𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐒, Alex Alvarez

eleven - thank you, i'm sorry

•~3rd person P.O.V~•
TRANSLATIONS: SPANISH TO ENGLISH (done by google translate so the translations are probably shit😭)
-none

⚠︎︎WARNING:THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ABUSE/WOUNDS HEALING, MARIA ADMITTING SHE WAS SA'ED BY HER DAD, LOADS OF SADNESS⚠︎︎
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White walls, bright lights, beeping from machines, and loads of questions from doctors, nurses too. She'd been to a hospital only once, but according to the doctors she'd broken many bones, sprained things, and had recovering hairline fractures that she should've gone to the hospital for.

The other time she'd gone to the hospital was when the ambulance was rushing her mom to it. She remembered when her mom was pronounced dead, she remembered the way her dad squeezed her shoulder, and she remembered when he dad took her to the bathroom and made her promise to lie. To tell the police officers that she'd fallen down the staircase because she was tired from cleaning and she hadn't slept well the night before.

She'd seen police officers, doctors, nurses, psychologists, and many official people who wanted to help her. Maria had confessed to everything, anything, and everything her dad had done to her and her mom. Her dad was stuck in jail, with no bail, and so far Maria hadn't been informed of a court date.

Maria had never felt so tired. The medications made her tired, but if she wasn't on them then her body ached unbearably. Other medications made it easier to sleep, other medications helped her keep food down, and made her feel less queasy. Some other medications helped her migraines, the doctors said she'd get off of some of the medication before she left the hospital while others she might have to be on forever.

Maria wanted to see her family and friends, but the doctors told her to be patient. They told her she needed rest and needed to recover. She had bruises, scrapes, cuts, a broken rib, a broken nose, and a hairline fracture to her wrist. Her wrists were still sore and purple from the zip ties her dad had secured on them and some of her bruises still stained her face.

"Maria." There was a small knock at the door as the smiling nurse walked through it. "You have some visitors." Maria scrambled to grab the remote to turn off the TV, she hadn't even known the doctor allowed her to have visitors yet.

In walked Alex, Elena, Penelope, Lydia, Schneider, and even Dr. Berkowitz. Maria felt so terrible for asking Alex to keep her heavy secret. She wished she hadn't, because she knew he worried about her. But she was glad she told him because he saved her. He was able to save her. The one person who she hadn't expected to save her, saved her.

"Hey, guys." Maria smiled, her body filling with embarrassment. She wasn't sure why she was embarrassed, maybe because the secret she'd kept from the day she was born was finally out.

"Maria, we're so glad you're okay." Elena breathed, sitting down in the chair next to Maria. Schneider told them that Maria was alive and recovering, but that was all he could say. Schneider said that Maria was going to be living with him from now on and that her father's rights were most likely going to be terminated.

"I'm glad to be okay." Maria toyed with her white blankets, her throat welling with tears. "And I wanted to thank you, Alex," His head perked up, his eyes pulling away from the marbled floors, "for saving me." Alex shook his head, he hadn't saved Maria. If anyone else would've known, they would've done the same. "And I wanted to apologize for making you keep my secret, I shouldn't have asked you to do that." Alex sat on the bed next to her, being careful not to touch any of her injuries.

"No, no, you're fine, don't worry about that. Okay? I'm just glad you're okay." Maria wrapped her arms around Alex's neck, or as best she could with one of her arms being in a cast. His hands hesitantly rested on her hips, scared he'd hurt her in some way.

"Thank you, Alex, really." She whispered, swallowing the ball in her throat before pulling away. "Thank you, all of you," Maria announced, glancing between Penelope and Schneider. Schneider knew Maria's deepest, darkest, secret. One that she told not even Alex.

That her father loved her in a way he shouldn't have. That he was inappropriate with her, that he didn't see her as a daughter. Instead, as a lover to be controlled. Maria had nightmares about it, she'd wake up throwing up or crying or screaming.

Sometimes she got flashbacks during the day, invoking the same nausea which the medicine hardly helped. Schneider told her that he wouldn't tell anyone, he promised not to, and that he wished she would've confided in him before he had to find out from the police. Maria felt bad for not telling Schneider, but she knew she would tell him everything from now on.

~

Alex wasn't allowed to go to court with Maria. Not because police or government officials told him he couldn't, but instead his mom told him that Maria asked him not to. When he asked why, his mom couldn't give him an answer. She didn't know why either, Maria asked everyone but Schneider to stay at home.

Schneider said he'd tell them the verdict, but he wasn't sure when he would be able to. He was going to take Maria to get new things for her room. He had a room, a bed frame, two bookshelves, and a desk. He wanted to get her a mattress, some new jewelry, clothes from her house, and some books.

He took a large truck to do just that, but he also said he'd probably take Maria around town after to get her mind off of things. Take her to eat, probably to a mall, anywhere to make her forget about what happened between her and her dad.

Schneider was her dad now, Maria told him that she'd been her "surrogate" dad for her entire life. She loved Schneider, more than anything, and she could see herself actually calling him dad sometime in the future. She just needed time, and Schneider was sure to make sure she got it. He was right there by her side, no matter what.
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A/n: I literally have every chapter of this book planned out, it's embarrassing. (I'm actually watching One Day At A Time right now😭 season 3 episode 7)
Word Count:1,096