by Eva Morian
Cherish & Simon: The First Year
Written By: Eva Morian & Madeline Watson
Copyright 2018
Chapter 1
June.
Cherish Montgomery was scared. She was a new mother and abandoned. There was a knot coiled tightly in her stomach for various reasons once the nurses told her she had to leave the hospital. Her so-called boyfriend, Todd, was a scumbag. She met him three years prior and left an impression on her naïve, teenage mind. Made her promises and showed her a wonderful life only he could give her away from her wicked, money hungry mother.
After running away, the time between Todd and she were good, for a while, but the tides changed once they found out she was pregnant. The wonderful life she thought she’d experience became tumultuous on good days and unbearable on bad. Never in her life did she think he would abandon her and their newborn daughter. She didn’t think this would happen and he would leave a small, innocent child who was perfect in every way.
She’d spent her standard three days in the hospital, and she saw Todd once. He berated her if she made too much noise as she suffered during his football game. He told her “It can’t be that bad.” when screaming during the all-natural birth she was forced to endure. After all, she didn’t have health insurance and an epidural was just another expense he couldn’t afford. In the end all she went through was worth it because the moment her little girl was plopped on her chest and they made eye contact, she finally understood what true love was.
Todd had left to grab a pack of cigarettes and food. She didn’t expect him back after the first twenty-four hours. When she’d called the hotel they lived in, he’d already packed up and checked out the night she was admitted. He never told her. The nurses continued to ask when the father would return. If he didn’t, they had to be assured someone would come for her and the baby or they’d be forced to call child services. Cherish knew Todd wasn’t coming back, and that she ran the risk of losing the only little person who kept her sane.
She’d wept when alone in the fear that every time one of the women, dressed in bright, sunny colored uniforms, would tell her it was the last time she was able to see her little girl. She didn’t have a job because she wasn’t allowed. In fact, she only found out what state she was in when she signed Jasmine’s birth certificate. She was completely and wholly dependent on Todd and he abandoned them at the first sign of real commitment.
This new mother had cycled through the couple of outfits she could buy her daughter. A deep seed of shame hovered over her head and she broke down each time she redressed Jasmine in an outfit stained with spit up. All Cherish could do was apologize to her helpless love. She wanted to be her mother but, how could she? She didn’t have a roof to go home to nor a penny to her name.
Once the time came for the nurses to wheel her out, she’d made up a lie that she’d just gotten off the phone with Todd and he’d be around. This was the same nurse who advised her what to do when she figured out what a low life Cherish’s boyfriend really was. The nurse knew what would happen and felt terrible. She wanted to help many times but was under legal contract and was unable to interfere with patients on a personal level. She also had mouths to feed. So, she wheeled Cherish out to the pick-up loop, and placed a hand on her shoulder as though to tell her that she would try to hold them off for as long as possible.
That was three hours ago.
Every person who passed by was faceless and shapeless. Tears stung the corner of Cherish’s eyes as she shook her head and glanced from one end of the lot to the other. All hope of Todd having a change of heart vanished. Now it was the waiting game of when they would bring her back, call social services, and start the long process of losing custody. Cherish could’ve told them to call her mother but she would rather her daughter go through the system then live with a woman like her.
A little mewl came from the wriggling bundle in her arms. She looked down at her sweet baby’s face and shushed her. Reaching her hand over to stroke her fingertips along Jasmine’s little head, Cherish quickly wiped the heartbroken tears from her face as they fell; helpless. She could feel the eyes watching her from behind the reception desk. Every time she glanced back, they stared. Losing Jasmine wouldn’t be long now. What would she do when they sent a doctor out to speak to her? What would she say to let them keep her baby even though, feasibly, it was impossible?
Cherish was officially homeless.
Jasmine, overheated and hungry, began to fuss about and Cherish unbounded her to let the heated breeze give her some relief. Fumbling with what she had to do in her seated position, she panicked while struggling with her breast for Jasmine to eat. This little girl wasn’t fond of breastfeeding but Cherish ran out of prepackaged formula after the second night, “Okay baby, okay. Calm down, calm down.” she whispered.
A stern, male voice came from her side, “Ms. Montgomery.”
In her flusterment, Cherish hadn’t noticed the time had come to face the music. Her head snapped up at the man dressed in a security uniform, “Y-yes?” She whispered nervously.
He watched with a sigh as Jasmine screamed out again. Cherish turned her attention back to her daughter and tried to get her to latch on properly. Her shoulders drooped, and he knew this was not going to be a good, nor easy, situation, “I’m going to have to ask that you come with me. I will wheel you.” He stated as he placed his hands on the handles of her wheelchair.
The flick of the brakes caused her to panic, “N-No! I…someone is coming for us.”
The man sighed once again, “Ms. Montgomery, we have known of your situation. We understand this is hard to accept but we do keep notes about each patient here. We have already called the numbers you left on the charge papers. None of them work. You don’t have a proper address either. We have no choice but to call you in. I’m sorry Ms. Montgomery.” He said wheeling her back inside.
Cherish’s body was shaking as she pat on Jasmine’s bottom as she suckled once and released in frustration because she couldn’t get the milk she craved. All these factors overwhelmed Cherish. Tears began to streak down her face and splattered against Jasmine’s blanket, “B-but I…I kn-know someone is…is coming. Just…please. Please, just a little longer!” she pleaded. Cherish held onto Jasmine’s squirming body closely. Her head was lowered to shield the judgmental looks from view. She could feel the eyes from guests, patients, and staff alike as they watched her. Little did they know they were witnessing a woman losing her child, her bearings, and her sanity.
It had been three days since Emily had taken her last breath. Simon Gabot had been through the process of signing off on her release papers, certification of death, life insurance questions, and his son’s birth certificate. The nurses taught him how to take care of Simon Jr. who was named after himself per his late wife’s request. All of it overwhelmed him in the wake of his shattered heart. He felt numb. There wasn’t time to grieve when there was a baby brought into the world.
Simon recalled those moments of Jr. being born. His cries pierced his ears only to be drowned out by Emily’s erratic monitors. Doctors and nurses flocked around her and pulled the curtain to keep her out of his view while she hemorrhaged and bled out. Jr. never got to be held by his mother and she never knew his sweet, pudgy face.
Simon looked down in his arms and stared at the same sleepy face with fresh newborn folds across his eyes. Bubbles formed over his son’s lips all before he yawned. Simon’s throat locked, and the tip of his nose stung. He tried to hold back the tears in his eyes. This was supposed to be the start of the rest of their lives. The family he and Emily talked and dreamed about. Now, he was left to fend for himself in the dark to paren
t a little life. Jr. was the only salvageable part of Simon’s heart. With that thought, he held him a little tighter in his fragile arms. He could feel the stream of tears break free, down his nose, and against his bare wrists. All while Jr. continued to sleep blissfully unaware of the woman stolen from him. Simon looked around the empty hospital room and sighed.
It was time to go home.
With a hearty sniff, he dipped his head down and wiped his face dry against the top of Jr.’s plush cap, “Sorry, son.” He whispered. Standing, he grabbed the bag of things they’d brought and slung it over his shoulder. Making his way to the nurses’ desk to sign out, he passed down a hallway and paused. He heard a voice in distress, one he knew and yet he couldn’t place it amid his battered mind.
Cherish was grilled by a continuous stream of questions. Questions she didn’t have the answer to, “Ms. Montgomery, where is your residence?” The chief physician asked.
She rolled her lips in, “I-I told you. I don’t have a place. I used to live at the Super 8 Motel.” She answered.
“Do you have any relatives?” He asked.
Cherish bit on her bottom lip, “Yes—”
Before she could finish, he interjected, “—What are their numbers?”
“I told you that I don’t know!” She snapped in response.
The man twirled a pen between his fingers, “Ms. Montgomery, you’re not helping.”
Cherish lifted her head, “I don’t know what you want from me! I said someone… someone will be out to get me. They’ve probably already left and you’ve got me in here!” She argued through Jasmine’s cries.
Trying to keep his cool, the chief sighed as he repeated what he had many times before to different patients, “Ms. Montgomery, Mr. Addison hasn’t been to this facility in forty-eight hours. He didn’t leave an address, phone number, or anything else to get in contact with him. He has not made any attempt to contact you nor have you made any phone calls out of your room our records show. Now, since you do not have the means to take care of your daughter, and by law we cannot have you stay here another night. I am forced to call social services to remove your daughter. Then, the police to escort you to the nearest homeless shelter.” He explained.
Cherish stared down at Jasmine. She sucked on the nipple of the premade bottle of formula the staff gave her out of pity. The innocent expression on her daughter’s tanned face caused her to break, “I-I…please.” Her voice cracked. The chief grabbed a tissue box and handed it over while staring at her coldly. Swatting it away, she placed a hand over her eyes and began to cry. She rocked back and forth holding Jasmine close. She had to come to terms that this was inevitable.
Simon scanned around with a turn of his head and saw one woman who stared a door that was slightly ajar. He didn’t feel right in his gut to let it be, so he passed by and peered into the room. He heard the last bit the chief said, and his stomach dropped. He considered his position and wondered if there was something he could possibly do to help. Then came Cherish’s heart wrenching sobs. He had to know who they belonged to.
With a gentle turn and push of the knob, Simon entered the office. His once furrowed and troubled brows rose when he saw someone he instantly recognized. She held onto the baby she was excited to deliver. He knew how much she loved her daughter from how she would talk about her belly. She and Emily. She was a nice young girl and Emily liked her a lot. So much so that she continued to talk about her the morning of Jr.’s birth wondering what happened. Her name was on the tip of his tongue. A sweet and endearing name his wife spoke about after their paths had crossed.
On instinct, Cherish gripped onto Jasmine’s small body. She shook her head and kissed over her baby girl’s face, “I love you so, so, so, so much.” She whispered painfully before kissing her again.
Thinking on his toes Simon spoke, “Cherish. There you are. Thanks for waiting for me. I’m ready to go now. Come on, let’s get you home.” He said flicking his gaze between them.
“W-what?” She whispered turning her head. She rubbed the thick gobs of tears from her eyes. Simon caught sight of her dark features, switched Jr. to his other arm, and approached. He set his hand on the highest part of her back. Cherish’s eyes widened as soon as his face came into view. She had met him and his lovely wife two months prior. They were both pregnant, excited, and happy to bring their children in the world. They were getting along rather well until Todd came and dragged Cherish away; something he did often.
Her eyes looked down to the baby tucked in his arms and his beautiful wife was nowhere to be found. Simon. That was his name. Cherish’s heart sank and a seed of emptiness pitted in her stomach. Her lips parted with a hint of confusion. She stared up at Simon’s eyes and saw they were just as bloodshot as hers. Able to figure out what he was doing, she nodded, “T-thank you, Simon.” she whispered under her breath.
Meeting eyes with the security guard standing behind the chief, he made himself clear that he was there for Cherish, “Could you wheel her to the front? We’ll fill out the sheet and be out of your hair.” He said with an air of confidence. One that came from the many cases in court he’d dealt with over the years.
The chief glanced between them, “I’ll be damned.” He whispered to himself. He couldn’t tell her no. Someone had come forth who knew her by name. By law, they had to release her into the world with the satisfaction that the entire situation had been remedied.
Leaving the room, Simon blew out and instantly questioned what he’d done. His stress levels were at an all-time high but in the back of his mind he couldn’t forget Emily’s voice. Cherish was in ruin and Emily wanted to help her before she was forced away. Now, it seemed like the half decent thing to do in Emily’s memory.
He approached the front desk to sign them out. He looked over Cherish’s discharge papers and saw he would have to use his information as her contact info. Hesitating for a moment, Simon wrote it down. Handing the paperwork back, he waited for Cherish with all she needed. Maybe they could find out what to do next but at this point he wasn’t sure. He was simply acting on a whim.
Cherish kept her arms around her little bundle who’d drifted back to sleep. The nurse wheeled her around to the front with Simon; the stranger. She couldn’t help but look around to see if Emily was waiting in the lobby. A part of her hoped her conclusion was wrong but once Simon dotted the I on his name and turned to walk out, it was very clear that her first hunch was correct.
Simon paused and released a painful sigh as he looked towards the door and saw Cherish waiting for him instead. He approached the nurse who followed, and an awkward silence followed. The nurse offered to hold Jr. while he went around to fetch the car. Carefully, he handed his son to her. His feet felt heavy as he stepped off the curb away from the last place that saw Emily alive.
Once Simon was out of earshot, Cherish stared up at the nurse; the same one who helped her over the past three days, “Thank you.” She whispered to her. The nurse nodded as Cherish stretched her neck, “May I see him?” She asked. She tilted her body towards her so she could see his chubby face. Tearing up in her emotional state, Cherish blew out, “He’s beautiful.” She whispered quickly before glancing down at Jasmine and kissing her daughter’s forehead in wait.
Getting to his black BMW, Simon sat in the seat and caught sight of Emily’s white cardigan. His features distorted as he picked it up and stared. She had griped and complained that a cardigan was too hot for the beginning of June. He insisted she bring it along which she stubbornly agreed. The cardigan still smelled like her and he suddenly felt triggered. Would it be like this for every room he cleaned in their house? Every belonging he had to pack away?
Folding her sweater, he set it down on the backseat with a huff. Simon was overwhelmed with dread as he swallowed the lump in his throat. He drove around to the front where Cherish and Jr. waited. The car came to a stop as he got out and took a hold of his son, “Let me get Jr. in and I’ll help you up, Cherish.” He said going to set his son in the
only baby seat he had. Buckling him in, Simon nervously dusted his hand across his boy’s head.
The nurse bent at the knee and leaned in close to Cherish and Jasmine. She gave Cherish a quick hug on the shoulders before she placed a hand over Jasmine’s little face, “Now you take care of that baby. Do not give up, do you hear me?” She asked in a stern tone.
Cherish nodded repeatedly before she turned to Jasmine, “I promise I will try my hardest for her.” She whispered.
The nurse reached around and grabbed Cherish’s baby bag, “Now, I packed some more formula, extra pads, and some creams you will need, okay? Don’t tell anyone but this is only for you, alright?” She questioned.
Before Cherish could answer, Simon had returned by her side. She passed Jasmine to the nurse as he helped her to her feet. He took her hand and wrapped his arm around her back. Cherish hummed out a soft moan of pain, gripped tightly onto his hand, and shuffled towards the car. She sat down cautiously before landing on the seat with a huff. She was still in a bit of pain since she tore from the strain Jasmine put on her body but, it was worth keeping her without a doubt.
Simon reached for Jasmine and she was placed into his arms. He paused for a moment and stared down at her. She had the cutest little nose and her chin tucked in the sweetest way to her pouted lips. She looked like her mother. Now, where on Earth was her daddy?
Cherish mouthed “Thank you” to the nurse who pressed her fingertips to her mouth before she clenched a fist at her heart. Cherish felt that tell-tale sting in her eyes again. She was quick to wipe her face and held her arms out as Simon approached.
He set Jasmine into her arms before he placed her small bag between her feet on the floor. Cherish took a moment to glance over at Jr. in his car seat. She felt off with him back there by himself. From the outside the car looked like a full and completed family but on the inside was nothing but the pain two strangers shared. With one last look and wave to the nurse, the car pulled away and Cherish was officially on her own. She was able to make her own choices with her daughter in tow but now she didn’t know what to do. Simon gripped the steering wheel as he turned onto the road and drove them home.