strong>

Dear Readers,

I've written 50,000 words of this story. In doing so, I went back and rewrote it from the beginning.

.

Teri looked around. Jenn was perched on the edge of her hospital bed. After reaching over and taking her hand, Teri pulled her in and kissed her. Jenn kissed back. After a few minutes, she pointed so that Teri’s attention was towards the picture window. That way, she could listen in on Tiffany and Conor. The two of them were discussing the Wildcats' website and the number of hits their YouTube channel was receiving.

Conor was excited. “The YouTube channel is blowing up since Mike started uploading weekly posts from the tour. Even though the tour ended, fans continue to hunger for clips. The viewership is soaring. It’s like the fans can’t get enough Wildcats. And he hasn’t even started posting the Labor Day concerts. There’s so much more left to upload.”

Tiffany smiled. “Whoever thought that could happen? A year ago, another cover band offered me a job playing bass and singing. They offered me more money than I was making with the Cats, and I was almost ready to jump on it. My love life was in the dumps, and well, I thought I needed a change.”

Conor nodded and listened. He didn’t say he’d already heard the story from his daughter. “Yeah, well, how about now. Would you ever have thought things would be so different?”

“Nope. Teri was the spark. She seriously changed us around and made us the band we are today. I never thought things would be like this. Flying private, limos, big money in the bank, and a man who loves me. My life has made a complete turnaround.”

Conor was nodding. “And now there’s more. I was talking with Wiggins about posting some live cuts from the tour to the website.”

“You mean the stuff Mike and Final Cut shot for the website? I thought we were just going to include tiny snippets, not full tunes. Wouldn’t that take away from sales when people can hear and watch us for free?”

“Yeah. I would have thought so, too. But it’s funny. Wiggins and Warner believe they could increase interest in the album’s songs. They think more people will want to download them to their playlists and that would boost sales.”

Tiff shook her head, still not understanding the logic. “Hey, if Wiggins is behind it, let’s discuss it. But we need to remember that the band has to approve anything that Warner does with our music.”

“Right. I know Richard wants to talk to everyone when Teri is comfortable and settled in at home. He knows he needs to gather the whole band in one place so everything can be discussed about Warner and the music. He wants feedback from everyone.”

Teri still didn’t have much voice but waved to get their attention. She motioned for them to come closer.“Did Wiggins indicate which live songs they wanted to add?”

Conor shrugged. “I don’t know. This was all just mentioned in a Zoom.”

Teri appeared puzzled. “Who was in that conversation?”

Conor smiled. “You know. The backers, the money, and the bookers - Me, Wiggins, Gina’s dad, Phil & Richard, and Gimli.”

“Do you have these meetings frequently?"

“Only when there’s something to say.”

Teri smiled. “Well, I see myself coming out to the band house and noodling with the sounds in a few weeks. I haven’t talked to the doctor yet, but I envision a swift recovery. Seriously, I’ve heard I won’t be able to sit comfortably, but I play standing up, and we’ve got lawn chairs out on the deck where I can recline to rest.”

Jenn laughed and hugged her. “Oh, don’t I hope so, baby. You have way too much energy to sit still for long.”

Gina smiled. “Well, let me throw everybody a curve. I just heard that Beyonce and Taylor Swift had so much fun on Labor Day that they want to keep things rolling. That’s why Saturday Night Live was so excited to hear they want to do the Thanksgiving weekend. And of course, thye wanted the Wildcats to be the backup band.”

“Okay, but that’s old news.”

“Well, now the queens want to release a Christmas Album together. And they want Teri to have a hand in arranging and producing for them. When Lorne Michaels heard it, he started jockeying for a Christmas week, hour-long show. And guess who’s going to be involved.”

Teri groaned. “Sure, but that’s a huge amount of work. We can do it but I’m going to want some help.”

Gina smiled. “How about if we rehearse and record everything at our house? We could bring in DJ Blank and Phil to do the work, and we could all lend a hand with the arrangements. It could work.”

Teri grinned. “I think it’s crazy to whip everything up while we need to work on our SNL appearance, too.”

Gina smiled. “I’ve got a suggestion. Let’s simply postpone the Wildcat’s SNL appearance and do it in the Spring before we go out on tour. That would give us a chance to get some new cuts recorded and published before we head to Europe.”

“And how do we handle getting an album produced for the goddesses by a Christmas release?”

“Well, I’ve heard that both of them have songs ready, and you will have to rearrange material for them to sing. If they want to do it, we should just help out. And let’s face it, Teri. Right now, both of them see you as a genius.”

Tiffany learned it. “So here’s how it could work. Give them the SNL Christmas show and forget the hour-long special. Both of these women are famous for dropping albums whenever they want. They can drop this one a week before their Christmas appearance. I am sure that Lorne Michaels will let them do as many songs as they want, but it will be a lot simpler and keep us out of the limelight.”

Gina was nodding. “That’s pure genius. And it will give Zoe and Teri a chance to have a quieter holiday. We should talk with everyone this week and then tell Richard what we think.”

Tiffany went back to talking to Conor, and Gina drifted over and sat with Amy. She couldn’t wait to tell Teri’s mom all about the painting she had ordered for Grace. “It will be the view of Central Park from her condo. That way, she can hang it in her office where she meets with patients. I’m meeting with her favorite artist and arranging for her to take photos. Hopefully, it’s going to remain a surprise.”

Amy smiled. “What a great idea! You know that Grace will love anything from you! Okay, but now some serious stuff. I’m always wondering about you and Grace. Have you two ever thought about getting married?”

Gina hugged Amy and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I have thought about it. I guess I think about it more than Grace. Back when we were in New Orleans and after seeing Brono’s brother, Amos, heading toward us with a loaded gun, I had an epiphany. Life is too short, and Grace is way too important to me. I told her then, but she turned me down. She loves me and we’ll be together forever. I guess that’s all I can do.” Gina leaned over and whispered, “Between you and me, I think she’s afraid.”

Amy was surprised. She thought that Grace would have loved to marry Gina. “Afraid of what?”

“I think Grace has this notion that by giving me free will and not being married, it’s reverse psychology. I think she’s saying no in hopes that I’ll keep asking. You know, we have a perfect relationship.

Amy whispered, “I heard that you have an open relationship. I don’t know much about that, having never been married.”

Gina hugged her again. “Yeah, I keep forgetting about you and the sperm bank. I think that’s the gutsiest thing I’ve ever heard. But I see love as much more important than random sex. The couple of times that we’ve fought and Grace has kicked me to the curb, well, it kills me. And it’s never over someone else either. It’s just that Grace sometimes gets freaked out that I’m only twenty-two.”

Amy shook her head. “Grace looks a lot younger than thirty-five. I feel pretty inadequate when I look in the mirror and think that I’m eight years older than her.”

Gina smiled. “It’s all genetics. But she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been around.”

Amy hugged her back. “Well, if you don’t mind me battering you with personal stuff, I’m curious about the band on the road. Smith is the first guy I have ever seen my daughter get all excited about. I thought that she’s a lot like you with the casual sex thing. But I’ve never asked.”

Gina laughed, thinking about the offer she received that morning from her driver. She was still considering it and knew where the cute woman could be found. But right now, she had more important things to think about. “Yeah, funny you should mention that. When I’m on the road and Grace is in New York, casual sex seems all right. But I don’t go hunting down anyone ever. I guess that’s just my thing. You know, if I get an offer, it’s always on the table.”

“Well, how about my daughter? And please don’t ever tell her that we had this conversation.”

Gina winked. “This conversation never happened. But Lisa’s different. She’s kinda like a camel that can go a long time in the desert without water. On the road, once in a while, you know there’s going to be some lucky guy popping up, and then that’s it for a while. She never seemed to be into sex. But that has certainly changed.”

Gina shook her head. “She had a thing going with Teri’s anesthesiologist. They were friends with benefits. But Smith. Oh wow. That’s a whole different story. I’d never seen her behave like she does with Smith. Seriously, when they met in the Carolinas at the movie set, well, we all looked in amazement at how hard they fell for each other. It’s scary just how compatible they are.”

“Uh-huh. I’ve noticed that too. But she’s not like a lovesick girl mooning all about him. It’s like they’re kindred spirits and have known each other for a lot of lifetimes. And he’s such a good guy. I think he loves her.

“Oh, he does for sure. Did you see the ring?”

“Ring? Is that what you call that stone? It’s more like a boulder! I think that’s the first time I’ve seen three carats of flawless diamond.”

“Uh-huh. She keeps it on a chain around her neck. I see her stare at it for a while and gaze off. I’ve never seen her like this before. The whole band loves him, and the two of them are a match.”

“You know, when Conor saw that ring, he asked me if I wanted one, too. The man’s way too wealthy, and I know he’d buy me something in a heartbeat. But I told him I’m happy that way we have it. I never want to replace Zoe’s mom. The two of them loved her way too much.”

Gina smiled. “You know, Mrs. Nelson, you are so smart. I guess that’s where Lisa gets her Zen from. She is special.”

Amy whispered, “I’m betting that after Zoe’s baby is born, Lisa and Tiff are going to commit, too. I see a whole different tour with the Wildcats. I think you’re going to need a nursery when you head out the next time.”

Gina laughed. “Well, you’re looking at one girl that won’t be delivering….”

Teri was watching and attempting to read lips. She felt content simply being there, absorbing it all.

Thirty minutes later, Robyn kicked everyone out. Then she had Teri up and on her feet again. As they were walking through the Recovery section, feeling started returning to her legs. But her surgical area remained numb. “Is that normal to still feel numb down there, Robyn?”

“Once the doctor removes all the packing, you’ll regain more feeling. However, those nerve endings need to recover. Numbness is not related to the recovery process. You are healing every day, inside and out.”

After returning from her walk, all her visitors returned to the room. As Teri was back in bed and getting comfortable, she looked around. She felt her eyes starting to close. All the voices began to blend and fade. As she shut her eyes, it felt like things got quieter. Teri smiled. It did feel right to take a nap. She felt a kiss and heard Jenn’s voice whispering in her ear. “Close your eyes and rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

At the luggage carousel in the Philadelphia airport, Bruno smiled as he grabbed each piece of their luggage and loaded it onto a cart. After Zoe waved at him and gave him a thumbs up to confirm that he had everything, they headed to a different part of the airport and walked through the doors to the outside. A white SUV started up when the driver spotted the couple. As they climbed in, Zoe gave the man directions to the hospital.

She turned to Bruno. “After I get there and figure out what’s going on, I’ll give you a call.”

Bruno kissed her forehead. “Tell everyone I said hi, especially Teri. I’ll take our luggage home and wait to hear from you. I need to check in and see what’s going on with business. After all, somebody has to pay for our vacation. Plus, we need to have the contractor come out and measure for our new waterfall shower.”

Zoe leaned over and kissed him. She knew that she could have easily used Wildcat money to pay for their vacation, but Bruno was old school and liked to pay, too. “That’s going to be exciting.” She squeezed his arm and slipped out at the hospital entrance.

As Bruno unpacked the luggage from their shuttle, he looked up at their townhouse, considering whether they needed to expand the place. He’d always used the four-story building as his home and office. It worked perfectly when he was a bachelor, dating Zoe, but everything was changing. After tipping the driver, he dragged all the bags through the front door and to the elevator. Bruno knew that most of their clothes were headed to the washer. The laundry room was off their bedroom and walk-in closets.

After he sorted and started a load, he called his agent. Meanwhile, his contractor returned his call and scheduled a time to discuss the project. Bruno had taken dozens of photographs of the unique shower in Hawaii, where water flowed over the rocks and splashed into the shower.

He grinned as he thought about Zoe. When he met her five years ago, he immediately knew he was hooked. Bruno respected Zoe’s bond with the band and recognized the essential role they played in her life. He felt secure and was never threatened while watching the women interact with each other. In his mind, he had married into a family of Wildcats, content to share Zoe with the other young women. The Wildcats were a significant part of her identity; it was all about the music.

While he’d never played an instrument, he understood the magic that had her transfixed. He compared it to painting. He recalled that one time, Zoe watched as he worked and asked, “What are you thinking about when you’re painting?”

He stopped and thought. “I don’t know. I guess I’m not thinking about anything except focusing on the task at hand. I’m not daydreaming or letting my mind wander. It’s all about the brushstrokes, the color, and blending to create what I’m hoping for. Funny, how I never gave it much thought.”

Zoe moved closer to his face. “When you stop, how do you feel inside?”

He blinked and laughed. “I feel content, very happy.”

She kissed him. “You understand what music does for me.”

Now, when he painted, he became increasingly aware of his actions. The task became all-consuming, drawing him into a deep immersion in his work. He could paint for hours, entirely losing himself in the process. He had to admit that he longed to attain that state of mind and lose himself entirely. He recognized it was his drug.

He understood how Zoe’s mental health depended on playing her music. She needed her fix, and he enjoyed watching her reach for a guitar. He loved listening to her start strumming. He could hear her hum and sing to herself as she played. Sometimes, he would watch her play the same riff repeatedly until she felt satisfied that it sounded smoother as her fingers glided across the fretboard.

When Zoe walked into the Recovery Lounge, she was greeted by the crowd of Teri supporters who embraced her with hugs and kisses. “Hey, gang!”

She grinned as everyone needed to touch her belly and comment on how she looked. Zoe grinned. Even though it had only been a couple of weeks since they’d left for Hawaii, she knew that she’d started to drop and gain more bulk. Knowing that her baby needed whatever it wanted, Zoe grinned. She peeked in on Teri, who was just opening her eyes from a nap. She smiled at Teri and blew her a kiss. “How’s my girl doing?”

Teri blew the kiss back and gave her a thumbs up. “Doing great,” she croaked out.

Jenn had been keeping Teri company while she napped and gave Zoe a big okay sign. “She’s doing great. We all gave her a break and let her rest. She hasn’t been out of surgery for twenty-four hours, but we’re rooting for a speedy recovery.”

Zoe winked. “Are you going to sneak her off to your apartment and keep her all to yourself?”

Jenn laughed and shook her head. “Yeah. Right. I’m scared to death that I won’t be able to handle everything. I’m hoping everyone will drop by and keep Teri company. I’m afraid that she’s going to get bored just being restricted to lying down. And I’m starting classes next week on Monday, and it might all be shaky at the beginning.”

As everyone returned to the room, Tiffany stared at her. “What’s this about lying down?”

Amy explained, “Her whole surgical area will be healing for a couple of weeks. She’ll be able to lie down or recline. But no hard surfaces on her butt for a while. I’ve already bought her an inflatable donut to sit on. But she’s going to grow uncomfortable quickly.”

Jenn nodded. “That’s my fear. Teri’s not a sit-still kind of girl. She likes to be moving, and I don’t want her popping any stitches.”

Tiffany was hugging Jenn. "Well, I’m coming by to entertain her. Perhaps we can create a list and take turns. I’m signing up for the first couple of days."

Gina was laughing. “Good idea. However, we can tag-team this operation, and I’ll help Tiff for a couple of days. We can entertain the Little Shit, and Jenn can concentrate on getting straight A’s.”

Amy listened. “Good plan, ladies. But Momma Bear is going to be hovering all over the whole thing. She’s my baby even though she’s eighteen.”

Zoe laughed. “I hope your apartment is large enough, Jenn. It’s going to get pretty crowded.”

Amy laughed. “It’ll all work out. Honestly, she’ll be doing a lot of napping for the next couple of weeks. She’s not going to be a lot of laughs for a while.”

“Hey,” a voice croaked. “Don’t underestimate your Little Shit. I’m not down for the count.”

While Zoe hugged her and they laughed, Robyn interrupted. “I’ve got to take our patient out to walk for about ten minutes. You can all wait here in Teri’s room. We’ll be back soon, and the doctor is coming up at two o’clock to talk to you. Hopefully, she’ll tell you about Teri’s surgery and discharge.

In the afternoon, everyone met Teri’s surgeon, Sydney Rallings. She shook hands and smiled. “I guess I’m meeting all of the famous Wildcats of Allentown, PA. It’s nice to see the faces of the women we’ve been listening to in the operating room. We like your rock. It keeps us energized. But I need you to give us a few minutes. I have to do some work with Robyn, and then I’ll want to talk to Teri, Jenn, and Amy.”

She watched everyone line up and leave. Then, the doctor looked around and focused on Teri. “Your surgery went well, much better than I’d hoped. We utilized an alternative technique and used a surgical robot to go through your belly button. You’ll see our little indentations under the bandages. This allows us a lot more time inside without as much cutting. In your case, where you have some internal female organs, we had a chance to examine them carefully. After studying your MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans, it was great to finally see what I was working with. You have a very healthy set of ovaries that we were able to connect to your newly constructed vagina. We used a small portion of your stomach lining, making the operation straightforward. Using this technique means that you’ll heal faster and possibly self-lubricate.“

“Now, we’re going to remove your dressing and take a look at everything. Normally, I’d kick everyone out, but since you’re going to be her home care provider and Amy is a surgical nurse, please stay.”

Teri watched as miles of gauze and tape were taken out from between her legs. She was still numb and couldn’t feel anything except for the occasional tug or pinch. It was strange to watch and imagining herself giving birth to a boa constrictor.

“This is kinda gross, isn't it?” Teri looked up at the doctor.

“You get used to it. But it’s not so bad because we didn’t have to do the usual inversion and deconstruction. The fact that you’re intersex made it a simpler procedure. We did have to move your urethra and snug all the new material into place, but your recovery should be a bit faster baring any unusual complications. Of course, every patient is unique.”