Marisol DeJesus: The Bruja (Book 2)

Birthing Aurora and Hiding

Six months ago… 

Marisol had felt her water break and went to the hospital alone without telling her aunt and uncle. She took all her money with her and all of their stuff. She had a place she could go to when she was out of recovery.  

So after checking in, she was put in a room and found out she was five centimeters dilated already.  Marisol didn’t need any medicine weirdly, she laid comfortably chewing on ice as she laid back rubbing her stomach. Watching tv, Marisol was surprised when a nurse came in.  

“Her sweetie, I’m Jacqueline I’ll be your nurse tonight. You can call me Jackie.” Marisol grinned, “Marisol. M, Mari. Both work.” Jacqueline was a redhead, nice and curvy with a wide smile. And even better she was all leg with a nice ass, and  Marisol could appreciate a woman with a figure.  

Coming to check her vitals and contractions, Jackie asked, “Are you feeling okay? I‘ve seen women almost a decade older than you in tears when their contractions hit.” Marianna shrugged, “Feels natural if that makes sense. I just feel at ease.”  

Jackie stroked her long curly hair back, “Is there anyone I can call for you? Family, friends, maybe the baby’s father?” Marisol slowly shook her head and Jackie immediately felt anger that someone had left this beautiful young girl completely alone like this.   

And she could bet they judged her predicament like this was hardly new treatment they pushed at her. Jackie from that moment was Marisol’s rock. She came in and kept checking in as Marisol went through labor. Providing giggles and laughter, Marisol got some sleep. And by nine centimeters was laughing at Carlton on Fresh Prince on the little flat hanging on the wall.  

But as all seemed quiet and on schedule, tragedy struck like lightning.  

A pile-up on the I-65 highway had every hospital in a two-mile radius jammed pack. Marisol went into labor while doctors took care of people with broken femurs and internal bleeding. She felt the need to push and kept calling for someone.  

But weirdly enough, Marisol hadn’t needed assistance. As every available doctor seemed to be too occupied, Marisol was forgotten in the madness. But she didn’t panic or feel the need to raise alarm.  

She instead felt the need to push come on even harder, and gently guided her own baby out on her own.  It was kind of crazy but as she pulled her daughter up to her chest, she gently massaged her chest, and then stuck her finger down her throat.  

And soon, Aurora was crying in her arms as her little body breathed life.  

Smiling, Marisol felt her placenta just glide on out of her as she rocked her daughter.  Chest to chest with Aurora, Marisol held her daughter close as she cried, her entire world-changing. When Jackie came in five minutes later, she panicked for a moment. But then she found out that Aurora was a perfectly healthy little girl.  

And that Marisol had perfectly delivered her, and both were fine.  

A doctor snipped the umbilical cord and after a few more tests on Aurora deduced she was perfectly fine. And then Marisol had her latched-on nursing. Both the doctor and Jacqueline watched Marisol lay back with her daughter perfectly comfortable as she maturely asked, “How long before we can be released?”  

Doctor Maddox, an older white man who was supposed to be delivering the baby couldn’t hold it back. He looked at the young woman in front of him curiously as he asked, “Young lady how old are you?” Marisol exhaled, “I am sixteen. How old are you?”   

Doctor Maddox’s beard twitched, “Fifty-Nine. So, is there no one we can call for you? Friends, family, anyone? Who is the child’s father?” Marisol breathed out annoyed as she whispered, “With all due respect sir, that’s none of your business. So, if you’d please go. I’d like to rest now.” 

 Now… 

Tamia frowned a little as Marisol stopped to sip her hot chocolate, “What a nosy old fart!” Marisol shook her head, “You know Teen Mom doesn’t really show the stigma and judgment that the world puts on you, once you are. Especially if you’re of color, they just assume you’re trashy because of it.”  

Putting a hand on Marisol’s knee, “And you’re not.” Smiling since she felt not a single word would change Brianna’s or Tamia’s mind on that, Marisol continued, “Well you won’t believe what he did next…”  

Six Months Ago… 

Since he couldn’t force her to tell him what he wanted to know, Doctor Maddox left annoyed and worried. Jacqueline came back a while later with gifts and carrying the documents and stuff for Aurora. After filling them out and only putting her name on the birth certificate, Marisol slept. She kept her daughter close to her and whenever a nurse came in to check on them, they were just fine.  

After being there for two days, Marisol got dressed and was ready to leave when Doctor Maddox came in, he saw her dressed and rushed in. “Oh, I’m sorry sweetie they probably didn’t tell you.” Marisol looked at him confused, “Yes we need to give the little baby a couple of shots. Nothing drastic but just to make sure if she comes down with measles, mumps, or malaria, she’ll be safe.”  

Marisol looked at the doctor with a c****d eyebrow. Her ears burned uncomfortably, and her eyes narrowed as the doctor fidgetily started to go for her daughter. But as a light sweat broke out over his brow, she put a hand on her daughter. “No, how about you go and get the nurses. I’ll talk with them about the vaccines, I have a few questions before they get started.”  

And since she was the mother, Doctor Maddox couldn’t say a word. Instead, he rushed out even more nervous and every instinct in Marisol’s gut told her to run. So, she put her daughter in her car seat and grabbed all their stuff.  

Walking out of the room, Marisol went down a hall and turned a corner. And saw what appeared to be a social worker and two cops talking with a frantic Dr. Maddox. Turning around quickly, Marisol rushed down the opposite hall and went to the stairs, going down another floor. She was nervous and scared when Jacqueline suddenly grabbed her and pulled her down another hall.  

“Come on they’re about to lock down the hospital in two minutes!” And just in the nick of time, Marisol and she were out the back door.  

“How did you know?” Marisol breathed out, Jacqueline shook her head sadly, “We’ve seen it happen before.” Looking to see they were in the employee parking lot; Marisol saw the other women on the maternity ward. Smiling as an older African American woman and a young nurse sat in a car waiting for them, Marisol looked to her friend.  

When she turned back to Jacqueline, she hugged her tight. After a minute, they broke apart and Jacqueline pushed a thick envelope in her hand, “Get somewhere, stay low, get a job, and keep your head down until you’re eighteen. Or they’ll take her from you.”  

Nodding, Marisol hugged Jacqueline with all her might and said a blessing of her in Spanish before catching the ride to her new home.  

Once a motel, now an apartment building that was pay by the week, had rung perfectly for Marisol. she had just enough. The older woman, the Nubian queen who talked to her like she was her daughter, scolded Marisol, “I don’t think this place is safe.”  

Marisol blew out a deep breath as she shamefully admitted, “I have a gun.” So, neither woman could say a word against her when she got out the car with her daughter. When she walked into the lobby, she found six men all posted up. Walking to the desk slowly, all six seemed to hone in on her a little.  

But she kept her daughter close as she faced the handsome man behind the desk.  

Covered in tats, maybe five or six years older than her, he c****d an eyebrow. “Can I help you baby mama?” Marisol shook her head grinning, “Not yours. But I called, I wanted the vacancy?” Scoffing all six men seemed to find her words amusing.  

One leaned close to her, tattoos and piercings in her face, the hazel eyes pinned her to the ground, “You sure this the place for you little girl?” Marisol breathed out nervously, “Probably not, but I need a place to stay, you all have a vacancy.”  

Laughing an older man, bald and buff, spat out, “And we’re not a charity.” Marisol looked straight ahead as she sassily quipped, “And why would I assume that?” Throwing the exact amount quoted for five months, Marisol watched the guy behind the desk count it. 

Nodding to the older man, when he was done, the handsome guy with brown eyes said, “Fine, welcome to Guarida de los condenados *Den of the Damned. I’m Stephano, you’re friendly building manager. That charming bastardo behind you with no hair is the owner of this fine place, and the other ones are of no concern. Come with me.”  

Marisol had her gun tucked in the front of her jeans, with the safety off. And with her daughter to her side, she could shoot in a second if need be.  

Walking behind the huge guy, she was led back outside and up the stairs to a unit. Accepting the key, she looked around and found it surprisingly clean.  

Putting her daughter down, she found Aurora still asleep sucking on her pacifier, smiling, Aurora rubbed her head. And then turned to see Stephano watching her. Going to the door, she whispered, “Gracias, no seré ningún problema.( *Thank you, I won’t be a problem.)” Stephano shook his head a little, “Being a problem isn’t what we worry about around her mami. It’s more like can you handle it if there are problems?”  

Marisol shrugged and then she closed the door in his face and double bolted it. The studio motel room wasn’t that bad when she thought about it. Bigger than her room at her uncle and aunts place, and even had its own kitchen.  

The bathroom was small and the shower nothing but a showerhead and a floor with a drain. But it’ll do. She immediately went to her daughter and got her settled in a chair as she slept on. But she didn’t want her sleeping in her car seat for long. Stripping the blanket and sheets off the already made bed, she looked at the clean mattress surprised it wasn’t more disgusting. But she was grateful and opened the window before spraying it down with Lysol.  

Straightening the bed, she put her own sheets and quilt on it. And then the two thin pillows she made into one thick one by putting them in her own pillowcase. Folding up the ones that came on the bed, she put them in the closet before laying out her baby blanket and laying her daughter on her back. Kissing her head, Marisol popped her back feeling tired and achy.  

But she still counted the rest of her money, checked her account for the rest and deduced in another five months she could maybe get a car. Until then she could also start stacking for another place to go. Because while this place was cheap and had bought her five months, she couldn’t raise her daughter here. 

 She didn’t trust it.  

And only for now was it safe. Just until she got emancipated and could finally get what she needed to get on her own. So while she wanted to have a nap, she knew she couldn’t. She’d missed three days in the hospital, and now it was time to make up that money.  

Setting up her laptop with its missing buttons and turning on her hotspot, she started up her companies programs already installed and began to accept calls. “Hello, thank you for calling, how may I help you today?” She cited miserably as her daughter slept on.  

Now… 

Brianna shook her head at how diligent and mature Marisol had been. “I know you don’t know me, but I’m weirdly proud of you Marisol. You were such a kickass mom.” Marisol blushed honestly happy someone had said it to her.  

“Yeah, it was easy at first. Us living there turned out not to be so bad.” Tamia giggled as she teased, “Even with the matones hanging around? (*thugs)” Marisol laughed in shock at the little Spanish being thrown out, “Even then. They actually weren’t that bad and had another side to them. Just had to c***k the shell.”  

Jeremy poked his head in and then slowly sat down some delicious-looking snacks. Marisol’s stomach growled and he grinned, “Eat up kid.” Marisol grinned a little back and accepted a cracker with something delicious and perfect whipped on top making her moan.  

After he left out with a small chuckle, Marisol looked at Brianna who worried, “Something went wrong though. What made you leave? Did they do something that made you run here?” Marisol shook her head, “No…it was CPS.”