A young woman adjusts to and thrives in her 'new normal' of being a double leg amputee and repeatedly pregnant.
Part 2 consists of the following chapters:
Chapter 10 – Responding to Ian
Chapter 9 – Post-partum
After a brief stay in the hospital, mother and baby came home to start their new life together. Jazmyn’s adoptive mother Alyssa stayed with them 24/7 for several days to help her get acclimated to motherhood, and after that was there regularly, sometimes accompanied by Mama Bryana.
However, all of the pregnancy hormones that had been coursing through Jazmyn’s veins for the past nine months had dissipated and were now gone. The effect wasn’t too different than a bad case of sub drop after a subspace experience. Jazmyn was increasingly moody and usually depressed, and seemed to be just going through the motions and surviving rather than relishing her new role as a mommy. Her sex drive had plummeted to zero, and she didn’t want Victor to even touch her, not even to put his arm around her or give her a peck on the cheek. It didn’t help any that she hadn’t had an uninterrupted night of sleep since before she went into labor.
Motherhood was nothing like what it had been hyped up to be, thought Jazmyn to herself. She was miserable, a shell of her former self. All she wanted to do was to be left alone, but she had this baby to take care of, who seemed to constantly want something – to suck on her tender and sore tits, or have her diaper changed, or God knows what else. And everyone kept asking her if she was okay. She had absolutely loved being pregnant, but motherhood really sucked. She couldn’t wait to get pregnant again, but she knew she couldn’t do that for quite a while, and besides, that would just mean taking care of another baby. Unless she carried Ian and Julian’s baby for them. But to do that, she’d have to survive the next year or so of not being pregnant and taking care of this little tit-sucker.
Victor was becoming increasingly concerned about her and made a point of mentioning it to Alyssa, who also had noticed the changes. Alyssa had never had children of her own, but it seemed like post-partum depression to her. She mentioned it to her sister Bryana, who’d been pregnant nine times. Bryana hadn’t seen Jazmyn in several days, but it sounded like a textbook case of PPD to her. She’d had a particularly bad case of it herself after her first pregnancy carrying Jazmyn, Ian, and Kaden, and had learned how to recognize the symptoms and cope with it better after that. Bryana agreed to accompany Alyssa to see Jazmyn the next day.
Bryana didn’t say much and just observed for the first hour or so. Then when Jazmyn had put the baby down for her morning map, Bryana asked her to sit with her for a few minutes. “How’re you holding up, Jazzie?”
“I feel like absolute shit, Mama. This is so much harder than I ever imagined. All I want to do is to be left alone and just cry.”
“Honey, it’s not supposed to feel this way, and it doesn’t have to,” Bryana said to her daughter. “Take it from an old pro. It’s obvious you’ve got a bad case of post-partum depression. I’ve had it several times, but the worst by far was after my first pregnancy. I tried to tough it out, but I couldn’t, and I didn’t need to. When is your follow-up exam with your Ob/Gyn?”
“The day after tomorrow,” replied Jazmyn.
“Good,” replied Bryana. “They’ll screen you for PPD then. Just be totally honest with them. They’ll make sure you get the help you need to get past this. Your doctor might prescribe antidepressants or therapy or some combination of things.”
“Oh, Mama, I feel like such a failure! Why am I not loving this experience? Why do I suck so bad at being a mother?” Jazmyn asked as tears streamed down her face.
“Listen to me, Jazzie,” Bryana said earnestly. “This isn’t your fault, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just something that happens to new mothers sometimes. Your brain doesn’t know how to cope now that all those pregnancy hormones are gone. I think PPD is the same kind of thing as sub drop, and you need help to recover from the sudden change in hormone levels. With help, you’ll get past this, and everything will be fine again. You’ll see.”
Jazmyn kept her follow-up appointment, was diagnosed with PPD, got the treatment she needed, and was able to recover from it and begin to appreciate both her baby and motherhood as she had always expected she would.
Not long after, Victor’s mother Isabella began asking him about their plans to have little Valeria baptized. In Catholic theology, an adult not baptized in the Catholic Church is destined for hell, and the fate of an infant or small child who dies without having been baptized is unknown and dependent on God’s mercy. By Isabella’s reasoning, Valeria was already under a curse that had been passed down through Jazmyn’s family, and so that somehow made it less likely that God would show mercy on her if she died.
Victor told his mother that they had no plans to baptize her; he hadn’t been to Mass in years except at Christmas, and Jazmyn wasn’t Catholic and had only attended any church on rare occasions. They had had a secular wedding, which was another sore point with Isabella. Religion just wasn’t something either of them had any interest in. This upset Isabella greatly, and in her mind she put the blame squarely on Jazmyn, assuming that she must be a bad influence on her son for him to think this way. Valeria would be the only one of her grandchildren to not be baptized, and as far as she was concerned, the one who needed it the most.
Isabella continued bugging, and eventually begging Victor to have Valeria baptized. Eventually, Jazmyn overheard Victor’s half of one of their conversations and asked him about it. “What were you and your mother arguing about on the phone?” she asked him.
“Oh, nothing to worry about,” he replied. “She just thinks Valeria is going to hell because she hasn’t been baptized.”
“I guess she thinks I’m going to hell, too, then,” Jazmyn observed.
“She does, and she thinks I’m going there too, for other reasons, but she’s more worried about her little granddaughter,” replied Victor.
Jazmyn thought about what Victor had said, “I don’t know much about religion,” she said, “but I didn’t think God sent babies to hell. I thought they got a free pass until they were old enough to know better.”
“Well, the Catholic Church says that we don’t know what God does with babies who die before they’re baptized, and so we have to pray that he’ll merciful. But my mother has this notion that Valeria was born without legs because she’s under a curse passed down through your family, and that God isn’t likely to be merciful to someone who’s cursed. In her mind, the only solution is for her to be baptized so that she’s guaranteed to go to heaven.”
“Why don’t we humor her then, and just do it?” Jazmyn asked. “What could it hurt?”
“You don’t understand,” replied Victor. “In order to do that, we have to promise that we’ll raise her to be Catholic, and everyone will take that promise seriously. We’ll be expected to attend confession and Mass regularly, and enroll her in Catholic school or take her to CCD classes when she’s old enough, and the whole nine yards. I don’t want to be obligated to do any of that, and it’s a safe bet that you don’t, either.”
“You’re right, and thanks for not insisting that we do just to placate your mother,” said Jazmyn. “If I ever do start going to church, I want it to be on my own terms. So what are we going to do, then?”
“Just what I’ve been doing; tell her ‘no’,” said Victor. “It’s as simple as that.” But both Victor and Jazmyn knew that it wasn’t as simple as that, and this wouldn’t be the last they heard of the matter.
After six weeks, Jazmyn’s maternity leave was up and it was time to return to work at the coffee shop. But Victor’s employer offered six weeks of paternity leave, and so he used it for the second six weeks of little Valeria’s life, enabling them to delay putting her into daycare until she was almost three months old. Victor had considered not taking paternity leave, as it didn’t seem like a very manly thing to do. But, he’d still get paid and it meant they could save on six weeks of childcare expenses. Plus, it would let him bond with his daughter much more than he could have otherwise. So, in the end it was an easy choice, and Victor was glad he did.
Victor and especially Jazmyn were concerned about how Valeria would fare in daycare, being different than the other babies. Would the staff treat her differently or fail to make accommodations for her? Would the other children, once they got older, mistreat her or exclude her? But every daycare center they considered assured them that they were required by law to accommodate children with disabilities, that they had experience doing so, that Valeria would be easy to care for compared to some of the other disabled children they’d had, and that she would be absolutely no different from the other babies until they started learning how to stand, which could be anywhere from about 7 to 12 months of age. They realized they were just going to have to pick the one they were most comfortable with for now, monitor things as best they could, and re-evaluate should any concerns arise.
Jazmyn continued with the work schedule she would work Saturday or Sunday every other week and get a weekday off instead, and work a shift that went into the evening once or twice a week. When Jazmyn was off work on a weekday, she’d usually keep Valeria home with her so they could have one-on-one bonding time. They still had to pay for all five days, but there were times where Jazmyn had a doctor’s appointment or other plans on her day off or morning off, and she had the option of taking Valeria to daycare during those times as well.
Jazmyn usually started work very early, so Victor would take the baby to daycare on his way to work and she’d pick her up when she got off. Since they needed the minivan to transport the baby, that meant Jazmyn would take the Mustang to work, but she’d have to drive to Victor’s office and switch cars before she could pick up Valeria. After a few weeks of this, it dawned on them that Victor could come to the coffee shop in the morning after he dropped off Valeria and do the car switching there. They both liked that arrangement much better. Jazmyn made sure to have a coffee ready for him and they’d get to exchange a quick kiss before he headed to the office.
Valeria was a happy, active baby and a joy to everyone who spent any time with her, and Jazmyn and Victor were thrilled to see her grow and develop and learn how to do new things.
Chapter 10 – Responding to Ian
Jazmyn had been over her PPD for a while now, and had had time to think rationally about what it had felt like being pregnant versus not. She concluded, not surprisingly, that she much vastly preferred being pregnant. In fact, she couldn’t wait to be pregnant again. Recalling the sensation of new life growing in her body, the sense of fulfilling her purpose in life as a woman, not to mention her increased sex drive; these all practically shouted at her to get pregnant again as soon as possible.
She knew the rules – to keep from getting pregnant again if at all possible for at least six months after giving birth, preferably 12 months, and ideally 18 months. Her mother Bryana had always waited at least 12, despite her near obsession with being as constantly pregnant as she could be. So Jazmyn figured 12 months out should be her target as well. The question was whether to have a second child with Victor or to carry one for Ian and Julian.
She realized that a lot had changed since the last time they’d given consideration to this question. Besides now actually having a child to care for, she was doing it with the twin challenges of being legless herself and her child also being legless. Valeria would of course be a year old when she got pregnant, and 21 months old – nearly two years old – when the next child would be born. Was she up to caring for both a 21 month old and a newborn, or both a two year old and an infant? Her head was telling her that she might be biting off more than she could chew.
On the other hand, if she had a kid for Ian next, and then a second one of her own after that, that would make Valeria 3-1/2 years old when she’d have to care for a newborn again. That sounded way more realistic.
Jazmyn raised the subject with Victor. “I’ve been thinking about it, Victor, and I really want to get pregnant again as soon as I can safely. I love the feeling of being pregnant and much prefer it to not being pregnant. But with the additional challenges we didn’t anticipate, I don’t think I’ll be up to adding a second child to our family that quickly.” Victor knew where this was headed. Jazmyn continued, “So I want to revisit the question about carrying a baby for Ian and Julian in between. Have you given it any more thought since the last time we talked about it?”
Victor replied, “Not really, but I don’t need to; I still feel the same way. You having a biological child with anyone else would feel like you were cheating on me. My head understands the reasons why you want to help them to have a baby, and how you’re the logical person to do it, but I can’t help what my heart is telling me. I’m just saying, I know if you were to do this, it would drive a huge wedge between us, so my answer has to be ‘no’. I’m sorry.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Jazmyn said in response, “because you felt pretty strongly about that before. But what if someone else provided the eggs, and I was just the surrogate mother, not the bio mom? That would let both of us have what we want.”
“I don’t have any feelings one way or the other about that,” said Victor, “so as far as I’m concerned, you can do it if you want.”
“I thought you enjoyed me having a big, pregnant belly,” Jazmyn said, confused.
“Yeah, but it was my kid inside,” replied her husband. “I don’t know if I’d feel the same way if it weren’t. Maybe I would, but I just don’t know. You have to remember, this whole idea of carrying someone else’s baby in your womb is normal to you, but it’s still pretty weird to me. But I do know at least I won’t feel betrayed if it’s not your kid, either.”
“Well, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to talk to Ian and Julian and tell them what we’ve decided,” said Jazmyn. “They’ll need some time to figure out their next steps, and maybe this way they’ll be ready by the time I am if they end up wanting to borrow my womb.”
“Yes, that’s fine,” Victor replied.
So Jazmyn arranged to go and see Ian and Julian and give them the news. “Victor and I have reached a decision about helping you have a baby,” she told them. “Victor is adamant that he doesn’t want my eggs used. He feels that if they were fertilized with another man’s semen and I had biological children that weren’t also his, in his mind it would be the same thing as cheating on him. I have to respect that. However, if you can get eggs from someone else, we’re both okay with letting you borrow my womb for nine months to grow a baby. As a matter of fact, I would very much like to do that for you.”
Ian and Julian exchanged a glance. Ian said, “That’s all well and good, Jazzie, but where are we going to get the eggs from? We want the baby to be as biologically close to being mine as we can, and that means you.”
Jazmyn replied, “You forget that you have five other sisters, Ian, and three of them are adults. Just because you and I shared a womb doesn’t make our DNA any more similar than any of theirs. In fact, of the six of us, I’d say that Paige resembles you the most. You’d probably be more likely to have a kid that resembles you if you used her eggs rather than mine or those of any of the other four.
“You’d have to ask her of course, but I’d suspect Paige would be a lot more willing to donate some of her eggs than she would be to carry your baby for nine months. She’s only 20 years old and I would think a pregnancy would really cramp her style. If that’s the case, then my womb is ready and waiting. I think maybe everyone wins this way if Paige is willing to have her eggs extracted.
“As far as timing goes, Valeria will be a year old at the end of January. I’d like to do it then or as soon as possible afterwards if that fits into your schedule. If everything goes well, that would mean you could be parents in late October or early November next year.”
“I guess that all sounds reasonable,” replied Ian. “Yeah, I kind of forgot about our sisters being just as good candidates as you. We were thinking if you provided both the eggs and womb, there would be no need to extract the eggs; we could just do it via artificial insemination. Using Paige’s eggs and your womb would mean we’d have to do it via in-vitro fertilization, which is more involved and I’m sure more expensive. So I have a couple of questions. Do you have any idea how much more cost we’re talking about? And what’s involved with extracting Paige’s, or anyone’s eggs? Depending on how painful it is and how long it takes to recover, she might not be willing to do it.”
Jazmyn said, “No, I have no idea what it costs. But it would still have to be way cheaper than if you went through a surrogacy agency to find someone like Mama Bryana to carry the baby. She got paid a good amount to carry those babies for other people. I’d do it for you for free. I mean, not completely free; you’d have to pay my medical bills, but I wouldn’t charge a fee on top of that. And there would be no need for a surrogacy agency who would also charge you a fee.
“As far as what’s involved with egg extraction, I looked it up out of curiosity. It’s an outpatient procedure, and they say usually the woman can go back to work or whatever the following day. Yeah, there’s probably pain involved, but we’re talking about for a few days at most.”
“I guess we need to talk to Paige about this, then,” replied Ian. Without explanation, Jazmyn pulled out her phone and obviously began texting someone. After a minute, thinking this to be fairly rude, Ian asked her, “Who are you talking to, Jazzie?” Implied was the question, Whatever this is about, can’t it wait?
Jazmyn replied, “I’m talking to Paige. I asked her if she can come over. She said she’d be here in 15 minutes.”
“Did you tell her what it was about?” Ian asked.
“No, I just said that you and I were talking and her name came up and we had a question for her,” was Jazmyn’s reply. “I asked if she was doing anything right now, and she wasn’t, so I suggested she come over so we can ask her in person.”
“Wow, you don’t waste any time, do you? I didn’t mean we had to talk to her this evening; it’s not that urgent,” said Ian.
It was actually about 20 minutes later that Paige knocked at the door, and Ian opened it and welcomed her in. In the living room were Julian and Jazmyn, who both greeted her. “So what’s going on, guys?” Paige asked, feeling kind of put on the spot.
Ian, trying to be funny and get a reaction out of her, replied, “How’d you like to help us make a baby?”
Paige had no idea how to react to that. It kind of seemed that he was joking, but it kind of seemed that he wasn’t. She decided to treat it as a joke, but she was annoyed that they’d dragged her over here if that’s all it was. “So, what, a foursome with two gay guys and two women, and three of us siblings? How’s that gonna work?”
Jazmyn said to her, “In a way, yeah. Sit down, Paige, and hear us out,” and so she did.
Ian and Jazmyn explained to her what they had in mind. “So what do you think?” Ian asked her.
Paige said nothing for several seconds. “I’m not saying no, but I’m going to have to think about it some before I give you an answer.”
“Of course,” replied Ian.
After a couple of weeks, Paige let them know she’d researched what was involved and was willing to do it. Ian and Julian had already begun looking into what they’d have to do to make it all happen and how much it would cost. It was going to mean a big outlay of cash but they were determined to come up with it somehow. They got the ball rolling to try to make it happen in late January or early February.
One thing they discovered was that it would be slightly more expensive to have two embryos planted in Jazmyn’s uterus than it would one, but not every implantation is successful, so doing so greatly increased their chances of having at least one baby. Also, doing two at once was a small fraction of the cost of doing one now and another one later. Ian texted Jazmyn to get her thoughts on this.
Ian: How would u feel abt carrying twins for us?
Jazmyn: Bring it on! The more the merrier! If Mama could do 5, I can certainly manage 2.
Chapter 11 – Changes
After several months, a wheelchair-accessible house came on the market for sale, and Victor and Jazmyn went to see it. It was entirely on one level, had wide doors and hallways, and extra-large bathrooms. It suited their needs perfectly; the only problem was that it was beyond their price range. Victor insisted that they be able to afford the payments and all of their other living expenses, excluding childcare expenses, on his salary alone, so that Jazmyn always had the option to stop working. Otherwise, they used her paycheck only to save up for vacations and one-time or infrequent expenses like cars or furniture.
Both Jazmyn and Ian mentioned their respective financial predicaments to their parents. Now two out of Cody, Alyssa, and Bryana’s first litter of three needed a cash infusion to fund something reasonable and responsible but very expensive. The three parents discussed it among themselves and with the women’s mutual parents. Alyssa and Bryana had each inherited $1.4 million from their grandparents on their 25th birthday, which had enabled Bryana to pay for her amputations, wheelchair van and lots of other things she needed, and for them to afford to afford a house big enough for 15 people. Ian's and Jazmyn’s current needs were a lot more modest than that.
Cody, Alyssa, and Bryana still had plenty of money left, and money was no object for Alyssa and Bryana’s parents, and they were inclined to help. However, the throuple had twelve children altogether, so whatever they did now would set a precedent for all of the others. The triplets, their oldest, had recently turned 24, but Jazmyn could really use the money now, and Ian would need it in only a few months. After contemplating the situation, the five elder adults decided they would pool their resources and give each of the triplets, including Kaden, $250,000 as soon as they could make the arrangements. They’d give the same amount the other nine kids when they were either approximately the same age or had some significant financial need such as graduate school tuition. The parents had long ago said they’d pay undergraduate college expenses for any of their kids who wanted to go.
Of course, they’d tell their first litter, the triplets, about the windfall they’d soon be receiving. The elder adults also decided they would tell their second litter, the quintuplets, who were 20 years old, about it as well, in case any of them had an inkling to go to medical school or something but didn’t think they could afford it. However, they wanted the money to be kept secret from the third litter, the quadruplets, where were 14 going on 15. There was no reason for them to need to know about this until they were much older. The parents didn’t want them making any bad life choices knowing that they could count on the money they would get in their 20s to straighten things out.
Cody was appointed to let each of the triplets know what was coming their way. Jazmyn, Ian, and their husbands were all very relieved and grateful, of course. Kaden, still in Air Force and now stationed in Germany, had no idea this was coming and was completely blown away. He and his wife Alejandra had also been talking about starting a family, but were concerned about whether they could afford it. It’s not easy for a military spouse to find a job while stationed overseas, so they’d had to get by just on his sergeant’s pay ever since they’d been in Germany. Now those concerns evaporated into the wind.
The next day, Victor and Jazmyn made an offer on the wheelchair-accessible house they were wanting, which was promptly accepted by the seller.
By now, Valeria had learned to crawl, or more accurately, drag herself around with her forearms flat on the floor. Now that she was mobile, they either had to keep a very close eye on her or keep her in her crib or playpen. She was a bit behind schedule in learning how to balance herself when placed in a sitting position, but that was expected since she didn’t have much in the way of legs to steady herself with. Eventually she got the hang of sitting when placed that way and then moving herself into and out of a sitting position. Learning to walk on her hands from a sitting position was going to take a while longer.
A couple of months later, Jazmyn, Victor, and Valeria moved from their now-cramped, one-bedroom apartment into their wheelchair-accessible single-family home. Valeria was very curious about all the packing activity going on the in the apartment, and was especially curious about her new surroundings in the house. She went exploring throughout the house at every opportunity, which meant the parents had to be increasingly vigilant about keeping an eye on her.
Jazmyn and Victor were especially glad to be able to move Valeria into her own bedroom. They finally could be louder and less inhibited in bed now that they were less likely to wake the baby with their activities. It was an adjustment on Valeria’s part, not so much when being put to bed, but when she woke up and her parents weren’t right there in the room with her.
This house had hard floors throughout, which made it easier to get around in a wheelchair compared to the carpeted floors they had in their apartment. Jazmyn quickly realized the hard floors were also ideal for using a skateboard instead of walking on her hands. It was faster and less strenuous, but much more practical than a wheelchair when she spent the majority of her time on the floor with Valeria.
Victor wanted to go home to his family on Long Island again for Christmas. They hadn’t been able to go the previous year due to Jazmyn being eight months pregnant. Jazmyn was apprehensive about going, considering their strained relationship with Victor’s mother Isabella, not to mention the challenges of traveling with a disability as well as with a baby. But Victor was insistent.
That meant the Farris family focused on having Thanksgiving with everyone home and present. Kaden was able to take leave from the Air Force and fly home from Germany with Alejandra. The quints who were away at college also made plans to come home for the long weekend. This was the first time Kaden and Alejandra had met their niece Valeria, and they seemed especially fascinated with her and wanting to spend time playing with her. At Thanksgiving dinner, they announced that they were expecting their own first child in June. By this time next year, Cody, Alyssa, and Bryana would have three grandchildren, one from each of their triplets.
Chapter 12 – Snubbed
The first indication that the trip back to Long Island would not go well was that Isabella made excuses about why they couldn’t stay with her and Victor’s father at his childhood home. Victor’s brother Hector and his wife Natalie didn’t have room for them with four kids of their own and now a fifth one on the way. They ended up arranging to stay with his oldest sister Antonella and her husband Ramiro, who had two boys; Rafael, age 9, and Ramón, age 6.
Both Victor and Jazmyn knew his parents’ house wasn’t wheelchair accessible, with steps required to enter the house and a sunken living room that was two steps down from the rest of the first floor. Come Christmas Eve, it would become way too crowded for a wheelchair anyway. Jazmyn didn’t have a problem with this, because she was perfectly capable of walking on her hands and climbing up onto furniture.
The women in the family were expected to spend most of the day there on December 24, preparing the feast they’d all enjoy that evening, while the men hung out and kept an eye on the kids. When Victor and Jazmyn arrived, they left her wheelchair in the car and she came in on her hands, wearing leather gloves to protect her from the cold pavement and to keep her hands clean. Victor carried Valeria, now days away from turning 11 months old. This was the first time most of them had seen Jazmyn without legs or Valeria at all. Of course, everyone doted over the baby, and Jazmyn had a twinge of jealousy that she couldn’t be the one to carry her into the house. A few people greeted her, but they couldn’t really hug her while she was down on the floor. So Jazmyn headed for the kitchen and climbed up onto one of the chairs, where she’d be more accessible and ready to be put to work, and removed the gloves.
Victor’s mother Isabella had remained in the kitchen, and Jazmyn greeted her, but she barely acknowledged her. After a few minutes, the women who had gone to meet Valeria returned to the kitchen, and then there was no shortage of hugs and well wishes. Then Jazmyn asked how she could help, but Isabella, who was coordinating the effort, didn’t respond. When Victor’s sisters and sisters-in-law asked Isabella what she wanted Jazmyn to do, she said she didn’t have any tasks for her, and when they made specific suggestions, she said that she didn’t want Jazmyn to do those things. It was obvious to everyone that Isabella was doing her best to exclude her, and wanted nothing to do with either her or Valeria. The other women just exchanged glances and whispered apologies to Jazmyn for Isabella’s behavior.
After about fifteen minutes of this, Jazmyn took the hint and went to the living room to find Victor and Valeria. There weren’t any available seats, so she sat at Victor’s feet. Valeria was busy interacting with her cousins on the floor. She could drag herself by her hands and pull herself into a sitting position, but she hadn’t quite gotten the hang of walking on her hands yet. Jazmyn wasn’t interested in the conversation the men were having or in the football game on TV, so she just sat there and watched Valeria as tears ran down her cheeks.
It hadn’t occurred to Victor that anything was wrong, even though he should have realized that Jazmyn should have been in the kitchen with the other women. However, his brother Hector was seated where he could see Jazmyn crying. Hector managed to catch Victor’s eye, and then looked down at Jazmyn to indicate that Victor should do the same. Victor looked down and asked Jazmyn if she were okay, and when she looked up at him and said she was fine, he could see the tears and knew she was lying.
Victor asked Hector to keep an eye on Valeria, and then he picked Jazmyn up off the floor, carried her to one of the bedrooms, shut the door, and sat her down on the bed. He sat next to her and said, “Now, this time I want the truth. What’s going on?”
“Your mother has made it very clear that I’m not welcome here, and if you haven’t noticed, she hasn’t even made the time to greet you or meet her granddaughter,” Jazmyn explained.
“Did she say why?” Victor asked.
“No, she was that way from the moment I arrived. Your sisters and Natalie are just as baffled as I am,” was her reply.
“Okay, I’ll deal with it. You can have my seat in the living room,” said Victor.
Jazmyn told him, “I think I’d rather just stay here, if you don’t mind.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, and she moved herself to a laying position and just looked up at the ceiling.
Victor returned to the living room, picked up Valeria, and went to the kitchen. Isabella was at the stove with her back to him. “¡Hola, Mami! ¡Feliz Navidad!” Victor said warmly as he hugged her from behind and kissed her on the cheek.
“Hello, son,” she said without turning, focusing her full attention on the food on the stove.
“Would you like to meet your newest granddaughter?” Victor asked her.
“Maybe later,” she replied. “I’m very busy now.”
Victor realized this was entirely out of character for her. If his mother had treated Jazmyn this way, it was no wonder she was upset. “Mami, may we go speak privately?” Victor asked politely.
“Not now, Victor,” Isabella said without looking up from the stove.
“Yes, now, Mami,” Victor said much more firmly.
His sister Antonella came over to help. “It’s okay, Mami,” she said. “I’ll take over for you at the stove.” Isabella no longer had an excuse, and so she removed her apron and followed Victor to a different bedroom than the one Jazmyn was in.
Victor closed the door and said to her, “Would you please tell me what’s going on? You’ve barely acknowledged me, I understand you’ve been very rude to Jasmín, and I’ve never known you to not be thrilled to see your grandbabies.”
“It’s nothing,” said Isabella. “I just don’t have anything for her to do right now.”
“Come on, Mami, I can see right through that lie. There’s plenty to do, and it doesn’t explain why you’re ignoring me and Valeria. Out with it.”
Isabella momentarily made eye contact with her son, and then looked down again and said, “You and that wife of yours have brought the curse of her family to our family. Yes, she’s given me another granddaughter, but one with no legs. Your wife walks around on her hands like a monkey, and soon your daughter will do the same. It’s most undignified. And you won’t even allow your daughter to be baptized. What chance does she have that God will be merciful to her when she’s already cursed?”
Victor realized he wasn’t going to be able to fix this with a five minute conversation. All he could do was let his mother know where he stood, and appeal to her to be more civil. “Don’t ever call either of them that again,” he said firmly. “There’s no way to get a wheelchair in here, and you know it. But that hasn’t slowed Jasmín down for a minute. She doesn’t let anything slow her down or stop her. If one way doesn’t work, she finds another way. She came here not to sit on her ass but to work, and you’re denying her that.
“Neither of us sees what’s happened as a curse; we see it as a blessing in disguise. This has transformed Jasmín into the strongest woman I’ve ever known and I have nothing but pride and admiration for her. We’ve both seen plenty of videos of people who were born without legs, and without exception they’ve all said they’re glad they were born that way, because it’s made they strong in ways they never would have been had they had legs. We have no reason to think that Valeria will be any different, and I know I’m going to be just as proud of her and what she’ll accomplish. You’re seeing them both as disabled; as defective; as cursed, but I see them as beautiful and inspiring and amazing.
“So you can continue to act like a spoiled child and make a fool of yourself and everyone else miserable, or you can go back out there and at least be civil and polite to your daughter-in-law who’s done nothing to offend you. And maybe before you do that, you can meet the most amazing grandchild you’ll ever have.”
Isabella had been looking at the floor as her son lectured her, but then she looked up at him and said, “Let me have her,” as she held out her arms. Victor handed Valeria to her grandmother, who smiled and spoke sweetly to her. She handed her back to her father, and asked him, “Where is Jasmín? I didn’t see her in the living room.”
“She’s in the front bedroom,” he replied.
Isabella knocked softly on the front bedroom door and poked her head in. “Jasmín, I have something for you to do in the kitchen now, if you’re willing,” she said.
Jazmyn sat up and replied, “Yes, I am. I’ll be right there.” Isabella had chosen to be civil. Things were still far from being back to normal, but at least this was tolerable to Jazmyn and Victor.
Chapter 13 – Redemption
For dinner that evening, as in many homes, the older adults were seated at the dining room table, the young adults and teenagers at folding tables set up in the living room, and the children at the kitchen table. Two years earlier, Victor and Jazmyn had been given seats at the older adult table despite their age, with the explanation given that he now lived so far away and they rarely saw him. This time, however, that didn’t seem to matter anymore, and they were relegated to the living room. Just another of Isabella’s snubs, they figured, but they chose not to dwell on it and enjoyed their time with the relatives they were seated near. The only problem was that it was more difficult for Jazmyn to climb up into a folding chair without tipping it over, but she managed. They had Valeria in a high chair between them.
During the meal, the children’s banter coming from the kitchen died down and stopped completely. Those without kids eating in there didn’t even notice, but the parents of the kids immediately did, and all stopped what they were doing and exchanged glances. Then Victor’s youngest sibling Ximena, age 12, burst into the dining room with a panicked look on her face. “Something’s wrong with Rafael!” she yelled. “He can’t talk and he’s turning blue!”
Antonella and Ramiro, Rafael’s parents, bolted from their seats in the dining room and ran to the kitchen. There they found him just as Ximena had said, very panicked, not making a sound, and clawing at his throat. Jazmyn also instantly reacted, hopping down from her chair and running on her hands into the kitchen. She was the third adult to get to the kitchen despite having been seated further away than most. She could see that Antonella and Ramiro looked scared and helpless.
Jazmyn ran to where Ramón was seated, next to his brother Rafael, and she said firmly, “Please move, Ramón; I need to use your chair.” Ramón, also frightened, complied, and Jazmyn hopped up on his chair, hastily pushed away the dinner plates in front of both Ramón and Rafael, and got up onto the table directly in front of Rafael. Then she said with authority in her voice, “Ramiro, stand him up and bring him here, facing away from me.”
Ramiro, grateful that someone seemed to know what to do, immediately did so. Jazmyn then reached around Rafael, and performed the Heimlich maneuver on him. Out of his mouth flew a large piece of meat, and Rafael immediately gasped for air, took in several huge breaths, and started to cry.
Ramiro sat him back down in his chair, and his parents got on their knees and hugged and kissed him as they cried, too, asked him if he was okay, and told him how much they loved him. By then, most of the other adults had crowded into the kitchen or were in the doorway trying to see what was going on. Isabella was right up front and had seen everything. She was crying, too.
Seeing that her son was apparently now okay, Antonella turned her attention to Jazmyn, who was still perched on top of the kitchen table, wrapped her arms around her and held her tight, and began crying much louder as she said, “You saved my boy’s life, Jasmín! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! How can I ever repay you?”
Jazmyn hugged her back, and just said to her, “It’s okay. I’m glad he’s okay now. You don’t owe me anything. I only did what any decent human being would do.”
“But you were the only one who knew what to do, and you didn’t waste a second doing it! You were even fast-thinking enough to get up on the table so you could be in the right position.” Antonella said through her tears. “Thank God you were here and you knew what to do!”
“Learning the Heimlich is required training at my job. This isn’t even my first time doing it for real. I once had to use it on a customer,” Jazmyn said.
“Thank God for the person in your company who made it required! Who knows how many lives he’s saved?” Antonella then said.
Isabella recalled that she had come close to telling Victor not to come home this year. If she had gone through with that, her eldest and favorite grandchild would probably now be dead. She felt so completely ashamed of herself for almost having done so, and for treating Jasmín so badly earlier in the day. She was such a foolish old woman, she thought to herself. Victor was absolutely right; Jasmín was indeed a blessing in disguise to the Alvarez family, and she was an amazing, strong woman.
Likewise, Jazmyn had considered asking Victor to take her back to Antonella and Ramiro’s place, and it was only because Isabella invited her back to the kitchen to help with the meal that she hadn’t. In her mind, Victor had saved the day by talking to his mother about her behavior.
With the crisis passed, everyone returned to their places and continued their meal. Antonella, however, first made sure to cut her two sons’ remaining meat into much smaller pieces. Isabella could hardly think about eating anymore. She just sat there in a daze with tears running down her face as she thought about all the different ways things could have ended tragically. After a bit, she excused herself and went to her bedroom to cry and pray.
When Isabella finished and had composed herself, she came back into the living room, where she saw Jazmyn seated on the sofa, with Antonella sitting on her right and holding her hand, and Hector and Natalie standing in front of her and engaged in conversation with her. The seat to Jazmyn’s left was vacant, so Isabella slipped into it and took Jazmyn’s other hand in hers. Jazmyn turned to see who had taken her hand, and was surprised to see Isabella, but she returned her attention to Hector and Natalie. When they finished their conversation, Isabella then addressed her daughter-in-law.
“My dear Jasmín, I am truly sorry for how I treated you earlier today, and for my bad attitude about you ever since you told us about baby Valeria’s missing legs. I’ve been having a big pity party about you giving us a disabled granddaughter, and I’ve been blaming you for bringing what I called your family’s curse to our family. But now I realize how terribly wrong I was about everything. After what happened this evening, I know you’ve brought only blessings to our family, not a curse. You saved my grandson’s life tonight, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful. Victor has never been so happy since he met you, and he’s been no less happy since your accident or since you found about Valeria’s condition.
“I now see that ‘disabled’ is a dirty word, and I’ll never say it again as long as I live. You were anything but that tonight. You were the only capable person in this house, and you proved yourself to be a hero. Victor says you don’t let anything stop you, and I saw that for myself when you didn’t hesitate to get up on the table to get high enough to do the Heimlich properly. I’m certain you’ll teach little Valeria to not let anything stop her, either, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll be able to do, too. Victor told me she’ll be the most amazing grandchild I’ll ever have, and I believe him now.” Tears started running down Isabella’s cheeks. “I can only pray that you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Jazmyn opened her arms and leaned to give Isabella a hug, and Isabella did the same in return. “Oh, Mami, I forgive you!” she said. “I’m just so glad I was here to save him. I’d almost asked Victor to take me back to Antonella’s house earlier today.”
Isabella realized that was the first time Jazmyn had ever called her ‘Mami’, and it sounded sweet in her ears. “I’m so glad you were here, too, mija,” she replied, using the Spanish term of endearment for ‘daughter’. “I almost told Victor not to come home this year. But God had other plans and he knew you needed to be here.”
Antonella, seated on the other side of Jazmyn, then said, “I’m proud of you, Mami, for being able to say that to Jasmín. I know it was a very hard thing for you to do.”
After the midnight Christmas Mass a few hours later, Isabella asked the priest to come over to see her family, as they had news they wanted to share with him. Everyone stayed patiently waiting for him to get freed up, and then he came over and greeted them and asked what was on their minds. Isabella then told the story about how Jazmyn had saved Rafael’s life during dinner that evening.
The priest considered the young woman with no legs sitting in a wheelchair and holding a baby who also had no legs, and remarked, “I’m not at all surprised. More often than not, when the Lord has something big he needs done, he chooses the least likely person, by human standards, for the job. That’s how you know he was really the one making it all happen.”
He then spoke directly to the boy. “Rafael, God must have big plans for you, to have spared your life this evening. Be sure to thank him and also remember your aunt in your prayers.” Then he addressed Jazmyn. “Young lady, you’ve given your nephew – and his entire family – a most precious gift, the gift of life. May God bless you for being his means to prevent a tragedy on this holy night.”