Dear Readers, You will start to see some redundancy in the storyline because, well, I've merged the story, and after a few more chapters, we will finally introduce some new stuff again. I do appreciate your loyalty and patience.

Chapter Eight
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Lisa looked at Teri. “I think it’s great that Jessica’s going to help us out with this. I wish I could keep an eye on this guy. All my life, I’ve wondered about my father and why I was abandoned. I thought it was all my fault that he left Mom. I figured he didn’t want me.”

Teri shook her head. “Growing up, Mom never told you the truth about the Sperm Bank, right?”

Nah. It was just last year when she spilled the beans. I think Mom made a mistake by waiting.

Teri hugged her sister and kissed her on the cheek. “Yeah, finding out was hard to swallow. I’m lucky you told me. I was always wondering when our dad was going to show up and shower me with love. But it’s still hard to blame Mom. She really thought she was protecting us.”

Teri shook her head. “And having to do this scares me. I’m frightened of strangers. My run-in with Bruno’s brother made it hard to trust anybody.”

Lisa laughed. “Yeah, I can see how almost getting murdered a couple of times could do that to you. But c’mon. You trust guys like Wiggins, Gimli, Robert, Blank, and our guys, Richard and Phil. You just drew the wrong Tarot card with Amos.”

Teri gazed off into space, then turned back to her sister. “How about we write a song about Tarot cards, all mythical and stuff? You know, where the Death card keeps popping up?”

Lisa shook her head and grinned. “You’re too wrapped up in your Vampire thing. I can see you slipping into the occult, too. But try to remember that people want to dance to our music. Maybe we need to keep your ass grounded and not in some video game world.”

Teri smiled. “Yeah, I’ve read about too many musicians losing their minds in the fantasy world. You need to help me stay grounded. That’s my fault. I’m totally into reading this story about witches. It’s short and sweet.”

Lisa stared. “What’s the title of the book?”

“I forgot. Something about witches. Just a little fun. You see, there’s this fourteen-year-old who wakes up… Uh, never mind.”

Lisa looked at her sister, then shook her head. “Maybe we should stay away from our sperm donor and just get medical information. We don’t need to be friends. Maybe sneak into his job, copy his health files, and slip away.”

Teri nodded. “Sounds like spy work. But I was wondering what would happen if we just sent him a message asking for his medical records?”

Lisa shook her head. “What would you say? Our mom used your sperm, and now we want a buddy?”

Teri paused for a moment and chuckled. “Yeah, that does sound creepy. How about if I just run up, hug him, then start calling him daddy?” She smiled at her own words.

Gina laughed. “Sure. And after your heartwarming reunion, you’d want to introduce him to Jenn and show him pictures of you and Lisa performing on stage.”

“Yeah, that’s it. He can join us for Thanksgiving with the family.”

Gina shook her head. “And he’ll give you hugs, kisses, and buy you ice cream. Maybe he’ll bring you balloons.”

Teri laughed. “Do you think he’d buy me a pony to show how much he loves me?” She pretended to sigh. “I guess this isn’t family reunion material. Rejection from the Hallmark Channel, boom!”

Lisa hugged her little sister. “Yeah, this crushes our fantasy. But we’ve got to get his sperm sample to a research place that can examine his DNA and make sure it’s still good. Maybe you got the spoiled batch, you know, like your DNA went bad.”

Teri grinned. “Thanks for throwing me into the box of broken toys. I’m the DNA that went bad, like chicken salad on a school trip.”

Gina laughed. “Curried chicken salad is one of my favorites."

Tiffany was smiling. “Mmm. I just had Pesto Chicken Salad that was awesome. Fresh basil, Parmesan, and olive oil.”

Teri was laughing. “Sounds delicious and gives me another nickname. I can be Chicken Salad or maybe Bad Mayo.”

Gina was laughing. “I chose Mayo. That could be your anonymous name when you check into a hotel - Margaret Mayo.”

Teri winked. “My check-in name is Jane Bach. You know, kind of like the composer.”

Gina nodded. “Except it’s different. But I’ve got the greatest name, Joan Weston.”

They all turned and stared.

Gina looked up at the sky. “She’s the most famous Roller Derby queen of all time.”

Tiffany was looking her up on her phone, “The Blonde Bomber.”

Gina smiled. “She started it all.”

Jenn kissed Teri. “Honey, I don’t care if our baby is intersex or you call yourself Joe Mayo. I’ll still love both of you.”

Grace nodded. “They do DNA testing on babies while they’re still in the womb. Gives you time to prepare.”

Smith was listening and turned to Lisa. “Is there a chance you’re carrying a recessive gene, too?”

Lisa kissed Smith gently and shrugged. “I’ll love our baby girl.”

Smith nodded. “Are we having girls? All I know is all about boy bands.”

Teri was trying to be serious. “Maybe put a hold on babies until we get some answers. Jenn doesn’t need any excuses. I think that she’d love to be pregnant right now.”

Jenn hugged Teri and kissed her. “But only with your baby, Rock Star. Our baby will be perfect regardless of her DNA.”

Gina laughed. “Well, yeah. Okay, we call a baby moratorium until we get some answers. But once we get the okay, we all vote for girls ‘cause girls are perfect and boys are ‘tupid’.”

Tiff hugged Mike. “We could still get preggers, baby. My DNA is all warm and cuddly. And I’m ready for my king.”

Mike kissed her gently. “I love your DNA and want to be the one who makes a baby with you. We can start tonight.”

Tiffany kissed him on the neck and whispered in his ear before gently biting his earlobe.

Gina laughed. “Just looking at the two of you, no doubt, you’re ready.”

Tiffany kissed Gina on the lips, then looked her straight in the eyes. “I asked Mike if he’d impregnate you, too. Then we’d have two perfect Mike babies.”

Gina kissed her back, then looked at Mike. “That’s kind of you to be so generous with your wonderful, caring boy toy. But what happens when he falls in love with me and doesn’t want to come back to you?”

Tiffany paused to think. “Hmmm. Well, we can’t lose our drummer, so I’ll just have to shoot him.”

Gina nodded and fist-bumped. “That’s fair. Wildcats first, right?”

Tiffany nodded. “Seems only right. Kinda like how the Black Widow spider kills their mate after it gets pregnant.”

Mike laughed and turned to Smith. “I think I’ve joined a cult.”

Smith looked around and slapped him on the back. “A hell of a cult.”

Gina smirked at Tiffany. “Everyone’s gonna be comparing our two babies. Mine would be so adorable and cuddly with her curly brown hair and sparkly eyes. Gorgeous.”

Tiffany seemed defensive. “Mine would be blonde and beautiful.”

“Mine would be brilliant, scoring high on standardized tests.”

“Mine would be beautiful and blonde, just like her mother.”

“And mine would have great rhythm and be happy to play in the dirt.”

“And mine would be blonde and beautiful.

While everyone was enjoying their evening on the rooftop patio, Richard approached Jenn. He smiled and whispered, “Can we talk privately for a minute?”

Jenn nodded and moved with him to a quiet spot where no one could see them.

Richard spoke quietly. “About the text you sent out telling everyone that Teri was fine.”

Jenn nodded. “Sure, I got a heads-up from Gina, too.”

Richard smiled. “How many people did you text?”

Jenn had to think for a second. “Teri and I created the list together before her surgery. Why?”

Richard shook his head. “Well, somehow it was reposted on social media. Everyone’s speculating about what Teri had done and why she would be in the hospital for so long.”

Jenn wondered out loud. “Is five days a long time?” She shook her head. “I guess it is.”

“Recovery from major surgery is a primary reason people remain hospitalized. The Wildcats' name recognition has increased since the fundraiser. I have been receiving many inquiries. When someone calls, I tell them it’s personal.”

Jenn was wide-eyed. “What’s going to happen?”

Richard shrugged. “Frankly, I don’t know. I’m worried because we lack control over the social stuff. This is Teri’s private life, and she shouldn’t feel like she’s the center of a storm. I hope that it will blow over when the next big bubble of nonsense pops.”

Jenn shook her head. “What can I do?”

“Don’t let anyone ask you questions. Say no to interviews.”

Jenn nodded.

Richard hugged her. “Now, the Wildcats have moved into the famous lane, and paparazzi might hang around trying to take photos. Keep yourself as private as possible until all of this passes.”

Jenn wiped a tear from her eye. “Are we going to say anything to Teri?”

Richard sighed. “I guess I should have talked to you together. She’s got to watch what she does, too. C’mon, let’s talk to Teri.”

They both walked over and sat with Teri.

She turned and smiled at the two of them. “This surprise party is so much fun. It’s great.”

Richard nodded. “It’s great, but something’s come up and I need to run it by you. After that, we’ll have a band meeting and talk about it.”

Teri looked at both of them. “Bad, huh?”

Jenn sat down next to her and buried her face in Teri’s chest. She was crying.

Richard looked at both of them. “Nothing bad, but we need damage control.”

They were both nodding after Teri heard the whole story and watched Richard walk away. Teri was holding Jenn and trying to comfort her. “It’s all right. This could have happened to anyone. But Richard is in charge, and everything will be fine. The paparazzi thing bothers me. But you shouldn’t be involved in this.”

Jenn smiled and kissed her. “It’s okay, like ’til death do us part’ stuff. After all, you’re my rich girlfriend.”

As they were both sitting there, Amy came over and looked at them curiously. “Is everything okay?”

Teri nodded. “Yeah, but we’re getting too famous, too fast. But hopefully it’s all being handled.”

Amy smiled, “Well, that’s good to hear. Now, this is your mama talking. I know you’re having fun, but I think it's time to call it a night. You need to watch your stamina and save your energy so that you can heal quickly and get back on your feet.”

Jenn encouraged Teri to get up. “C’mon, Rock Star. Let’s tell everyone good night.”

Teri sighed as she stood. “Yeah, you’re both right. I’m getting tired, and it’s going to take me a few extra minutes to get ready for bed. On my first night home, I still have to dilate one more time. Oh, what fun, eh?”

With that, Teri walked around, thanking everyone and reminding them to visit. Then, she followed her mom and Jenn as they led her back downstairs.

After Teri took a shower and settled into bed, she could barely keep her eyes open as Jenn held her tightly. Teri smiled and kissed her face. “Well, we did it, huh?”

Jenn nodded. “Yep, we did. And I know how important it is for my wife to be happy.”

Teri paused to reflect. “Yeah, crazy. I’m gonna be your wife. I never thought about being a wife. I've never had any practice being a mom or a wife: no Barbies, no tea parties, no dress up. Instead, I was well-versed in sports, gaming, and music. I guess some of that overlaps, but I’ve got to learn a lot of things to be a proper wife for you.”

“A proper wife, huh? As in, when I get pregnant, would you like to share the nursing duties?

“You mean, give our baby warm bottles of your milk late at night while you rest?”

“Well, more than that. You have ovaries that produce estrogen. And I read that the doctor can start you on a prescription that will enhance your breasts and milk glands. You’ll be able to feed our baby with the milk your body produces.”

Teri began to cry. “That’s crazy to even talk about my breasts like they count. Seriously, they’re so small, how would I have enough space there to have milk? I get that our baby will inherit some of my genes and be fed with your milk. But that would be so crazy if my boobies could create milk. A year ago, sitting in a study hall, I never thought that any of this would be happening.” She wiped the tears running down her face.

Jenn smiled. “Is that good?”

She smiled. “It’s perfect. All this stuff was hidden from me. I was a sleeper alien, like a video game. It’s where I discover I’m the son of Poseidon. Or my real parents were wizards.”

Teri hugged Jenn tightly. “Getting my genitals lined up with the rest of my changing body was a gift. But it’s going to be bizarre hanging out with the guys. Tony’s such a horn dog, and Don wants to be more than friends. I should wear a sign that says I’ve always liked girls. You know that hasn’t changed.”

Jenn was nodding. “So if I wasn’t here, would you make a play for Gina or some other woman who likes girls?”

Teri paused to think and shrugged. “I don’t know because there are too many what-ifs in the way. And all of this is getting crazy ‘cause we’re bringing a new life into this world.”

“So, do you want to start now?”

Teri gulped. “We need more information before we start. We have to track down my sperm daddy.”

“Sperm daddy!”

“Yeah, that’s not really a good song title, huh?”

“Yep. No Grammy award for Sperm Daddy!”