Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 59671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
“Don’t eat all the fucking chicken.” Elliot snatches the tongs from him.
“We were thinking….” His voice trails off, causing Elliot and me to look up at him.
“Did it hurt?” Elliot mutters dryly. “Spit it out.”
“We want Emily to be your surrogate.”
My knife and fork hit the plate with a clang. “What?”
“I’ve had four kids; we are finished. My uterus can hold a pregnancy and I have easy labors,” Emily says. “I can do this for you guys. Let us do this for you.”
The earth spins beneath me.
Elliot stares at her, shocked to his core.
“I couldn’t….”
“Yes you could.” Jameson cuts me off. “I know if the shoe was on the other foot, you would do it for us.”
We stay silent, unsure what to say.
“We all know that we couldn’t trust a stranger to be a surrogate, it’s too risky,” Jameson continues. “Let us do this for you.”
Elliot’s eyes search his.
“Your embryo implanted into Emily’s uterus; it will be your child.”
“I’ll just be the oven.” Emily smiles as she takes my hand over the table. “We can do this, guys, it’s at least worth a try.”
Tears well in my eyes. “This is the most selfless act of love I’ve ever heard of. Thank you so much for the offer…but...”
“It’s worth a shot.” Elliot cuts me off. “Kate…let’s think on it before you dismiss it.” He smiles softly at me over the table and for the first time in a long time.
Hope has returned.
Elliot
The phone rings on my nightstand and I wake with a start, I glance at the clock: 2am.
Fuck.
I scramble to answer it, “Hey.”
Jameson’s deep voice sounds down the phone, “She’s in labor.”
My heart drops, “Is she okay?”
Kate sits up with a start, “What’s happening?” She mouths.
“Yeah, she’s a pro at this.” Jameson replies. “Been going for about an hour, she’s ready to go to the hospital. I’ve called ahead, they are expecting us.”
My stomach twists into knots, this is it. Emily is nine months pregnant with our baby, tonight’s the night.
“Okay, meet you there.”
“Alright.”
He hangs up but I stay on the line, because while I stay here on the phone nothing can go wrong.
“What's happening?” Kate asks.
I need a minute.
“Emily is in labor. Have a shower babe, then we will head down to the hospital.”
“Okay.” Kate gets into the shower and I march to the guest bathroom and throw up.
Violently.
If something goes wrong, I swear to god……..
I’m bent over the toilet and Kate’s reassuring hand goes to my back, “It’s going to be okay, babe.”
I nod, unable to say anything. Barely able to breathe.
“Relax.”
I nod, feeling stupid. Poor Emily is going through labor and I’m over here throwing up in sympathy like a wimp.
Kate quickly showers while I try to pull myself together and half an hour later we arrive at the hospital.
It’s already been arranged that we can go into the birthing suite and we’re ushered straight through.
We walk into the room and Jameson’s face lights up, “Hey, here they are.” He’s calm and relaxed, obviously a pro at this too.
“Hi,” Em smiles.
Emily and Kate hug.
I kiss Emily on the cheek and push the hair back from her face, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She smiles, she screws up her face, “Here comes another one.”
I step out of the way and as Emily pants, the room spins, my panic sets in.
Jameson holds her hand and talks calmly to her, she gets through the contraction and nerves roll my stomach, I’m going to throw up again.
What the fuck?
“I’m sorry guys, I just …. I don’t think I can watch Em go through this.”
Jameson chuckles. “She’s okay.”
“No.” I shake my head, “This is….. you need to be here with her, I can’t ….. this is not for me…. Emily is….. “
“It’s okay Elliot.” Em smiles.
“I’ll wait outside.”
Kates eyes search mine, “Are you sure?”
I nod, “I’ll be just outside that door.” I kiss her, and then Emily and hug Jameson.
Then I run outside and throw up again.
I pace up and down the corridor.
Four hours, four hours of a literal hell.
Poor Emily.
I don’t know what the fuck is going on in there but it’s taking forever.
The door bursts open and Jameson comes into view.
“Come, last push.”
“What?” I gasp wide-eyed.
He grabs me and drags me into the room, “Stand up that end.” He positions me behind Emily and I stand still, frozen on the spot.
“Last push Emily.” The midwife says, “Let’s do this.”
Emily strains and pushes and I put my hands over my mouth.
Oh my fucking god.
“That’s it, baby.” Jameson smiles, “That’s it, it’s coming.”
The baby slides out and my eyes widen, the doctor picks it up and rolls it over.
“It’s a little girl.”
“Waaaaaa.” The baby screams.
My vision blurs, and Kate starts to cry.
Emily and Jameson too.
The nurse wraps the baby and holds it up, “Pass her to her mom and dad.” Emily smiles.
The nurse passes her to Kate and I screw up my face in tears as I put my arms around the two of them.