Marked at Birth


 
 
 
 
 Table of Contents
 
 Title Page
 
 Copyright Page
 Dedication
 Acknowledgments
 Prologue
 Part One
 Chapter One - Isabella Pigmore (Bella)
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Chapter Ten
 Chapter Eleven
 Chapter Twelve
 Chapter Thirteen
 Part Two
 Chapter Fourteen - Maurice Osbourne Jr.
 Chapter Fifteen
 Chapter Sixteen
 Chapter Seventeen
 Chapter Eighteen
 Chapter Nineteen
 Part Three
 Chapter Twenty
 Chapter Twenty-one
 Chapter Twenty-two
 Chapter Twenty-three
 Chapter Twenty-four - Isabella Pigmore
 Part Four
 Chapter Twenty-five
 Chapter Twenty-six
 Chapter Twenty-seven
 Chapter Twenty-eight
 Chapter Twenty-nine
 Chapter Thirty
 Chapter Thirty-one
 Chapter Thirty-two
 Epilogue
 Discussion Questions
 
 
 
 Acknowledgments 
 My life has encompassed moments of being bruised but not broken, shaken but not defeated, wounded but not conquered, and through it all, Lord, you gave me the words to write this compelling story. I love you and thank you. 
 Many thanks to you, readers, for reading this book and thus supporting what I do. It’s because of you that I write, and I hope that the message of this story uplifts you and has a lasting impact on you. 
 
 
 Epilogue 
 “Mommy! Look at me.” Gabby, five years old, twirled around in her pretty pink dress with white patent shoes and white socks. Her hair was parted into two side ponytails with big pink ribbons the same color as her dress. 
 “You look so pretty, baby.” Bella beamed at her daughter, and Gabby ran and wrapped her little hands around her mother’s legs. 
 “There are my girls.” Maurice came out of the adjoining bathroom, adjusting his tie. 
 Gabby dashed over to him, and he picked her up in his arms. “Who’s this little princess?” 
 “Princess Gabby!” Gabby laughed, twisting, and turning as her father tickled her tummy. 
 “Okay you two,” Bella said. “We’re going to be late for church.” 
 Maurice lowered Gabby to the ground and walked over to Bella. “I guess we better get going, first lady.” He wrapped his hands around his wife’s waist, gave her a big kiss followed up by butterfly kisses all over her face. 
 Bella giggled. 
 Gabby peered up at them with a frown on her face and said, “Yuck.” Then she ran from the room and down the corridor with Tuff following her. 
 “Grammy Mattie,” the couple heard her shout. “Mommy and Daddy are kissing again.” 
 “Come, baby. Those two have absolutely no shame,” Mattie remarked loudly for her voice to travel into the master bedroom. “Gabby and I are waiting by the car.” 
 In the bedroom Maurice and Bella chuckled. 
 Maurice fell to his knee in front of Bella and said, “And how are you, MJ?” He kissed Bella’s swollen tummy, then gently rested his head against his unborn son. “Your daddy can’t wait to see you.” 
 “And your mommy too,” Bella added. 
 “And your big sister.” Maurice replaced his head with a hand. As if the baby had heard his father’s voice, he kicked. 
 “Hey, little baby.” Bella placed a hand over her husband’s. “I think he heard us.” 
 “Yes, he did,” Maurice said as he stood to his feet in front of Bella. “He’ll be here before we know it.” His eyes sparkled with happiness, his big grin revealing his thirty-two pearly whites. “What did I do for God to be so good to me? Huh?” 
 Bella locked eyes with him, a testament of how far she had come over the last few months, and replied, “I think he’s giving you double for your troubles. After everything we’ve been through, He brought us here together.” 
 “Maybe you shouldn’t come to church today, darling.” Maurice peered intently at his wife’s face. “We’re expecting our son in less than two weeks and you know Dr. Morris said he could come earlier.” 
 “I feel fine,” Bella told him. “MJ is going to wait. Don’t worry. Plus, Gabby is singing with the children’s choir, and I want to see her.” 
 Maurice hesitated for a few seconds, then bobbed his head. “Okay. I guess there are worse things than me delivering our son at church.” 
 Bella playfully slapped his arm, picked up her handbag off the bed, and walked out of the bedroom, with him following behind her. 
 As they went down the stairs together, Bella felt a sharp pain in her stomach and took a deep breath. 
 “What’s wrong?” Maurice asked. 
 “I felt a pain but it’s . . . ahhh.”” Bella bent over and groaned deep in her throat. 
 “You’re having contractions.” Maurice lifted Bella in his arms and took her to the bottom of the stairs and out to the veranda. “Stay right here while I run and get your bag. Mattie. Gabby. The baby is coming,” he yelled to the occupants of the van in the driveway before dashing back inside the house. 
 Soon another bout of pain sliced through Bella’s body. She felt liquid running down her legs and knew her water broke. 
 “Your water broke,’ Mattie remarked as she hurried onto the veranda. 
 Gabby’s eyes were large in her head. 
 Bella awkwardly leaned down and kissed Gabby on her forehead, one hand on her huge stomach. “Your brother doesn’t . . . Lord, have mercy.” She clenched her teeth as a wave of pain surfed through her stomach. 
 “Okay, we’re ready to go.” Maurice was breathing heavily when he came back. He saw the puddle on the floor and said, “Oh, your water broke. Come on, let’s go.” He scooped up Bella again in his arms. “Mattie, can you please bring the bag for me?” 
 He placed Bella on the back seat of the van, so she was almost lying down on her back, her feet dangling off. He closed the car door and took the bag from Mattie, placing it on the front passenger