3. AUBREY

AUBREY

I stared at my brown haired reflection, a small smile forming in the corner of my lips. To me, this marked a new beginning, a new Clarrisa. Denise and I just arrived at Aurora springs two months ago, it was as far as we could get from New York.

The hairdresser just finished styling my short layered bob, Denise insisted that me cutting my hair was too drastic, but I was eager for a change, in every way possible. Here, I decided to go by the name Aubrey, that way I was certain there was no way on earth anyone from my past could reconnect.

As we stepped out of the salon, the crisp chilling air crashed against our faces. "Hold up Rissa!" Denise called from behind me.

I turned out, "it's Aubrey," I said through gritted teeth. She shrugged.

"That's going to take a while to stick, sorry."

I rolled my eyes. Denise and I decided to open a boutique so that the money wouldn't go to waste and we could get a sustainable source of income without having to work for someone.

Today was going to be the official launching of our boutique, we printed out so many fliers which we distributed by hand to people. We'd been sharing fliers since yesterday. So much that my feet hurt from all the standing and walking about.

The red ribbon stood between us and the entrance to the store, I had the scissors within my grasp and I was eager to use it. "I appreciate you all that made it for the launching, for today, and the next three days, everything is fifty percent off!" She announced.

The crowd erupted into cheers. I stretched my hands, gesturing for Denise to take them and come stand beside me. "C'mon put your hand over mine!" I squealed excitedly.

The countdown started and we cut the ribbon. The camera man we hired, captured the moment.

We watched as our very first customers pushed open the door, trooping into the store to patronize us. I smiled, thinking of how far Denise and I had come.

Suddenly my vision became hazy, as the faces before started to blur. It felt as though the ground beneath my feet was moving. My knees buckled under my weight as I leaned against the counter. "Are you okay!?" I heard her voice ring.

"Aubrey!" Her voice resonated within my mind as my eyes closed and darkness engulfed me.

I cracked my eyes open, only to find myself in a white room. The smell of antiseptic quickly wafted into my nose. I turned my head and found Denise looming over me, a glint of worry in her eyes. She grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently. "You're finally awake," she said, stroking my hair.

The door clicked open and we shifted our gazes to the doctor. I tried to sit upright but she wouldn't let me. "Hey Doc! What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing, except that she's pregnant. Congratulations Miss Aubrey."

I felt as though blood suddenly drained from my face, if I could faint again, I would've. My eyes widened as Mr. Frost's image flashed in my mind.

"From the reports, you're about two months pregnant. Just make sure to take care of yourself and avoid stress as much as you can."

I nodded slowly, trying to stop myself from crying on the spot. Why now? Why me?

We waited for the doctor to turn around and leave, before Denise pulled me into a hug, "is it his?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. I nodded.

She rubbed circles into my back and before I knew it, tears started to run down my face. "You're going to get through this," she assured.

I nodded, swallowing the lump that was forming in my throat as tears blurred my vision. I sucked my lower lip, wiping the tears off my cheeks with my sleeves.

There was no way in hell I could tell Cole about this, not after he made it explicitly clear that I should leave his life and never ever return. This child was mine and mine alone, and I was going to shower it with all the love in this world, so much that Cole's absence wouldn't even be noticed.

After they were sure that I was okay, they discharged me. Denise made sure that I was eating healthy, she got a couple of recipes from the internet and prepared them. At some point, I began to worry about being overfed.

Most of the time in the boutique, she handled most of the clients while I just sat behind the counter, manning the register. She wouldn't even let me move an inch, not even to go return a dress a customer decided they weren't buying anymore.

She treated me like an egg and even though I often complained that she was doing too much and that I was pregnant and not sick, I still appreciated her.

The rest of the months leading to my due date flew by fast. I was getting dangerously close to

too soon, that Denise and I even begun to practice the easiest way to get out of the house quickly when it was finally time. None of us expected it to be on a random Sunday morning, six days before my due date.

As I tightened my grip on Denise's hand and strained to breathe, my face twisted in agony. I felt like I was being torn apart from the inside with the constant contractions. When I suddenly felt warm fluid gushing between my legs, I knew my water had ruptured.

As she assisted me in grabbing the backpack we had painstakingly packed with everything we would need for this situation, Denise's eyes brightened with a mixture of joy and panic. The car keys jingled in her shaking palm as we hurriedly left the house.

The ride to the hospital was a blur. Each bump in the road sent waves of agony through my body. I squeezed Denise's hand until my knuckles turned white.

As soon as we arrived, they whisked me away on a stretcher, the cold linoleum floor of the hospital hallway passing beneath me in a blur. The lights overhead flickered, and the smell of antiseptic filled the air.

In the maternal ward, they urged me to push, and I obliged, pushing with every ounce of strength left in me. The pain was excruciating, and I felt as though I were on the brink of exhaustion.

And then finally, I pushed the baby out. I saw the nurse holding my daughter. Tears of relief and joy filled my eyes. But that joy was short-lived.

The nurse's alarmed voice pierced through my haze of pain. "Doctor, the baby isn't breathing."

I forced my weary head to turn, trying to make sense of the chaos. Panic seized my heart as I watched the medical team scramble to resuscitate my fragile newborn.

"Get the oxygen!" the doctor screamed, his voice tinged with urgency.

I couldn't comprehend what was happening. "What's going on?" I asked, my voice quivering, I noticed the limp form of my baby, from the corner of my eyes.

The room seemed to spin, my strength waning as I clung to consciousness.

________

SIX YEARS LATER…

There wasn't much the doctor could do about my daughter's condition, all the money I got from Cole went in for her treatment.

Purity was now six years old, she was one of the most agile kids I've ever met, undeniably. But the condition she was born with has plagued our life with problems.

It still felt like it was just yesterday when I was seated in the doctor's office, my resuscitated newborn secured within my arms while Denise stood behind me. They told us she had a congenital heart disease, and the surgery would cost thousands of dollars.

It was at that very moment that I felt my world shatter into a million pieces, one thing I knew for sure was that I would never give up on my child. Shortly after Purity's birth, Denise and I had to be on our toes, the medical bills were choking and we had to keep coughing out more money for medication to support her weak heart.

The first year was rough, I could barely sleep. The fear of something happening to purity while I was asleep always gripped me. During this time, I was mostly at home and Denise was the one running the boutique.

Eventually deciding not to be an added burden, I started a home food delivery business, it was one that allowed me to stay at home and cook while keeping an eye on purity. I put the car Denise and I had purchased earlier on to good use when it came to delivering the clients orders while Denise sat in the backseat. That was until she started school and then I had to sell the car too.

We had eaten so deeply into our capital for the boutique business that the store was scanty, we didn't have that many products to put on display. We've been having fewer and fewer customers by the day. In fact, I think my food delivery business was bringing in more income than the boutique.

Denise and I concluded on selling it, we're still in the process of finding someone that would buy it off at the right price. Many years back, I thought that kind of money would change my life, but here I was, still struggling to put food on the table.

Sighing, I walked home after a long day, and my clothes billowed as the evening air teased them. The house wasn't too far from the restaurant I just finished working in, so I decided to walk instead. I pushed the door to the apartment open and I'm met with the view of Denise helping Purity with her homework.

Deciding not to disturb them, I sneaked into my room. I would reveal Purity's birthday surprise tomorrow.

*****

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you…" Denise and I sang in unison, with a small neatly decorated sponge cake that I'd made overnight in my hands. Denise quickly put on Purity's party hat and lit up the candle.

"Go on baby, make a wish!" I urged.

She closed her eyes and blew out the candles. "Did you wish for… these!" I quipped, bringing out the tickets and dangling it around her. "Three front row tickets to see Trent!" I explained.

Her face beamed with a big smile as she jumped on her tiny toes. "No, I wished that God would make my weak heart stronger."

An awkward silence fell upon us and Denise and I shared a look. "But seeing Trent was my second wish!" She said joyfully, lightening up the mood. "Thank you mommy!"

"You're welcome."

Denise stared at me suspiciously throughout, though, despite putting up a show in front of Purity. I knew I had a long talk coming, but I was bent on keeping it short.

"I'm all ears," I said as soon as Purity disappeared into her room.

Denise sighed, "It's not that I have a problem with you spoiling Purity or anything, but front row seats to go see Trent? I know how expensive those front row tickets can be! You know how many bills we have to sort out, I don't think it's practical."

I let out a deep breath, "I know and I'm sorry, but I couldn't let this slip by, I want her to feel special on her birthday and I know how much she loves Trent."

"I know but…"

Standing up, I told her, "I want my daughter to be happy, Denise, I do not care for the buts." And with that, I tapped her shoulder and exited the living room as well.

In retrospect, spending 500 bucks each for early concert tickets wasn't really the best thing I could do for us financially, but this was the first time Purity would be doing something this epic on her birthday and I was willing to make it count.