, her body development was more subtle. And since she’s intersex, her bone structure is more neutral than either a man’s or woman’s body. It really wasn’t until she was wearing foam pads pretending to be Tasha, that Gina’s sister, Isabella, noticed her development under the pads that covered her butt, hips, and breasts.”

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. However, this whole change made her aware of the real world and forced her to grow up more quickly than a typical eighteen-year-old girl. The first change I noticed was her leaving all that geeky, slacker behavior behind. And she has grown up so much. Teri’s a changed person. I love her and want to protect her. 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 care for her. It seems like everyone she’s come in contact with adores her. She hasn’t met the hateful people who’ll tear her down just for existing. When Eaten By Raptors were on the road, there were lots of jealous, frightened, ignorant folks ready to throw shade at anything that was different. It seemed like all punk bands got a lot of shit thrown at them. EBR wasn’t any different.”

“And what did that do to you guys?”

“Well, we bonded together, and it really made us brothers, protecting each other and standing up for our music.”

Lisa wiped a tear from her eye. “Uh-huh. Your story is the same as ours. Our band has been a bubble for her. Everyone loves her so much and has done their best to protect her. I think the Wildcats are something special. We’re more than a rock band; we are family.”

Smith hugged her. “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious that everyone loves her.”

“But you know Teri has been upfront about herself and all the changes she’s had to endure. Having to tell her friends and the world about discovering her intersex diagnosis was a pretty traumatic step. But that’s another story.”

“How so?”

“Well, we decided that it would be best to get ahead of the press and control her story. Just as we were getting noticed, this great reporter from the Philly paper wrote the most amazing article about Teri and what she was going through. We all waited to see what effect if would have telling people about her intersex diagnosis, but no shit ever hit the fan. Everyone ignored her big reveal. Teri had written this comical song about people who dressed up as furry animals. And when we dressed up in costumes to play it live, someone used their phone, recording it, then posting it online. People went crazy over “Fur Face” and it spread like wildfire on the internet.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah. I always wonder why everyone freaks out over Fur Face when you perform it. It’s kinda stupid-cool. But, seriously, EBR could never have done anything like that. Not trying to be sexist or anything, but we never could have done cuteness or even laughing at ourselves. And to think Teri’s brain saw making Furries into a heavy metal song is genius. Teri is honestly some sort of musical heavy hitter. The way she just walked into the studio and immediately helped produce EBR’s music was incredible.”

“Yeah, Fur Face did turn out to be way over the top with the silly costumes and everything. I don’t think we saw it as anything more than a throwaway and here it’s become expected when we perform. We carried three identical furry costumes for each of us this summer. It’s really a good thing that no one has tired of it.”

“I know the answer to that.”

“What?”

“It’s cause the band doesn’t take themselves seriously. You guys are just having fun and loving what you do. Like when you suddenly adopted the Flower Sisters and brought brass into the band. Out of nowhere Tiffany’s performing the B-52’s and Aretha Franklin songs. Seriously, the Wildcats performing hard rock and Bach in the same set is pretty edgy, but your fans eat it up.”

Smith was grinning. “You know, Eaten had never met Teri and the first time she walked into our rehearsal she’s offering production suggestions and updating all our ten year old hits and breathing new life into them. The guys were completely blown away by an eighteen-year-old!”

“Yep. She does that with us. She heard the idea of bringing in brass and suddenly started rearranging stuff and getting new covers together.”

“Yeah, and the way Tiffany doesn’t mind performing Love Shack, it’s like there’s no ego involved.”

“Well, she totally blows the audience's minds when she plays her cello. Which, of course, is another Teri idea.”

“Uh-huh. She is a key player for the Wildcats.”

“Bad story - back when Teri was kidnapped, we played as a four-piece band that night at the Rendezvous because we were committed to helping the owner, Robert. And let me tell you how those hard-boiled rockers were all crying over thinking about Teri being missing and the hole she left in the band.”

Lisa paused. “And all of this has really raised my perception of the whole LGBTQ community. I never thought of Teri as being anything special and then finding out she’s intersex and totally left hanging at eighteen. And I never thought of Gina as being odd or different. We grew up together, and her gayness never seemed to be an issue. I know this is going to sound strange, but I never saw her take much heat for her sexuality. Of course, a lot of women athletes support each other, gay or straight. But now with Teri and her intersex discovery, I’m especially sensitive to 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’re just trying to exist. Every time we perform a show, we ensure that a portion of the profits is donated to a local agency. We’ve donated a significant amount of money to organizations that support teens, particularly those facing issues related to gender and sexuality. And we have people come up to talk to us, and it’s really become a much larger community for everyone.”

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. “But you’re always educating me. How come we communicate so well? I feel like we’ve been best friends forever. 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?”

As she walked, she smiled. She’d never felt more at ease. She was happy.