Finding Myself

Chapter 18

April 19, 2015

"Ma, I think my water broke!" It's 3 am and I feel like I just peed myself. Jo is at work, he's working over time to get some extra money for the kids. I here my mom running to get stuff ready, Jacky is already by my side, with a big belly of her own.
"Ok honey, this is it, they're coming, sooner or later." My mom tells me.
"Did someone already call Jo. Can someone call Jo please." That was the only thing on my mind, having the father of my babies there by my side.
"I'm calling him right now, don't worry." Jacky tells me. I can here her explaining to Jo that the babies are coming and we're not kidding about it.
"Ok, he's in his way to the hospital. He's going to meet us there." She yells me.
"Ok, we have to walk to the car okay?" My mom tells me as we're walking towards the car.
"Ok, ok. It's actually happening. I'm having these babies." I say.
The hospital is no more that 15 minutes away. We get there, and I get put in a wheelchair, and put into a room where they tell me to put that robe thingy on, and that I can't use the bathroom. Which is really bad because I really have to go. I can only pee, I can't go pooh, which is what I want to do.
"I'm sorry you can't, if you go pooh there's a big chance you might push out your baby in that process. It's best if you pooh, smile you're giving labor." The nurse says to me, ugh. I don't want to risk it, fuck it, I'm going to pooh. Finally the nurse leaves.
"Jacky look out for any nurses or doctors for me." I tell her, getting off the bed, I waddle to the bathroom. I try to take my time, you know, because I have 2 babies trying to come out me. So my pooh comes out, and I go back to the bed, I tell Jacky to come back in.
"Damn dude, you really stink." Jacky says to me, covering her face.
"Oh I'm sorry." I snap at her.
"Calm down Mari." She tells me.
I think the pain and everything is making me mad and annoyed.
"Did I miss it?" I hear Jo say that as he's making his way into the room. Man I feel much better since he's here.
"No, you made it don't worry." I tell him. I'm glad he made it.
"Ok good, are you OK?" He asked me.
"I'm fine, I just want to get them out of me." I tell him, and he starts to laugh at me. "Why are you laughing at me!?" I yell at him.
"Because you're so anxious to have them out." He tells me. "And so am I." He tells me.

4 hours later
"Ok it's time to start pushing." The doctor says.
"Ok, ok." I say crying. It hurts too much, especially since I have to push out two of them. It's like I'm an alien or something.
"Come on babe, you got this. I'm right here. I'm right here." Jo tells me.
"It's ok sweety, you can do this." I here my mom telling me. Jacky went outside, because only the father and another can be in here with me.
"Alright, on three you push ok. 1-2-3 PUSH!!" She tells me, so I push as hard as I can. Ugh. This really hurts. "Ok again 1-2-3 PUSH!!!!" Omg this is torture. "1-2-3 PUSH!!!" I don't think I can do it anymore. "I see a head!! One more push sweetheart. And PUSH!!!" And I hear my first baby's cry. It's José Emmanuel Rodriguez Jr. 8 pounds 4 ounces He so beautiful. I can see my mom and Jo crying already, the nurses take him and clean him up. Now it's Nina's turn to come out.
"Alright one more baby and your done sweetheart. 1-2-3 PUSH!!" And I push really hard this time.
"Alright that was a good one two more baby, two more. PUSH!! I see a head, one more baby girl one more. And PUSH!!! Here she is your little girl! Congratulations on them both." Nina Andrea Rodriguez. 8 pounds 3 ounces. She so beautiful. I'm already crying before they are even in my arms. Jo is crying too. Oh man am I glad to be a mom. I've always wanted a family so bad.
"Here you go." The nurse says giving me Jr, and giving Nina to Jo. They're so beautiful.
"She so tiny, my baby girl." Jo says. I can tell she's gonna be a daddy's girl. And Jr. Well he's gonna be stuck with me. Gonna be a mommy's boy for sure.
"Ahh let me hold my grandchildren por favor." My mom tells us.
"You want them both, at the same time?" I ask.
"Well of course." My mom says without hesitation.
"Well perfect, because now I have to show you how to breast feed your baby, you are going to breast feed them right?" She asks.
"Yes I'm going to breast feed them." I tell her, I read the Do's and Don'ts before and after giving birth to your child. And breast feeding is one of the Do's.
"Alright so you get a baby, and you hold them properly like this, and make sure they're drinking it and are breathing fine, and are not choking." She tells me. Only 30 minutes and motherhood is already difficult.
"Do you think you got this?" She asks me, waiting for an answer.
"Yeah, yeah I got it." I tell her a little worried if I mess up.
"Alright just call me if you need anything." She says before she walks out. As soon as she leaves another walks in and says she has to take the babies to get tests and stuff. Now that I'm a mom I'm more over-protective.
"You can do the tests in here, thank you very much." I tell her, and give her the I-ain't-fucking-around look. And she knew not to mess with me. So she came back and did all the tests in the room. "Don't you want to sleep, I'll take them so you can rest."
"No it's OK. My boyfriend and my mom are coming, so they can watch them thank you." And then she leaves. I'm not leaving my babies out of my sight.

2 weeks before Jo's POV
"You're drop is in June Jo. The babies are going to be 2 months old. Are you you're gonna do it?" She asks me.
"Yes, it's too late to say 'no' anyways. I don't want you to worry, but don't ever be by yourself, after the babies are here. Always be with someone. Ok." I don't want to tell her that they want the babies. But I have to, she won't believe me.
"Why?" She asks, holding her belly. I have to tell her. Tell her!!
"Guys or girls, are going to try to take the babies while you least expect it. All I'm saying is for you to never leave them out of your sight. Always keep them in your room at the hospital, no matter what. Through anything, if you need to sleep, tell me and I'll watch them, or if I'm not there ask your mom, Jacky, your sister, anyone that's family to watch them." As I told her I saw her eyes getting glassy. She wanted to cry, I knew it! I don't blame her.
"Ok, I will. Please don't come strapped Jo." She tells me, by looks of her eyes I can tell she not playing around.
"I can't promise anything babe. But I can promise that, I'll keep our family safe ok." I tell her as I go and kiss her forehead. I'm not letting anyone get close to my kids. They'll die before they get a hand on them.

Present Mari's POV
Breast feeding is easy, well not both of them at the same time. While I'm breast feeding Nina, I hear my brothers and sister come in. Jacky has Jr because my mom had to go to work, no body can give my mom at least a day off to be with her grandkids. Jo went to go get us breakfast, so he'll be back.
"Hi Mariah." My older sister says. She brought Abigail. I'm so happy to see them.
"Aye, did you get the stuff for the babies man!" I hear my oldest brother David yell down the hall. And I hear my other brother Chris tell back, "Yes man I got it. They're in my hand." Will these boys ever stop yelling, in a hospital with other sleeping babies in it.
"Guys, can you be quiet, Jr is sleeping and Nina was getting there. So can you please shh." I snarl at them. I love that they're all here.
"Can I hold her?" Isabel, my older sister, asks.
"Of course." I say, handing her Nina. Abigail starts yelling "I want to hold her too mommy!"
"Shh, mamí, you don't want to wake her up." Isabel tells her while rocking side to side with Nina. As she she's that, Jo walks in, and is ambushed with handshakes and hugs from my brothers. I start to laugh because he's trying so hard not drop the food in his hands.
"Congrats man!" My brother Chris tells him.
"Thanks." Jo tells him.

1 month ago David's POV
"David can I talk to you?" José asks me. I don't have a good feeling about this. He better not be thinking of leaving Mariah, because if he is I'm going to kick his ass.
"Yeah, sure." I tell him, gesturing we talk outside where we can have privacy.
"I have something important to tell you, and if what I say makes you think I have to leave Mariah, I'll do it for the safety of our kids." He tells me, now waiting for him to tell me.
"Alright what is it?" I ask eager to know.
"I sell you know, and I have a big drop in June, 2 months after the babies are born. I want you to know that they want them. I'm telling you because they're going to get them when we last expect it. I know I can trust you." He tells me. I can't tell him to leave her, because that's not my decision to make anyways.
"Ok. I'll do what I can. Thanks for telling me." I tell him, putting my hand out.
"Alright." He says as we shake hands in a agreement.

Present Mariah's POV
My brothers had their turn with each of the kids. Now it's my nephew and nieces turn to hold them. David's kids, are all boys, the oldest is 8 the middle is 5 and the youngest is 2. Chris' has two boys and one girl. The oldest being a boy is 7 the middle being a bit as well is 4, and the youngest, my niece barely turned one early this month. Then there's Abigail our first niece, she's 5. They all want to hold there niece and nephew. Oh boy, let's hope they don't mind sharing. So they start to sit from oldest to youngest. So they all hold them, and shh each other because they're sleeping, it was cute. They were introducing themselves to them saying I'm "tio/tia (their name)" it was so cute.
"Alright guys we have to go, let's go" lsabel was telling the kids.
"Aww why?!" They all said together.
"Mariah has to get some rest. And we have to go home." She told them. As they each got up they had their little puppy face for them to be able to stay. That doesn't work anymore.
"Vamanos." My mom yells as she's at the door. Now they know they have to listen to their grandma. So they all start running out the door.
"Jo, I'm tired, I'm going to sleep. Watch the kids please." I tell him. He's so great with them. I'm glad he's here with me now.
"Goodnight." He tells me.
At that moment, I didn't know what the future had in store for us, but life is no farytale, life is a real cold hearted truth, where you take in all the bad, and store in all the good, for that good will only last so long, until it's gone for good.