A Bundle of Joy 2: The Baby Proposal (BWWM Interracial Romance) (2 page)

“Thank you.” Selene didn’t want to dwell on that night. It was still too painful to think about what had happened.

“Ok, next. Do you have any diseases like asthma, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, or high blood pressure?” Meg’s eyes were probing, as if trying to determine if Selene’s answers were less than honest. “Anything at all?”

“
Actually, I don’t have any serious medical issues. I don’t even have an allergy.”

Both Meg and Warren’s faces lit up.

“Those were our major concerns. How about your social habits, do you smoke or drink?” Warren said.

“I’ve never smoked, and I only drink socially.” Selene offered them a smile. The interrogation continued, and Selene answered questions from her diet to her romantic history.

“Is there anything you would like to ask us?”

Selene pushed back her hair as she thought. “Would it hurt?”

Meg chuckled. “Oh no, my dear. The insemination is pain-free. We’ve been told that it doesn’t hurt at all. Of course, the birth would…yes, a little. But they have great anesthesia these days. My friends who’ve given birth said they experienced little to no pain after they were given an epidural.”

Selene had a vague idea
of what she was talking about, but it sounded good, and Meg’s voice was so reassuring, her face so sympathetic that she found herself nodding along.

“Anything else?”
Warren leaned forward.

“You’ll take the baby straight to your home from the hospital?”

“Once the baby is born, you wouldn’t have to do a thing,” explained Warren in a calm, relaxed manner. “We’ll take the child from the hospital and will be financially and legally responsible for it.”

Selene hated to ask it but she needed to know. “How much money are you willing to offer?”

Warren wrote a figure on a slip of paper and slid it towards her. Selene’s eyebrows rose as she considered the amount. It was fairly handsome.

“Starting from the day the doctor inseminates you, we’ll cover all your costs, plus your fees. We’ll also take care of all doctor appointments and hospital fees. We’ll try for three cycles to see if you get pregnant.”

“When do you want to start the procedure?” Selene hated to sound so desperate, but she was under a lot of pressure. The memory of receiving the eviction notice the week before didn’t help matters one bit.

“If you get pregnant, we’ll also rent an apartment for you until the baby is born. Since you mentioned that your sister comes for regular visits, we’ll make sure it’s big enough so she can have her own space. How does that sound?”

Selene was floating on air. “Sounds great.”

“Do you have any more questions?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Would you excuse us for just a moment?” Meg asked.

“Sure. Take your time.” As they moved away from the table, Selene tried not to watch them, b
ut she couldn’t help taking a peek every now and then. As they came back to the table, Selene’s heart raced. She tried hard not to fidget. This was it. This was the point that life either threw her a lifeline or she went under for a final time.

She held her breath.

“Selene. We’ve decided that we’d like to use you as our surrogate mother. You’re exactly the kind of person we’re looking for.”

Relief flooded through her. Finally, she’d caught a break. “That’s fine. I’m not sure how this whole thing goes. What do we do now?”

“We have a family doctor, a specialist who does this for a living. He said he could fit us in right away. When would you be available? It’s about a half an hour procedure.”

“Um…whenever you want me to do it. I just lost my job because the company was making budget cuts, and I don’t have anything to do.” She hated telling them that, she didn’t want to give them the impression that she was a loser. They needed to think that she was capable and could do this.

Meg took her hand. “You poor thing! We’ll compensate you for all the trouble you’ll have to go through.”

“In the meantime, I’ll keep on trying to get another job,” Selene muttered.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Selene didn’t realize that she’d said her thoughts out loud. She tried to force a laugh from between her parched lips. She was glad that they liked her enough to choose her for this. The money they offered was enough to take care of her monthly bills, cash expenses, insurance, and the opportunity to save a little so that she’d eventually be able to cover three months’ expenses. She would be okay for the next nine months at least.

They took down her cell number as well as other pertinent medical information they needed to discuss with the doctor.

“
Well, we’d better be going.” Warren said.

“Thank you so much for
coming down here and agreeing to do this for us.” Meg bobbed up and down with excitement. “You don’t know how much we want a baby.”

“I’m glad I can be of some help.”

“Call us if you think of any questions. You still have our number, right?” said Meg.

“I do. I still have the ad on my kitchen table.” Selene smiled as they both stood.

Selene waved to them one last time as they disappeared. She left the Lounge soon after. Her worries were over, at least for the time being. Getting rid of her debt and being able to pay her bills on time were important to her and some of that would be taken care of. Now, she was determined to get a job as soon as possible.

****

“Hey
, Mom.” Triston Walker drew down from his considerable 6 feet-5-inch frame to kiss his mother’s subtly made-up cheek. He knew why his mother was here. He’d been depressed when he talked to her earlier that morning and she’d probably picked up on his mood. He took the bags from her hands. “Come in.”

“You and I need to talk.”

His mother was never one to mince words. And although Triston loved her to death, he wasn’t sure he was capable of talking to her about his problems. She eased her weight into one of t
he chairs in the dining room and looked at him expectantly. He plopped himself on the chair opposite her, and propped his chin on his hands.

Just before
she’d arrived, Triston was sitting at home, staring at his cell phone. He needed to pick it up and make a call but he simply wasn’t able to do so. What would he say?
Hey, Selene, I’m back, and I know I was an ass six years ago, but will you give me another chance?

He’d almost gone into a post-traumatic stress syndrome meltdown m
ode in the doctor’s office a few hours ago. PTSD, as it was called. As if giving it a fancy name would lessen the pain and anguish it brought its sufferers. Triston had been battling the depression, flashbacks, and nightmares the syndrome inflicted for many months, and so far, he’d made no headway in beating back the monster.

Selene’s face flashed in front o
f his eyes. Her sable eyes, high cheekbones, and charcoal black hair; almost everything about her had been perfect.

She’d been perfect for him.

Calling Selene was a big deal. He knew that any other setback he faced could send him back to that horrifying cesspool of terrible memories. If Selene rejected him, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to tolerate the strain anymore.

Triston was a soldier. He’d just finished six years in the United States army, but he was now honorably discharged because of an injury he received in the field of duty. It had been four months since he
’d come home, and although he was fine physically, mentally he was a mess. He’d spent more time in the desert than he cared to remember. He’d seen his friends and comrades not just die but get ripped to pieces. It was something that he was still trying to deal with, and for some reason, the more his therapist talked, the more he wanted to rip
her
to pieces. She was a civilian, and she’d never seen anything near the horrors that he had. Watching her try to understand what he was feeling when he couldn’t even explain it himself was like trying to watch a cockroach ice skate.

His only hope was to get back with Selene.
She’d always been a calm influence in his life and once he won her back, he knew his life would be settled. But that was easier said than done.

His doorbell had rung, pulling him out of the need to make a decision about calling Selene. He opened the door to find his mother holding bags of Mexican food.

“I don’t even know where to start.” Triston pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes as if that would erase his memories.

“Have you called Selene?” She knew he wanted to get back with his ex-gir
lfriend but had been too indecisive about making the call.

Triston dragged his hands down from his face and looked her in the eyes. “Not yet.”

“You know she loved you.”

“That was then; this is now. She hated that I left her. She didn’t want me to go.”

“I think you guys needed to take a break back then.” His mother reached across and placed her hand on his. “You were both too young to be so serious about each other. Now that you’re home, you’ll find a way to make it right. If you’re meant for each other, nothing could stop you two from being together.” She gave his hand a light squeeze. “Nothing, at all.”

“I screwed up the best thing in my life, and I don’t know how to fix it.”

He finally said what had been bothering him for a long time.

Chapter Two

Selene stood in front of the offices of Creative Press where she’d gone to interview for a job. It was the position of an assistant, but it turned out that the publisher was only looking for someone who would treat it as an internship and not expect any payment.

She sighed.

If Meg doesn’t ca
ll back soon, I’m going to be in a world of trouble.

Her cell phone rang, jarring her out of her bleak thoughts. “Hello?”

“Selene, I’ve got some good news.” Meg’s voice bubbled over with enthusiasm. “The doctor called five minutes ago. You’re most definitely pregnant.”

For a moment, Selene’s world stopped. If she’d ever imagined hearing those words, this wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen.

I’m having someone else’s baby. Not Triston’s.

Even after
so much time had passed, she hadn’t crushed her dream about spending a lifetime with him.

Until today.

Just a few minutes ago, she was anxious to hear the news, but now that she got it, she wasn’t too sure if it was news that she really wanted.

“Wow.
” It was all she could manage to say. The Stevens had followed up very quickly on their initial interview. After checking with the doctor, he informed them that she was ovulating within the next three days. Selene had been taken to the clinic and was inseminated with the donor sperm. The procedure had been mostly free of pain, perhaps a little uncomfortable, but certainly better than what she’d expected.

The doctor had told them
that it might take as many as three times before she got pregnant. But Selene’s body was cooperating with her mind. Yesterday, she had gone for a blood test and now she had the confirmation that she was pregnant.

“Well, we’re extremely happy. You’ve brought us so much joy. It’s hard to explain…” Meg’s voice broke over the phone.

“I’m glad it all worked out,” Selene found herself saying. Her mind was still blank. It was hard to focus, hard to wrap her mind around what had happened since she called about the newspaper ad. She was having a baby, and it wasn’t even hers. True, she was being well compensated, but she wondered at what cost. Three weeks ago she hadn’t known how she’d meet her expenses, make payment on her debts, and now she would have no worries for the next eight-and-a-half months, or so.

“The doctor wants you to come in for first trimester screening. It’s merely a precaution. We insisted on it, in fact. You’re young, and there shouldn’t be anything to worry about
, but still…I feel we must make sure that the baby is healthy.”

“Yes.” Selene nodded along, although Meg couldn’t see her. She’d go along with whatever they wanted. It was their baby.

“It’s going to be done when you’re eleven weeks pregnant. I’ll call you beforehand and we’ll pick you up.” Meg released her breath, which Selene heard over the phone. “We’ve also rented a place for you. The lease will be finalized next w
eek, and you can move right in. So…I guess that’s all for now.”

“Ok
ay. Bye.” Selene hung up.

In a
daze, she went back home and lay on the bed. There was a baby growing inside her. She wondered how big it was. The size of a peanut? Her hand strayed to her belly. What would it look like? She wasn’t fully comfortable with the fact that the child was related to her by blood but she also knew that she wasn’t ready to raise a child as yet. This child belonged to Meg and Warren. She wanted them to have a baby. They deserved to have one, and it pleased her that she was able to do something that made them happy.

Once, she had imagined that she would marry and have two or three children. Triston had been the love of her life. They had started dating in their high school freshman year and stuck with each other until he left to join the army after graduation. Selene had been devastated. He could have stayed. They would have had a good life. This baby could have been his.

But now everything was changed. Getting pregnant with Warren and Meg’s baby had given her a little breathing space to look for a job now. She wasn’t desperate anymore. Selene intended to use this time to find a good job. In fact, she had sent in new applications for a couple
of promising positions yesterday. She expected to be called for an interview soon. Sure, she didn’t have a degree from an Ivy League college, but her degree from a lower league college, as she used to label her school playfully, was just as legitimate. And she’d been working for the past two years.

That had to count for something. Or at least, that is what she hoped the companies would think when they looked at her résumé. All she had to do was focus on her health and her career. For the time being, her life was set.

The doorbell rang. Who could it be? Selene stood, straightened her clothes, and went to answer the door. Warren stood outside.

“Hi.” She was surprised to find him there. What did he want?

“Congratulations.” It took her a moment to realize that he was congratulating her on being pregnant.

“Um…
Thanks. Would you like to come in?”

“No, actually, I’m on my way home. We’re going out for a celebratory dinner. I just came to hand
you the check”

Selene looked into his face. For him it seemed to be a simple business transaction, instead of the beginning of a journey that would bring about his child. His life was so different from hers. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it would be like to be married, have a good job, and be able to bring a wonderful little life into that scenario.

No point in being ungrateful, she decided as she took the envelope he offered. She was in a much better position today, than she was a few weeks ago.
The month’s bills would soon be taken care of and then she could start chipping away at her debt.

Warren left and she went inside, sat at the kitchen table and began to sort
through her bills. First things first, she needed to settle her rent that was overdue. As she figured out which items required her immediate attention, her cell phone rang. A quick glance at her caller ID revealed the identity of her caller.

“Hey, Jamie. How are you doing?” Her younger sister was her pride and joy.

“Great. Study, study, study,” said Jamie. “My life is all about work. What about you? How is your job going?”

“I got fired.”

“What? Why?”

“Budget cuts. Thirteen of us got the boot.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t want to worry you.”

“And you figured that
telling me now will make me less worried?”

“Um…”

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Actually, I have a plan. It’s something that just came my way and I grabbed the opportunity.”

“What is it?”

“I’m pregnant.”

For a few seconds, silence reigned on the side other. “What did you just say?”

Selene told her the entire story. “At least, I won’t be under too much pressure for the next few months. I’m looking for a new job and will find one soon.”

“Surrogacy is a big deal, Selene. Your body is going to go through a lot of changes. And you’ll have to give up the baby. Are you prepared to do that?”

“Nothing will go wrong. Don’t you worry about a thing. I’m planning to move into a new apartment that they have leased for me. When I settle in, you can come down for a visit.”

“I’m not
happy about this. I wish you’d talked to me before you made your decision.”

“Everything is
going to be just fine, Jamie.” As always, Selene felt compelled to reassure her sister.

“I keep deferring to you because you’re my big sister, but—”

“Let’s not go down that road again.”

“But—”

“No ‘buts,’ Jamie.” Selene cast her eyes at the ceiling, as she tried to search for the right words to put her sister at ease. She knew she’d made a rash decision about the surrogacy, but it was the best—no, the only—solution she could come up with. “I know it’s not easy for you to understand why I did this, but I would like to think that Mom and Dad are looking down at us and are proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

“But at what cost, Selene?”

“That’s beside the point. How many times have Mom and Dad said that they wanted for us, what they never got for themselves? Do I need to remind you of what that is? A sound education, Jamie, which could open a world of opportunities for us.”

“You think they would be happy with what you’ve done? No way, Selene. No way.”

“Don’t worry about me, all right? I can’t undo what’s already done.” A note of warning crept into Selene’s voice. “And you, my dear, better don’t do anything foolish like drop out of school. Finish what you’ve started, you hear me?”

“How can you be so calm? You’re pregnant with a child. Someone else’s child. What if you want to keep the baby once it’s born?”

“That’s not going to happen,” said Selene. The thought of keeping this child, taking care of it, assuming its financial responsibility filled her with dread. She just wasn’t ready for such a major step in her life. “I’m not going to want this child. That’s the least of my worries.”

“I don’t like this, Selene. I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”

“I said don’t worry, okay?”

“And what about Triston? I heard through the grapevine that he’s—”

“Let’s not go there, Jamie.” Selene felt a sharp pain stabbed her chest at the mention of Triston’s name. When would she get over him? When w
ould she stop reacting the way she did, even at the mention of his name?

Jamie hung up soon after. Selene tapped a pen on a bill as she mentally reviewed the concerns Jamie had raised. What could go wrong? Barring an unforeseeable medical condition, there was little else she needed to worry about. This child wouldn’t even come home with her. She would probably see it once and then never have any contact with him or her. Selene had done her homework prior to signing the documents. The Stevens were a good, stable couple
. They’d been married for eighteen years, owned their own house, were financially well off, and needed a baby to complete their family. They would take care of this child, love him or her, and provide a good education.

She had nothing to worry about. Not a thing.
Or so she hoped. Would she regret her decision? Did she dismiss Jamie’s concern too easily? She sure hoped that her life wasn’t going to change in ways she’d never imagined.