In the small town of Milky Way Tennessee, stood a quaint house that belonged to Manny and Madalynn Rae.

The house had only four rooms and one full bathroom. The first room was the master bedroom, which was only big enough to fit a full-size bed and one dresser in it. The second room was the kitchen, which held appliances that were so outdated that the company that made them, went out of business fifty years ago. The third room was the ridiculously small living room which held a couch of two cushions, a make shift coffee table and an old-fashion television. The final room was the guest room, which had been converted to a nursery room nine months ago.

In the bathroom, in the tub, laid one screaming Madalynn Rae, who has been in labor for sixteen hours, seven minutes, and forty-three seconds...forty-four seconds...forty-five seconds...

"Come on baby. Just one more push. Give it all you got!" Manny encouraged his wife. He was crouched at the end of the tub, scissors on the rim of the tub, and a warm towel in hand, ready to catch his newborn child.

Taking a deep breath, Madalynn used all her strength to push out her child.

The child came in to the world, bloodied, dirty, and screaming. Manny quickly grabbed his newborn child and cut the umbilical cord.

Breathing heavily, Madalynn whispered, "What is it?"

Manny smiled, and handled the baby to his wife. "It's a girl. Baby, it's a girl!"

Madalynn, filled with joy, cried when the baby was placed in to her arms. "Oh!" she gasped. "Manny. She's perfect. She's beautiful! Look at her hair! Oh! Look at her blue eyes. Oh my gosh." She turned and looked at her husband with a smile on her face. "Can I name her?"

Manny nodded. Anything his wife wanted, he would give her.

"Her name will be Makila. Makila Melonnie Rae," she said with a smiled. The child stopped crying and gave a gummy smile to her mom. Madalynn, smiled baby.

"What a perfect name," Manny whispered, looking at his happy wife and child.

"I think s-" She abruptly stopped talking and let out a scream.

"What's wrong?" Manny asked, fearful for his wife. He quickly grabbed the screaming baby and held her close.

"I...t-think...another..." she couldn't finish her sentence due to the extreme pain.

"What? That is..." Manny froze for a second, unsure what to do with the baby in his hands. Finally, he got his thoughts together, and got up from the tub and placed the baby in the sink. He grabbed a towel and went back in the tub to his screaming wife.

"Come one baby. You are almost there. You got this!" Manny smiled at his wife. She was so strong to continue like this.

Fifteen minutes and three seconds later, the second baby born, a beautiful girl. The newborn was dirty, bloodied, and not breathing. The umbilical cord had wrapped around the baby's neck, which caused the child to stop breathing. Manny quickly grabbed the scissors and cut the wrapped cord.

Tears formed in his eyes, and his face paled, as he felt the child's pulse. Nothing. No pulse.

"What's wrong?" Madalynn asked, as she listened to only one child cry.

"Oh, baby. I am so sorry. She was also perfect," Manny whispered. He couldn't believe it.

The couple was told, when they first got married, that the probability of her getting pregnant was only 10%. So, when the test said Madalynn was pregnant, Lord knows they were grateful. Sadly, they could not afford to go to the doctor, so for nine months, they received help from friends, family, and the community.

"W-was perfect? What does that mean? Manny, give me my baby." Manny stood there, looking at his already breaking wife. When he didn't comply to her demand, she screamed. "Give me my baby!" She climbed out of the tub, carefully reaching for the dead child.

"Baby, are you sure?" he asked.

"Give me my child!" she screamed. "I need to hold her!"

Sadly, Manny handed the child to his wife. He knew the damage it would create for her, but he promised, in his vows to always obey and respect his wife.

With the child in her hands, Madalynn cried. The child she did not know she would have, is dead and would never know the love she could have been given.

"I am so sorry," Madalynn cried, over and over, the baby to her face. "I am so sorry."

Manny shook his head, sadly, tears falling down his face. He grabbed Makila from the sink and held her tight.

Madalynn gasped and called out to Manny. "She moved."

"What?" Manny asked, walking closer to his wife.

"Makayla moved. The baby in my arms."

"Makayla? But...Baby, that is not possible. She is dead," Manny carefully said. His wife was in a fragile state and he did not want her to break.

"No, she's not. She opened her eyes. "

Manny leaned over his wife and looked at the child in her arms. His wife wasn't making things up. The child did move and open her eyes.

The child Madalynn named Makayla, laid in her mother's arm, eyes open, and blinked.

Makayla's eyes were beautiful like her sister's eyes, but a different color. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of dark green.

The couple smiled at each other, holding their two most perfect children in the world.

"What?" Madalynn whispered in horror.

"What is wrong?" Manny asked.

"Her eyes...they..."

Manny looked at the child in his wife's arm and gasped. Makayla's eyes turned milky white, and she let out one last breath. In that moment, all the color in her face instantly disappeared.

Without saying a word, Madalynn dropped to her knees, still holding Makayla and cried. She knew that Makayla was no more. Their only child would be forever Makila. As if she could sense the loss of her twin, Makila let out a horrible wail. Manny dropped to his knees next to his wife and held his only living child close to him and cried too.

Unbeknownst to the grieving couple, Makayla wasn't dead. In fact, he was far from it. If they had payed closer attention to their living child, they would have noticed her beautiful blue eyes were no longer just blue. Makila now had one blue eye and one green eye.

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(1070 words)

Started: 10-31-18
Finished: 11-2-18
Updated: 11-2-18

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Well, there you have it. I wanted to update this chapter on Halloween, but decided it would be better to wait. I needed to perfect the chapter a bit more posting it. I am actually satisfied with how this chapter turned out. How about you all?

So, now I have a question to ask....What happened to Makayla? What does it mean that she is not dead?

I would love to hear from you? Do you all have any thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

If you all liked this chapter, maybe you all can tell others about it? Maybe share my stories with others?

Before I leave, do you all see that little, sad grey star? 

I dare you all to turn the star from grey to yellow. 

🌟⭐

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Until next time, this is Mama Rivers saying, "Live long and stay alert."