Maria finds out she is pregnant four months after Tony dies. What will she do?
Chapter 1
Finding out…
Maria sat on the edge of her bed and stared out the window. It hadn't been that long ago since Tony had been in that bed with her, loving her, telling her how they had their whole futures to plan together. She rested both of her hands on her belly, trying to feel the only bit of Tony she had left in the world, that and her memories.
Her parents had no idea about the baby, and they never would. The doctor however had confirmed it, she was most certainly pregnant. Her mother and Anita had assumed she had just had a minor flu bug, since she had gotten morning sickness only once, but Maria knew full well what it was.
She packed her largest clothing and planned for a trip someplace else, she wanted to live someplace nice, classy. She could see herself married to a nice wealthy man, one who loved and adored her just like Tony did. Every time she tried to imagine that however, Tony's face would show up and she wouldn't know what to do. She would frown and think back to the months before and realize that she had lost the love of her life, at least she thought she had.
But she knew that there was life after Tony, it might take awhile to find its way to her, but it did exist and she didn't want to give up hope. This child was going to be her everything, it was going to mean the world to her, she was going to make it.
She left her parents a short but sweet letter that read:
Dear Mama and Papa,
I am writing to let you know that I am pregnant, and no, the baby is not all Puerto Rican. In more ways than one I betrayed the family. I fell in love with the boy that killed my brother and I am now pregnant with his baby. I am going to go now, forever, and raise my child. I will somehow contact you whenever we move, and if you would like to be apart of his or her life, then just let me know. I still love all of you.
Love,
Maria
She left the note on the table and left for the train station, heading for only God knew where. But her train ride wasn't as peaceful as she had expected. An elderly woman from Mexico came and sat next to her.
"Hola." The voice was an old and semi deep one.
"Hola." Maria replied.
"Do you know where you are going?" The woman asked her gently.
"No idea." Maria replied.
The woman nodded and reached into her bag. She pulled out an envelope. She pulled out a picture. "Its me, back in Mexico, when I was younger." Her hair was tied up in a bun and she stood with a mule in the background. She was smiling and feeding the animal in the photo.
"Your lovely." Maria told her.
The woman smiled, her wrinkles not showing too badly as she had aged very well. "I was young, young and very in love." She told her.
"Really?" Maria asked. "With who?"
"A young boy from Spain, Don Juan." The woman told her. "My papa hated him. He was too white and he wasn't like us. But then, I got pregnant by Don Juan. I never told papa. Don Juan and I went away, and we tried to make our life together. Eventually, war broke out and he left me and our son, Mario to join the men over there. He never came back." Her eyes went to a far off place right then. "He wasn't even from the US, but he still felt it was his duty to protect Mario and myself."
"That is a very familiar story to me." Maria told her. "I was in love with a boy named Tony. He was Italian, handsome, and part of a gang called the Jets." She began. "He was killed by my betrothed and I was left all alone. Now, I am pregnant and I have no idea what to do, where to go, and his child is one of my only memories of him."
"Go to a town called Atwater, it is just outside of the big city. There are just a few South Americans and Hispanics there, but they are friendly and you will be welcomed with open arms. Everyone has a story there, and it is a very safe place to raise a child." The woman told her.
"Gracias." Maria smiled at her gratefully.
"De nada." The woman replied. Her stop was next and she said a kind "Adios" to Maria as she exited the train. Maria thought about Atwater, yes, she was going to go there.