CHAPTER 9

"You're back." Evans said, staring at the man standing in her lounge. Audrey had just let him in her office. "I've closed for the day; you know."

"I'm sorry. I'm in a bind here too." Jason spoke in hushed tone. "We need to talk. Can we do that here or...?"

Recalling last night incidence, she chose her office, "Here."

"Perfect. I brought wine."

"I'll pass." she smiled still thinking of last night. She walked him to the corner where they had good view and sat. "So, how may I help you?"

He opened the wine even though she didn't want to drink so she went to get two glasses and a bottled water for her. He poured himself the wine and filled her glass with water. Then he handed it over to her.

"We needed a surrogate when my wife couldn't give birth." He said, launching into a story that was obviously painful to talk about. "That was before she had three miscarriages and we found out she was having womb cancer."

"Oh my God." Evangeline said, before she could caution herself. Her hands instantly covered her mouth to suppress whatever she had been about to say, knowing he didn't like that.

"It's okay." He smiled painfully and took a sip. "When it was obvious she couldn't give birth, she wanted adoption but I couldn't do that. I didn't want to. So she let me be. Then she came up with surrogacy. We wanted a child of ours. My sperm. Her eggs. It was not to be." He swallowed a gulp again and she reached for her water too suddenly wishing she could have the drink.

He saw her looking at the wine. "Want some now?" He asked. She nodded and he turned the water in the hand wash bowl just a few steps away and filled her glass with wine. She thanked him and sipped slowly.

"Surrogacy become the next option. She was okay with the child being mine. She was going to love her. Or him." He sniffed loudly. "But we agreed to do the selection locally. No strange online egg donors or surrogate mother. It had to be someone we picked."

He drank his whole cup this time. "When she suggested you as our surrogate, I didn't want burden you with such. But she can be quite persistent. She made Doctor Tom and I promise to at least inform you and have you turn us down than not saying anything."

So that's how Doctor Tom became involved in all these, Evans noted mentally.

"She started falling sick right after. There was no time to pick anyone. But she never gave up. It was her dying wish that I let you know soon."

"I'm sorry you lost her. She must have loved you so much." Evans said, reaching out to pat his hands. He watched the hand.

"She loved me, as I loved her." He stood up to leave. "I'll give you time to think about it. It doesn't matter what your answer is. I'll respect your decision." He said.

"Okay, I'll get back to you." She said standing up too.

"Can I take you home?" He offered.

"You can just tail me home. It's pretty late."

"Okay." He said and they both set out. She locked her door and went with him to the park.

The next day, Evans was in Miami to see her sister. "What couldn't we talk about on phone?"

"Surrogacy." Evan blurted out. She had come to Miami to let her sister know about the proposal and to see Doctor Tom about the procedure. Last night, she had deliberated all night about it. She was becoming excited about it really. "What will you say if I tried surrogacy?"

"I'm lost."

"I mean if I became a surrogate mother."

Adriana sighed heavily, "I'd ask if you are alright. Is this some kind of emotional breakdown? Are you not over Logan yet?"

"I'm okay, really." She smiled to sound convincing. "Okay here's the thing." She went into the full story of the Valdez.

"And you're considering doing this?" Adriana asked having listened to the whole story. She didn't know what to make of it.

"It's going to be my child too. His sperm, my eggs." She explained.

"This makes me want to throw up," Adriana teased, "You'd be having a baby. Your baby!" She said excitedly.

"The baby is not entirely... mine. I don't know why you're getting so excited" Evans teased.

"Wow... Mom's going to freak out."

"Please don't tell her. Until it's done, that is."

"Sure," Adriana promised "She's sure will faint. I'll let you do the honours."

CHAPTER 10

Doctor Tom was excited to see the young Swiss lady. "I see you've made up your mind to do it then," he beamed at her. Evangeline smiled and informed him her reason for coming had nothing to do with that.

"I want to know the procedure and..."

"Say no more." The good doctor said and he walked her to the hospital's laboratory. As they walked down the hallway, he pointed out. "There's no hassle to surrogacy. It's like borrowing a womb to keep your child for 8-9months.

Mrs Valdez wanted a gestational carrier where pregnancy is through IVF. But her eggs were not viable. So, they opted for the traditional surrogate and that's you. You are the donor as well as the womb. Mr Valdez' sperm will be introduced to your viable eggs. Should you accept to be the surrogate, we will run several tests. Other than the logical ones; STIs, health screening, genetic disease and physical capability, the couple requires additional tests."

"Such as?" Evan asked having a second thought about it all.

"Oh, just a few mental processing tests." The doctor stuttered slightly and Evan raised her brow, "I mean IQ."

"Really?" She threw her head back and laughed heatedly. "Let me guess, Mr Jason insisted on this, right?"

"Well..." the doctor refused to divulge the information.

"I knew it!" Evan announced proudly. The doctor's silence only confirming her suspicions. The doctor suddenly stopped, and opened a door. "The lab?"

"Yes." He replied. Stepping closer to a particular tool, he explained. "These are the equipment we use."

"This is for the egg extraction from the womb." He noticed her flinch. "Scared of the needle?" He smiled, "Relax, it doesn't take a minute. We'd be in and out before you even realize it."

"Should I choose to do it," She clarified.

"Yes, should you accept to." Then he went on to show her the sperm collecting tube. "This here is where the intending father dumps his sperm for us." He made a jerking motion, his hands lowered to his torso for effect.

Evan laughed getting the drill. "When we run the tests, and certifies both usable, we then create the miracle which is the embryo."

He showed her a big glass like container that looked like an hour glass. "Here's what holds the growing synergy. The egg and the sperm becoming one."

Evan touched the glass and marvelled at the whole procedure. "After a while, we can now transfer the baby to the womb. A successful procedure results in pregnancy."

"Wow." She breathes it in. "How long is all these to take?"

"A few days and then we wait to see if the procedure was successful or not. If it is, good. If not, we try again depending on the mother of course and the agreed contract."

"Well, thanks doctor. This has really helped." She spreads her hands out, pointing at the instruments. "You explaining it all, thank you. I'll think it through a little more and get back to you."

"Great. I'll let Jason know you stopped by." He smiled and they began to go back.

"Does he have to know? I wouldn't want to raise his hope. Should I decide not to.... you know."

The doctor nodded, "I get it. Take your time."

Evan thanked him again and was out of the hospital. She made a quick stop at the lake by their old house. A place she hadn't been in forever. The place looked deserted and serene, exactly why she had come. Needing to clear her head, she sat down and let her legs dangle in the cold water.

There were a lot of questions racing through her mind. Questions she couldn't ask anyone but herself. She wished she could talk about it with someone. Anyone. Nobody came to mind. If she agreed to this, she wouldn't only become a mother, she would have changed the course of her life.

Was it going to be worth it? She was agreeing indirectly to become a baby mama as she intends to be in the child's life too. How would that affect her and Jason? The man was obviously still mourning and doing this only as a death wish. What if he isn't committed to it? Something tells her he would. He does seem like a devoted husband to his dying wife. Would that make him a great dad? And most importantly, what kind of relationship would she have with her child's father. She would deliberate further on it before agreeing to this. That decided, she stood up and called Audrey to let her know she would be spending the weekend with her sister.

Once decided that she would be the surrogate, Evangeline wasted no time in informing Doctor Tom. He had taken the news happily as expected. He told her he would let Jason know and all morning, she had waited to hear from him.

CHAPTER 11

Every ring made her look up, thinking the caller would be the new father-to-be. She gave up later in the afternoon when she hadn't heard anything from him. He was obviously not into the game.

This had been a dying wish after all. She felt a little disappointed. When she closed for the day later in the evening, too tired to cook, she had driven herself to her favourite Cafe for dinner and went home. There was a car parked at the garage and she wondered who it was. Just as she walked to the car, the door opened and Jason stepped down from the backseat. Evan stepped back, surprised.

"I've been busy." He said, swinging the door open so she could see the papers on the seat.

That must be the reason for his silence. She suddenly felt excited to know that, "Okay," she replied, casually.

"But I had to come." To his driver he said, "Give us a minute, Sam." Then he closed the door.

"We should talk." He said to Evan, "Your place please."

He followed her to the elevator and they were on their way to her apartment. It felt strange standing here in a confined space with him and having nothing to say. Whatever he had to say must be so serious he had to come down here. She tried to read his face from the corner of her eyes. He was unreadable. His face gave nothing away. At her door, he watched her open it and tried hushing a laugh

"That lock needs to be changed. It was too easy to unlock. I can have someone fix that." He said.

"No, you wouldn't." She fired back, a little too harsh.

Jason watched her quietly, what mood? "I don't mean any insult. I was here the other night. You were too drunk to give your friend the code." She blushed pretty, he noted. "I had to unlock it."

"I see what you mean. Can I get you anything," She asked rather than dragging that line with him. It was safer for everyone to change the topic.

"Water is fine." He followed her to the fridge, "I heard you agreed to do it."

Evan noticed how he didn't use the word for what she was to be, "Surrogate? Yes. Isn't that what you wanted?" She poured him a cup and handed it to him.

Jason accepted the cup but didn't drink, "I... have you thought this through? I mean these changes everything." He said.

"I'm an adult Mr Valdez."

"Jason, please."

She ignored that, "I am capable of thinking things through," she told him blankly, "If you however have a change of mind, then..."

"No. I just wanted to be sure. I heard Doctor Tom already walked you through the procedure."

"Yes. I know all about surrogate mother than ever now, thanks to him. I intend to be the sexiest surrogate mother ever." She joked.

"What?"

Both turned to see Logan, all white faced at the door. He looked like he had just been confronted with his worst nightmare. "Did I just hear you right? Surrogate mother?" he said walking briskly into the room uninvited.

Evangeline wondered how he got in, "Did I forget to lock the door?" When Jason murmured about changing her lock, she glared at him.

"I have your card." Logan explained. She stretched her hand asking him to return the card. Logan ignored her and stared at the man standing in the room with her. Recognition hit immediately. "It's you?"

Evangeline knew the instant Logan became hostile that they knew each other and it wasn't in a good way.

Jason ignored him and turned to Evan instead, "I'll have my Lawyer draft up the contract and you can give your lawyer and let's talk amendment." He said, dropping the cup on the table, then he stared at Logan like he was seeing a disgusting fly, "I see you need to discuss with your boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend." She corrected but he was out.

Logan looked at Evan from head to toe. "Did I hear right?" He asked again.

"Not that it's any of your business but yes, I'm doing it." She moved away from him and went to seat in her couch.

"Is this a way of getting back at me?"

"What for? You and Mary? Please" She felt insulted, she hadn't even given a thought to them at all.

"I didn't sleep with her Evan," Logan said, crossing the distance between them. He crunched beside her, "I didn't sleep with her. She drugged me, took those pictures but we didn't do anything."

"That's hard to believe."

"She confirmed it after I showed her the CCTV recording. She wanted to get me to do it, apparently, I kept saying your name, so she let me be."

Evangeline stared at the man in standing intimidating right in her front. Once she had loved him. Her world had revolved around him. Now, she wasn't sure she wanted those feelings anymore. It had been easy to be angry with him. The anger was a welcome relieve. If this was true, then doesn't that change everything? She turned away from him

"Please don't do anything rash because you're mad at me and Mary."

"I'm not doing this for you or anyone." She yelled angrily and stood up. "Leave Logan."

"Evan, please. Let me make it up to you," He pleaded.

"This change nothing Logan." She told him blankly and walked him out. Closing the door, she sighs heavily. Realization of what Logan had just revealed dawned on her, "Oh my God." She gasps. "This indeed changes everything."

But she knew she was in no way giving up the idea of having a child. If Logan could live with that, then perhaps she could consider taking him back. But somehow, it didn't feel right. It would be best if Logan wasn't a part in this chapter of her life. Zoe listened half-heartedly to her friend as she told her about her insane plan. She didn't support the idea. But with Logan being in the clear, she asked instead if that would change everything.

"So what do you intend to do?" She asked. They were seated in her room, watching the latest release of Keeping up with the Kardashians season finale

Evans took a scoop of her favourite vanilla ice-cream before replying. "Nothing. I think I'll just let Logan go. I can't have him in this."

"Even when you love him?"

"Zoe?" She drawled, "How did you?"

"I knew. You did a good job hiding it but I knew my friend was in love."

"Well, that changed when I saw him with Mary." Evan disagreed.

"It wasn't real."

"My point exactly. Now, I don't know what's real or not anymore." She said, concentrating on the show.

"You're not one to get so into this." She flipped the channel

"What, Zoe?"

"I want you to really think this through. Having a child out of the blues, that's a lot to take in. a whole responsibility" She explained, "You're throwing away your life when you can start afresh with Logan."

"How the hell is giving birth the same as throwing your life away?" Sudden realization made her ask, "Wait, did he put you up to this?"

Zoe rubbed her temple gently, "I met him this afternoon, though he didn't make me plead on his behalf, and he told me about Mary." When Evan didn't say anything, she smiled.

"Nothing happened between them. I hoped you'd get back with him but this surrogacy thing, I don't get."

"I'm just done you know. Done with the normal. I want to do this. I just don't know where Logan fits into all this. I need more time."

Zoe's smile made her ask, "What again?"

"Your mind is made up about this already." She told Evan, "I don't mind seeing you wobbling around for one."

Both friends laughed heartily, "I intend to be sexy." Evangeline warned, "No wobbling here."

"Let's wait and see." Zoe said, "Want to bet."

"Stop, I won't wobble." She said seriously, mentally taking a rain check on that.

Be the sexy pregnant mother!