Sister Surrogate

by LaChelle Weaver

“Why do you want to do this?” Bridgette asked after a few minutes of silence passed. “It’s not easy. You’ll have to sacrifice so much, Ivy. I’m not sure you know what you’ll be getting yourself into.”

  “You’re right, sis. I don’t know, but I want to try. We’ve both seen our dreams come into fruition. You’ve opened a successful bakery that you always talked about doing and I’ve travelled the world, working with some of the most influential people while doing what I love and always dreamed about. Don’t you think it’s time for Savannah to see her dream finally realized?” Ivy asked.

  Her words brought tears to Bridgette’s eyes because she had never thought about it that way. Her reasoning had always come from a maternal instinct; a bond she’d always shared with Savannah.

  Bridgette took her sister’s hand and gently squeezed it. It was not only a gesture of approval, but finally—of solidarity.

  “I’ll be here for you every step of the way.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  I

  vy had never been more nervous about anything in her life. She’d been going back and forth in her mind about being Savannah’s surrogate, and questioning if she was doing the right thing. And she knew that once she said those words to her sister, there would be no taking them back. She’d vomited in the toilet twice before Bridgette had showed up at her condo the following Sunday morning to pick her up. She was going to go with Ivy to Savannah and Julius’s to support her in talking with them. She was grateful that Bridgette had decided to forgo church service that morning, something she never did because Ivy didn’t know if she could do it alone.

  “Everything will be fine, Ivy. Now, they may be a little shocked as I was, but at least you would’ve put it out there for them to consider. I’m really proud of you for doing this,” said Bridgette, smiling at Ivy as they rode in her Suburban.

  “We’ll see how it all goes,” said Ivy with uncertainty.

  Just then, one of their mother’s favorite gospel songs came on the Sirius XM satellite gospel station Bridgette always listened to and they looked at each other and smiled. Ivy knew Bridgette was thinking what she was thinking—it was a sign.

  Ivy began singing the lyrics to “Expect Your Miracle” by The Clark Sisters with Bridgette joining along.

  “I’m looking for a miracle. I expect the impossible. I live the intangible. I see the invisible,” they sang.

  ***

  Ivy and Bridgette stood on their youngest sister’s front porch, holding hands. They were forehead to forehead, both with their eyes closed while Bridgette recited a prayer.

  “In Jesus name we pray. Amen,” Bridgette said, after she was done.

  “Amen,” Ivy repeated. “Okay, I think I’m ready now,” she said when they released their hands.

  Bridgette winked at her. “You’ve got this.”

  Ivy pressed the doorbell, and a few seconds later, Julius appeared at the front door.

  “Good morning, sisters,” he said, ushering them into the foyer and placing kisses on both of their cheeks.

  “Good morning,” Ivy and Bridgette replied in unison.

  “Do I smell bacon?” Ivy inquired, removing her leather jacket and hanging it on a hook.

  “Yup. Just got finished whipping up a Chef Yancey breakfast special,” said Julius.

  “Well, we appreciate that. Where’s Savannah?” Bridgette asked.

  “She’s still lying down. I told her I’d let her know when y’all got here.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were all seated in the breakfast nook that also offered a beautiful view of Lake Norman. Julius had made a delicious spread of bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese grits and hash brown casserole along with mixed fruit and wheat toast.

  “So, what did you want to talk to us about?” Julius asked, looking at Ivy.

  Ivy glanced at Bridgette seated next to her who gave her a nod, and then she looked at Savannah who’d been noticeably quiet and picking at her food. Ivy could tell she was still going through it emotionally, and she had dark circles under her eyes as if she hadn’t been sleeping.

  Ivy hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that awful nightmare she’d had and then seeing her sister having a breakdown. It had brought everything into perspective for her.

  “Well, I know this is going to seem a little odd, especially coming from me,” Ivy chuckled, trying to ease the anxiety she felt. “But, it’s not something I take lightly, so don’t laugh in my face when I say this.”

  Now, all eyes were on her and she took a deep breath. She looked at Savannah who was sitting directly across from her, and her eyes seemed empty. It tugged at her heart that her sister was becoming a shell of the woman she once was before cervical cancer had infiltrated her body. She looked from Savannah and then to Julius.

  “What would you guys think about me being your surrogate?” she finally said, and then felt like a weight had been lifted from her because she’d finally gotten it out.

  Savannah burst into tears, surprising them all. Julius immediately pulled her close to him to comfort her.

  “I’m sorry, sis if I upset you,” said Ivy, feeling horrible. This is what she’d been afraid of. Maybe it was too soon. It had only been a few days since Bridgette’s miscarriage.

  “We know you’re trying to help, Ivy and we appreciate it, but—,” Julius began. Savannah hopped out of her seat, cutting him off as she rushed to Ivy and threw her arms around her as she sobbed. She didn’t have to say anything because her tears were her answer.

  ***

  Am I really going to do this? Ivy thought, a few hours later as she sat on the floor of Savannah’s baby nursery where she’d found her crying nights earlier. She was still pondering her decision after the fact.

  “I think I should change the theme of the nursery. New baby. New journey,” Savannah lamented, sitting in the white rocking chair she’d been thrilled about finally finding, breaking Ivy out of her thoughts.

  “I love this safari theme. It’s pretty baby neutral,” said Bridgette, surveying the room. She was sitting a few feet away from Ivy.

  “Maybe I’m being superstitious. I’m still in shock. I guess,” she chuckled. “I would’ve never, ever in a million years thought I’d be saying Ivy and baby in the same sentence.”

  That makes two of us, Ivy thought, laughing with her sisters because when she thought about it, it was kind of funny considering her stance on motherhood. And she didn’t want anyone to get it twisted because she still felt that way. She was just doing her sister a favor and basically renting her uterus out to her. That was it.

  “You never know. This could be the catalyst for future babies,” said Bridgette, looking at Ivy.

  “Girl, boo,” said Ivy. “Once that nine-month stint is over. It’ll be back to grinding for me.”

  “Don’t rule it out. God sometimes has a funny sense of humor. This situation is certainly a good example,” said Bridgette.

  “I agree, sis. Maybe even a hubby too,” Savannah quipped.

  “Now, y’all are talking crazy,” said Ivy. And then, her mind flashed to Kean.

  Oh my God. Kean. How am I going to explain this to him? She thought.

  With everything that had been going on, she hadn’t thought about how he would fit into her decision. There was no way she could continue to see him, especially if she ended up pregnant. He would become tabloid fodder with his celebrity status, and they’d done a good job so far of staying out of them.

  As her sisters continued trying to predict her future, she excused herself saying she needed to return a call to a client. A few minutes later, she had her iPhone in her hand. She had to get this over with while she still had the nerve. It was best to do it sooner rather than later. She hated to though because she’d really grown to like Kean—a lot. But again, her family had to come first.

  Hey. I’ll be off the grid for a while. Family stuff, she typed.

  Everything okay? He replied.

  It will be. Just wanted to let you know because I won�
�t be able to see you. Too much going on right now.

  L Sorry to hear that. Thought we were going somewhere with this. I guess I understand though. Family first.

  Thanks for understanding. Take care, she typed. She really felt terrible, but it was just easier this way.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Eight months later...

  I

  vy rolled her eyes as she listened to her sisters’ baby chatter like she wasn’t sitting there at the table with them and she was getting a headache. They were having lunch at P.F. Chang’s in downtown Atlanta after doing some Saturday afternoon shopping. Savannah and Bridgette had driven in from Charlotte and arrived late yesterday evening, something they’d been doing over the past few months. And while Ivy loved her sisters dearly, she’d grown tired of these visits. She always felt like they were just there to scrutinize her every move rather than spend quality time as sisters.

  While they’d grown closer as the threesome they used to be before all of the turmoil months prior, their relationship had gotten a little more complicated because now, Ivy was the sister surrogate. And even though she was six months pregnant and showing, it was still hard for all of them to fathom.

  “Ivy, shouldn’t you be drinking more water?” Savannah asked, eyeing the glass of sweet iced tea the waitress had just sat in front of her.

  “I drink plenty of water,” Ivy responded, picking up her glass and taking a sip out of her straw.

  “I’m just saying. That’s like your third glass of sweet tea.”

  “And?” Ivy asked with annoyance. “It’s better than the glass of red wine I’d prefer to have right now.”

  “All of that sugar isn’t good for the baby,” said Savannah in the condescending tone that Ivy had grown to detest. It was like Savannah had switched places with Bridgette and that wasn’t a good thing.

  “It’s not that sweet, Savannah. It’s fine,” Ivy rebuffed.

  “ I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I just want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

  “You mean taking care of your baby,” Ivy retorted. “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything to damage your precious cargo.”

  “That’s not what I meant at all. Relax.” Savannah shook her head in frustration.

  Ivy rolled her eyes and eased out of her seat. “Excuse me. I have to go to the bathroom,” she said and walked off in that direction.

  As she made her way to her destination, she slowed down at the sight of the familiar face staring at her with a look of confusion. She wanted to turn and run in the other direction, but the way the baby was sitting on her bladder she had to get to the bathroom and this was the only path there. She had no choice.

  “Ivy?” the familiar face said, as she got closer.

  Ivy plastered on a smile despite her insides feeling like Jell-O. She hadn’t seen him in a while, not since she’d abruptly ended their on again-off again relationship.

  “Hello, Kean. How are you?” she asked. First, taking notice of how handsome he still was, and then of the woman sitting at the table with him. There was also a young girl there who resembled Kean, except for her golden, pecan tan complexion compared to his dark chocolate one. She had to be his daughter, Marley who Ivy had never got the chance to officially meet. Ivy greeted them both with a smile.

  “Great, but I should ask you the same,” he said, his eyes resting on her baby bump.

  She placed a hand on her growing mound. The way he was looking at her made Ivy want to crawl under one of the tables. She was sure her pregnancy was alarming to him.

  “I’m doing well. And this beautiful, young lady must be your daughter. She looks just like you,” she said, changing the subject.

  The little girl giggled and Ivy could see that she was in the snaggle-toothed stage of childhood with her missing front teeth. She was sitting next to Kean, munching on a spring roll.

  “Yup. This is my Marley Marl,” he said, nudging the girl with his elbow playfully, causing her to giggle again.

  The woman beamed at them from across the table, as she sipped from a glass of water. Something about the pride that gleamed from her eyes, made Ivy envious. Like they were a family.

  “And, this is Octavia. Marley’s mother,” Kean introduced them, confirming what Ivy already surmised.

  The women acknowledged each other with pleasant smiles.

  “It’s nice to meet you. Both of you,” Ivy said, looking from mother and then to daughter. “And, I love your hair. The color really is stunning.” Ivy complimented Octavia who had an intriguing, natural mane of reddish brown hair that accentuated her latte complexion. She could also tell from her stylish attire that she was a fashionista like Ivy was. They could probably have been friends under different circumstances.

  “Oh, thank you. I love your curly, pixie cut as well,” she said.

  Ivy smiled and thanked her.

  “Well, it was good seeing you again, Kean. You all enjoy your lunch,” Ivy said, smiling one last time before walking off. She couldn’t get to the bathroom and away from Kean’s questioning stare fast enough. She didn’t realize how much she missed him until that moment.

  This whole pregnancy thing was still something she was adjusting to, and it hadn’t been easy. Ivy faced challenges from the very beginning, starting with the in vitro fertilization. Dr. Billingsley, Savannah’s fertility specialist had been concerned with the fact that Ivy had never given birth before, a requirement of hers that she was usually unwavering on since there were risks that could potentially compromise her own fertility in the future, and also how it could affect her emotionally. But after Ivy went through the psychological evaluation and they were satisfied that she was equipped to endure the process, she was finally cleared. Then, there had been the how many embryos to transfer dilemma, which was a point of contention between she and Savannah.

  Savannah wanted to transfer two like they’d done with Bridgette to increase their chances, but Ivy had refused to do it. She was only going to allow one, and if Savannah couldn’t accept that then she’d have to find someone else. Ivy hated to give her that ultimatum, but there was no way she was going to risk getting pregnant with twins. She loved her body too much for that, and she wanted to be able to bounce right back after giving birth. Savannah relented, but she didn’t speak to Ivy for a week after. It had all been enough to make her want to drink, but that hadn’t been an option—unfortunately.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  S

  avannah’s frustration with Ivy was growing with her pregnancy. While she was beyond grateful that Ivy had agreed to carry her baby and this was more than likely her last hope for a natural child, she couldn’t help but to feel anxious for it to be over. The two of them were bickering constantly to the point where she was getting headaches on a regular basis. Ivy was always combative when she suggested something regarding her pregnancy, and she hardly answered her calls when she wanted updates after her doctor’s appointments. She hated the fact that Ivy wasn’t in Charlotte and chose to stay in Atlanta because she would’ve liked to be more involved in the day-to-day of her pregnancy.

  As she watched her sister ease from her seat to make one of her frequent trips to the bathroom, there was something else that she hated to admit and it started when Ivy really began showing—she was feeling envious. Her sister was always a beautiful woman, but pregnancy seemed to enhance it. Ivy had that glow that she’d seen many pregnant women radiate, and since she and Ivy were close in age, just two years apart and closely resembled each other, Savannah often wondered if she would have looked similar if she could carry a baby.

  “What’s wrong, Savannah?” Bridgette asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

  “Nothing,” she said curtly, picking up her water glass and taking a sip from the straw.

  “Well, that didn’t sound like nothing. What’s up?”

  Savannah deep sighed. “Ivy is really working my nerves is all, but it’ll be fine. I guess.”

  “And it will be. Em
otions are all over the place right now, and that’s to be expected. You only have a few more months to go, so hang in there,” said Bridgette, smiling.

  “Thank God,” Savannah muttered, causing Bridgette to chuckle.

  “It’s not that bad. Remember how I was when I was pregnant with the boys during those last few months. Ivy seems like a saint compared to me.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but I did feel bad for Nick. Then,” said Savannah.

  She was still salty with her brother-in-law months later after Bridgette’s miscarriage, but out of respect for her big sister, she refrained from making any outright nasty comments about him because she knew Bridgette was still struggling about her marriage. And she did still feel a little responsible for their discord. Her want for a baby had seemed to cause a lot of family drama, and she really didn’t understand why. In her opinion, a baby was a blessing, so if anything it should have brought them all together, but that certainly hadn’t happened.

  “Have you narrowed down the baby names yet?” asked Bridgette, ignoring her dig at her husband and scooping brown rice into her mouth.

  Savannah shook her head. “It’s kind of hard since we don’t know the sex of the baby just yet, but I’m looking forward to the gender reveal at the upcoming baby shower.”

  “I am too. And I’m honored that you’re going to let me be the one to do it,” Bridgette said with a proud smile after swallowing her food and wiping her mouth with her cloth napkin.

  “I’m excited,” Savannah beamed. They’d had the ultrasound technician to seal the information of the baby’s sex in an envelope over a month ago, and they’d given it to Bridgette for safekeeping until the baby shower, which they were having in a few weeks.

  Savannah still couldn’t believe that she was going to be a mother in three more months provided Ivy continued to do what she was supposed to do.