The Devine Plan

---Prologue---

Every once in awhile the Universe will look at the ants crawling over the surface of the Earth and decide to send pairs of people who are linked from before birth. These people are called twins. Some twins are identical; meaning they look alike. Other sets of twins are fraternal; meaning they don't look alike. A single set of twins can share the same birthday, but beyond that, a single twin is still an individual person with their own life and lan set forth by the devine.

---Beginning---

Terri and Kerri were a set of fraternal twins. They had an exceptionally close bond, even for twins. Kerri had Downs Syndrome; she needed special care and wasn't expected to live past her tenth birthday. Terri was super shy around people that were bigger than her when she was little. As a result, Terri and Kerri spent a lot of time together. They looked out for each other, always. When they were young, Terri would help Kerri get dressed and ready for the day before taking care of herself and going off to school in the mornings.

Terri sometimes had trouble getting up early in the mornings. Their elder sister Joan would help Terri get up early by pouring a bucket of water over her head. Terri would get as mad as a wet hen. Joan would run, Terri would chase, the comotion woke up the rest of the house, and everyone would have a good laugh. Kerri ended up living well beyond her initial 10-year prognosis

When Terri grew up, she met a man, and had to go off to be with her new family. Kerri was sad, but understood. Kerri was happy to get visits with Terri every so often. One day, Kerri was surprised to find that Terri had a warm, pink, bundle with her. "Kerri..." Terri seemed proud. "You're an Aunt." Kerri stared at the alien in Terri's arms, shocked and amazed. "Her name is Tressa."

"H-Hi, Tressa." Kerri whispered scared to raise her voice to scare the child.

Tressa opened an eye to look at her Aunt Kerri, "Eh!"

Terri was charmed by the surprised look on Kerri's face. "She can't talk a whole lot yet, but she will... someday."

Several years later, Terri's relationship with her husband deteriorated and the two had to separate. Terri had to work hard for the survival of herself and her daughter. She would have loved to have had some help from Kerri, but didn't know the details of what her sister could and could not hand, because of her special needs.

In Kerri's world, Kerri had gotten sick. It was a horrible disease where the body destroyed itself before killing the person with it; this was the case with Kerri. Far from her sister, Kerri wanted to get word to her sister that something was going on but was too weak to move or speak. Kerri kept getting weaker and weaker until at last, she breathed her final breath.

Both Kerri and Terri were so involved in their own individual worlds they couldn't connect to each other. It would take a link that had formed before they were even born to bridge the gap.

Using the bond that is secret only to twins, Kerri's spirit flew across the miles to Terri. Terri was a nursing assistant in a home. Kerri tugged and poked her sister all night long Kerri was confused. She couldn't understand it. Kerri could see and feel Terri, but Terri acted as if she wasn't there. Kerri assumed that her sister was busy and didn't have time to play. Kerri found a spot closeby where she could hang out and would try again and again throughout the night to get Terri's attention, if she thought it was a good time. Kerri didn't always know what was with Terri. In her current state of limbo, Kerri was certain that her patience would be rewarded with an explanation of some sort.

Terri noticed a presence around her, but was confused as to who it was until the next morning, when a police officer appeared at her door to deliver the news about Kerri. Both sisters could have been knocked over by a feather from the shock of it all. Terri was devastated by the loss of her sister. Kerri felt tortured only being able to stand back and watch, helpless, as her sister went through her grief.

Kerri sat down and checked the facts that she knew.

1. She was no longer alive.

2. She felt bad for causing her sister pain.

3. What came next?

Kerri was confused. She wished that she had someone around to explain things to her, but she saw nobody. Nobody on her plane of existence, or so it appeared to Kerri. She had already figured out that neither the dead nor the living could communicate with each other. Not clearly. Not directly, at least.

As far as Kerri knew, she could only sit and watch her sister's family.

One day, Tressa, Terri's daughter, was going out on an errand,. Before she left on her task, Tressa left her mother a note so her mother didn't worry. Kerri was able to read the note and Tressa's words miraculously rearranged themselves before Kerri's eyes.

'Dear Kerri,

Sorry for your loss,

Take comfort and know that you are where you need to be for now,

There is a thing that can happen with twins,

They can share a very special bond that begins at conception and goes well beyond their normal individual lives,

One twin will feel and experience things that the is going on with the other twin and so forth,

This is normal for twins,

It's part of The Devine Plan,

My advice is to hang tight, watch over your sister and her family, and when the time comes, you'll know what you need to do,

Take care,

Trinity'

Kerri blinked and the special message just for her, disappeared, "Trinity? Who's Trinity?"

At least Kerri had been given some kind of instruction. She watched her sister's family. Kerri was happy to be able to see Tressa grow up alongside her sister. She knew that Tressa wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Kerri was proud to see her niece become a young woman.

Kerri was concerned at the way Terri kep Tressa isolated from everyone. She thought the young girl should be allowed to run and be free and make some friends. It wasn't her call.

Tressa had her own ideas about to run her young life. She was young though. Kerri was impressed with Tress'as abilty to create several plans at once and try as many of those plans as possible until she found a plan that worked with whatever she was trying to do. Young people make mistakes. Tressa was lonely. She met a man. She ended up pregnant. Terri was devastated. Kerri was horrified. An abandoned Tressa had to think fast on her feet for the future of her unborn child. Tressa had decided to give her baby up for adoption.

Tressa was stoic throughout the pregnancy. She worked hard at not letting her face show the pain that lurked underneath the surface. Tressa got to pick out her daughter's adoptive parents. The bab'y arrival was set for September. It looked, at first, like the child was going to come late. But as soon as a date was picked to induce labo, the baby decided to come the next day BEFORE the induction.

Kerri and Terri were both in the delivery room when Tressa gave birth. Terri nearly passed out when Tressa's water broke. Kerri was at her sister's side the entire time, offering what support she could.

When the baby was born it was a Girl; 6lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long. A strange man wearing a Chicago Cubs baseball cap appeared. He pointed to Kerri.

"Huh?" Kerri looked around confused. "Me?"

The man nodded. "How would you like to hang out with your sister awhile longer?" He asked.

"I'd love it!" Kerri did a double-take. "But how? And Who are you? And how are we able to talk?"

"I'm Barry," The man introduced himself. "I can't stay long. Judy can explain better than I can. My job is to look after the baby-...!" The nurses started to take the baby away to the nursery. "Got to go! Judy take over!" The man disappeared around a corner with the baby. Kerri stared after the man, completely baffled.

Judy miraculously appeared at Tressa's side. "Hi, Ker-!!" Kerri jumped and screamed in fear at the magically appearing people that she could now understand. "Easy... easy." Judy tried to soothe the frightened and confused spirit.

"What is happening?" Kerri trembled.

"I'm a Guardian Angel." Judy explained calmly and simply. "My name is Judy. I'm assigned to look after Tressa. Terri has her own Guardian Angel, his name is Fred. He'll pop in and out from time to time. At present, it's been arranged that you get to help take care of your twin, while Fred runs a few errands for Trinity."

"Trinity!" Kerri's eyes widened at the name. "Like that from Tressa's note to her mother!"

"Exactly!" Judy smiled, pleased that Kerri was catching on quick. "I can't go into too much detail. I on;y know what I am meant to know and nothing more. I can tell you that you were chosed to help Terri, because of your link as twins. There isn't much for us to be able to do to help the living. But we can enjoy watching the play of their lives unfold. 'Trinity,' rearranged the letters of Tressa's note for you so you could have comfort and hope durning your time."

"That was nice of her..." Kerri thought about it. "Them." She corrected herself.

"Bingo." Judy smiled. "I think it might be difficult in the next few days. Tressa isn't going to like going home without her baby, but she's made her decision. She's just got to let it process through her emotions. Tressa understands, even if her emotions don't, yet." Judy sighed. "This timey wimey stuff can be really weird."

"Tell me about it." Kerri agreed.

Days later, the two pairs would leave the hospital minus one infant. Tressa was utterly hopeless. Judy had to coax the family pet into helping Tressa out of her head. Her efforts were successful. "Tressa connects to/through animals. Animals only want to love and be loved. Tigger doesn't mind helping like this at all. He just wishes he could do more than show Tressa that she's loved and worthy of living."

Kerri looked at Terri. "Terri feels the same way as Tigger. She just wants Tressa to get better."

It took time, but eventually, for all concerned, Tressa recovered from her adventure in baby having. Tressa and Terri and Kerri and Judy all helped eachother throughout the years. Terri would became too old and infirm to take care of herself. Tressa was wanting to get out and expand her wings in the world, but she didn't want to leave her mother isolated and alone, like when she was little.

Ultimately, Tressa made the decision to call her Aunt Joan. "Joan, there's a problem with Mom."

"What is it?" Joan asked, concerned.

"Mom can't take care of herself anymore and I don't know how to take care of her." Tressa explained as best she could. "Help..?"

"I'm sending a bus ticket," Joan came up with the solution. "She can stay with me."

Tressa was relieved. "Thank you, I can get her to the bus station." Tressa ended the call. Tressa took her mother to the bus station. "Mom? Will you be okay? Do you need money for food? I'll send the rest of your things as soon as possible. I want you to call me as soon as you get there to let me know that you are fine. Day or night, doesn't matter. Okay?" Tressa hugged her mother. Both women were in tears, as were the Angels watching them.

"I'll be fine." Terri answered her daughter's questions. "I don't money." "Yes, I'll cal." "You don't have to worry."

"I can't help worrying." Tressa whined. She and her mother released their tight embrace.

Judy and Tressa watched from the curb as the bus finished loading. By the time the bus pulled away, Tressa was clearly a basketcase. Terri was sobbing in her seat. Kerri squeezed Terri's hand tight. She'd look after Terri from here on out. She expected that hanging out at Joan's would be fun. They had had fun as children growing up.

When Terri and Kerri got to Joan's they got the pleasantries out of the way. Then, they sat and enjoyed eachother's company. They laughed and shared family stories until Terri was too ill for Joan to take care of.

Terri laid in her hospital bed. She gasped for breath. Then, her breathing stopped. Kerri became visible to Terri. "Kerri?" Terri called, weakly.

"It's me." Kerri smiled at the recognition. "I've been here the whole time, watching over you."

There wasn't much time to enjoy a happy reunion. Barry was there wearing his signature Cubs Cap.

Terri recognized him instantly. "EARL!" She exclaimed, astonished.

Kerri looked confused. "I thought your said that your name was Barry."

"It is." The man chuckled. "Earl Barry. I don't like to introduce myself using my first name."

"Little stinker..." Terri muttered and laughed at some inside family joke that Kerri wasn't apart of.

"That's something my family likes to say." Earl Barry joined in the joy. "I'm Tressa's grandfather on her father's side. Terri would have met me. I'm not sure if we've met in life, Kerri." Barry looked up as if checking the time. "We've got to go. Both you ladies have an important job to do. You get to look after Baby Allison."

"Tressa's-" Kerri tried to interrupt.

"That's right." Barry explained. "The baby is a little different from when you last saw her. Babies do get bigger and grow older, after all. I'm to take the two of you to the child and leave. Kerri will take it from there. She knows what to do and can give you all the same instructions that Judy gave her. If she listened..." Barry eyed Kerri, who nodded with enthusiasm. "I have another lady I am wanting to see and don't want to keep her waiting too long when she's ready to see me. If you know what I mean." Barry winked, suggestively. Kerri and Terri understood. They went with Barry to stay with Allison. Then Barry left to go be with his own ladyfriend.