Epiphany

by Ashley Suzanne

  “That’s very nice of you, but there’s nothing that can be done. I’m going to have

  a hard time getting pregnant, if at all.” I’m not sure if she’s understood anything

  I’ve told her.

  “No, like I want to help,” she tries to clarify, but I’m still lost. Looking at her dumbfounded, I’m at a loss for words. Thankfully, being my best friend and all, she catches on and I don’t have to ask again. “I’m offering you my body. You can’t carry a baby, but I can. I’d like to be a surrogate for you and Skylar if you would still like to have a baby.”

  “Oh. Ummmm. What?” I’m beyond shocked right now. Who just offers to have a baby for you?

  I could see if I asked, but I didn’t. The thought didn’t even cross my mind. Now

  that it’s sitting right in front of me, the idea’s making me wonder … would this be

  a good idea?

  “You heard me. I want to carry a baby for you. My body works just fine and I’m your best friend. We’ll do the whole in vitro thing—your egg, Skylar’s sperm—and then you’ll have a baby without having to worry. It’s perfect,” she says, grinning ear to ear. How much thought has she put into this? Pregnancy isn’t easy on anyone.

  “Have you talked to Jacoby about this?” I know from the few weeks I was pregnant,

  it took a toll on Skylar.

  “He isn’t on board yet, but he will be.”

  “What do you mean he isn’t on board? You talked to him about this, right? I can’t agree to something that will affect your relationship negatively, Kylee.”

  “We talked about it a little last night, and he didn’t seem too happy about it. He just needs time to adjust to the idea of me being pregnant and not with his baby. He knows how much you and Skylar mean to me and he’ll be just fine once he processes it. I’m all in, though. I say you talk to Sky and see what he thinks.”

  “I’ll talk to Skylar, but I don’t know, Ky. This is a huge responsibility and being pregnant isn’t all that great. Are you

  sure?” I ask skeptically, trying to give her every out possible.

  “You’re my person. There’s not a whole lot I wouldn’t do for you. I want you to

  be happy, and if a baby will make you happy, I’d be honored to be your oven,” she

  jokes.

  Slivers of hope slice through my hardened heart. Is this really happening? Could

  I really be a mom one day? My mouth turns upward, matching Kylee’s smile.

  I might actually get to be a mother.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Skylar

  Prowler texted me earlier in the day, letting me know he dropped his bike off at the shop for a Spring tune up. Excellent timing since Mira’s out with Kylee; I have some time to take

  care of it. The past couple of weeks, I’ve been worried to leave her alone. I wasn’t

  scared she would hurt herself, but I was worried that if I wasn’t there, she wouldn’t

  eat. The whole situation’s been so trying, but I’m glad it’s over and she’s getting

  back to her old self. I really have missed her.

  Changing the last spark plug, my phone starts buzzing in my pocket. Wiping my grease

  covered hands on the shop rag, I fish it out only to see Mira’s beautiful name lighting up my screen.

  MIRA – I’m on my way home babe. See u soon.

  ME – I’ll be done at the shop in 10.

  MIRA – K.

  Making sure everything is put back together properly, I fire up the bike, letting it purr to life. Hitting the accelerator a few times,

  just to make sure it’s firing correctly, I find myself a little excited. It’s probably

  mostly Mira that has me ready to dry hump this bike, but the roar of a freshly tuned

  motorcycle has shivers running the length of my spine.

  As excited as I was for Mira and me to have a baby, I would have missed her on the back of my bike for that long. Just getting on, riding, destination unknown … it’s the little things in life I guess.

  Racing home, I don’t see Kylee’s car out front. Either they’re not here yet or she’s already dropped Mira off. I’m betting on the latter, seeing as I spent a little more time with the bike than anticipated. Okay, a lot more time, but it felt good to be back at work, doing what I love.

  Danny had to move ten hours away to find something he’d enjoy doing. I’m extremely

  lucky to find my path and happiness in my own backyard.

  Walking in the front door, Mira’s sitting on the couch, back to me and her shoulders

  shaking. Taking slow, methodical steps toward her, I’m saying silent prayers that

  she’s not falling back into the depression it took weeks to get her out of. As I

  get closer, I see the glow of her tablet sitting in her lap and she sniffles. Crying. Shit.

  “Mira, are you okay?” I softly ask.

  “No. I’m not anywhere near okay. This is fucking bullshit,” she cries, throwing

  her tablet onto the love seat.

  “Tell me what’s wrong, Sweets.” I crouch down, taking her hands in mine, rubbing her knuckles with my thumb. I’m not about to let her dive back into the sea of depression. I fought too hard to bring her out of it.

  “Ash,” she says, more tears falling from her eyes. “He’s dead.”

  “Is Ash someone you worked with? You gotta tell me more, honey. Let me fix it.”

  “There’s nothing you can do. He’s dead. Oh God. Why?” she wails, throwing herself

  into my arms. My heart hurts for her—being in so much pain. Whoever Ash was, I’m

  sure he meant a lot to her.

  “What happened?”

  “Surfboards. I don’t understand. Why? He was so perfect. Fucking Erin.” I didn’t know she knew anyone that rode a surfboard. Do they suddenly allow surfing

  on the Detroit River? I’m so damn confused. And who the hell is Erin?

  Wait. The tablet. The tears. “Mira. What were you reading?” I ask, starting to catch on.

  “Euphoria by Erin Noelle,” she whispers. Mother fucker. All this because of a book.

  “Is Ash one of the characters?”

  “Not just one of the characters, Skylar. He was the character. Ash was so amazing. Now, Scarlett is gonna end up with Mason and I’m

  fucking pissed. I’m gonna social media stalk Erin and tell her exactly what I think

  of this. He didn’t have to die. He didn’t have to,” her body shakes uncontrollably,

  big fat ugly tears fall freely from her face.

  It’s official. I’m never going to understand this girl and her books. I give up.

  “Okay, we’ve established you take your reading a little too personally, how was your day with Kylee?” I ask, needing to change the subject.

  Wiping her cheeks with the ends of her shirt, she climbs out of my hold and gets back on the sofa. “It was nice. She kinda sprung something on me. I’d like your opinion about it,” she says through hiccups.

  “Okay, shoot.” I take a seat on the coffee table, not wanting to be too far from her in case she has another fit.

  “She wants to help us have a baby. Like … be a surrogate for us.” So much for Mira getting out of the house and not thinking about babies. I study her face, looking for any indication as to which way she’s leaning.

  “Explain this to me. I don’t have to have sex with her, right?” Kylee’s beautiful, but I don’t think I could sleep with her and ever look Mira straight in the eye again. Not even for a baby.

  Mira goes on to explain to me the procedure and how everything works. The girls spent

  the better part of the afternoon researching how it would work and even found a doctor.

  They really do work fast, these two, already having a consultation with the specialist

  on Monday morning.

  After hearing everything, it all sounds pretty simple. I’m not sure if I’m sold on the idea yet, but I’d l
ove to listen to the doctor give more of an explanation. I won’t mention any of my hesitation, though. The smile on Mira’s face is more than enough for me to give it some more thought.

  “I really thought all hope was lost, babe. I was so worried you wouldn’t want to marry me anymore because I’m kind of useless as a woman. A woman’s job is to reproduce and men have this primal urge to impregnate their woman. The thought of you not wanting me anymore terrified me and probably made my depression worse. This is our second chance, though.” There’s no possible way I can sit here and let her talk badly about the woman I love. Taking her face between my palms, I softly caress her cheeks and speak directly to her soul.

  “Mira. This is going to be the last time we have this conversation. I’m marrying you because

  I love you. No other reason. Do you understand me?” She nods her head, so I continue.

  “Whether or not we ever have children, I want you because you’re smart.” I place

  a kiss to her forehead. “Loving.” A kiss to both eyelids. “Beautiful.” A kiss to the tip of her nose. “And most importantly—because if I don’t marry you, I’ll die. You’re my breath, my heartbeat and my soul.” Taking her lips softly, I press them

  to mine, lingering a little longer than I would typically.

  “Not too many men would be able to keep up with my special kind of crazy,” she laughs. Honestly, she’s right, but there’s a reason for that.

  “And no man will ever get the chance. I’ve claimed you for life. After all, it’s

  mine because I licked it.” Oh that giggle … I’ve missed it so much. Taking a second

  to just enjoy the sounds coming from her, the laughter is contagious. Before I know

  it, we’re both lying on our backs gripping our stomachs.

  *****

  Monday morning, Mira’s alarm starts rattling my brain just before seven. As she continues to sleep through the ringing, I reach across her comatose form and slap my hand around until I find her phone.

  “Skylar, get off me,” she grumbles.

  “Then please turn your alarm off. I’m going to have this damn song stuck in my head for days.”

  Mira sits straight, eyes wide and starts bouncing around. Jumping out of bed, she

  flies for the bathroom. I’m still confused as to why I’m up this early. Hearing

  the shower start to run and feeling the excessively hard morning wood I’m sporting,

  there’s only one thing on my mind. A naked, wet, soapy Mira.

  Palming my dick, the only thing I can think of is the last time Mira and I fucked

  in the bathroom, and holy hell it was sexy. Wait, why the hell am I jacking off when

  I have the real thing on the other side of the door? I must be some kind of stupid.

  Climbing out of bed, I head for the other place in this world that I belong right

  at this moment. Even if it is early as shit.

  I cautiously enter the bathroom and peek inside the curtain. As expected, Mira’s

  just getting started washing her hair with closed eyes. Perfect timing.

  Mira leans her head into the spray to rinse out the shampoo and I seize my opportunity.

  Stepping into the shower quietly, I wait until she turns her face into the stream

  of water before moving closer. She’s so predictable.

  Slightly rubbing my cock along the crack of her ass, I reach my hands around her front,

  cupping her tits, squeezing gently.

  “Good morning, Skylar.”

  “It’s very, very good,” I say, kissing the back of her neck, letting go of one breast,

  I move the other further south until one is rested just above her pussy. “Wanna make

  it a great morning?”

  “If I didn’t, I would have said something when you not so ninja like snuck in the

  bathroom.” My cock jumps knowing that she knew I was here the entire time. She could

  have stopped me, but didn’t.

  It’s been so long, I’m not going to last more than five minutes. Determined to make sure she gets off, I slip a finger between her thighs and gently massage her clit. As her moans increase, I pinch her nipple and bite softly on her shoulder. Mira’s head falls back onto my chest, eyes closed, and if the quivering in her legs is any indication along with her mews, she’s nearly there.

  Rubbing harder, I hold her tightly as she falls apart in my arms. The hot water beating

  down on her naked body that’s pressed firmly against mine has me nearly ready to come

  along with her.

  The hottest sex I’ve ever had has been in the confines of a shower, and this time

  is no different. Without any encouragement, Mira brings her foot up to the ledge

  and bending at the waist, giving me the perfect access to her pussy.

  Taking my length in my hand, I poise myself at her entrance. Taking a deep breath

  and trying to think of anything other than Mira’s slick heat, I gently push myself

  inside, reveling in the grip she has on me.

  “Fuck,” I hiss, rocking my hips into her slowly, careful not to move too fast. Ending this before it even really begins wouldn’t be a great idea.

  “Harder,” Mira pants, meeting me thrust for thrust.

  “Sweets. I’m not gonna last long,” I warn as she arches her back, reaching between her thighs,

  she beings playing with her clit. “Yeah, do that.”

  “Harder. Please,” she begs, and I comply. Feeling her legs already beginning to

  shake, I’m thankful that I primed her before jumping right to business. I guess the

  nut number two rule works for girls, too. “Oh, God. Fuck.”

  Grabbing on to her hips, I’m relentless, giving her exactly what she’s begging for. The wet sounds of our skin slapping together has me right on the edge. Reaching for her wet hair, I tangle it around my hand, pulling her head back and kiss her like my life depends on it.

  Mira cries out, saying a lot of incoherent things while my tongue battles with hers. Suddenly, my balls pull tight and my body stills, climaxing.

  Slowly pulling out of Mira, she rests her head against the tiles, breathing heavy.

  Taking the loufa, I lather it up and start washing her body, being extra careful of

  her overly sensitive pussy. Once she’s clean and rinsed, she steps out of the shower

  while I take care of myself.

  “Are you excited?” she asks before she leaves the bathroom.

  “I guess. I really want more information before we commit to anything, but from everything you told me, it sounds like a great idea. Are you excited?” I turn it back to her.

  “I’m nervous. What if they say my eggs aren’t viable, either?” she asks, trying to mask her sadness.

  “Listen. You have no problem getting pregnant, only staying pregnant. I’m sure if

  the doctor says that Kylee’s going to be a good fit, then you’re going to be perfect.

  One step at a time. Either way, I’m happy to just have you,” I sincerely say.

  “I love you. Now, hurry up in there. We’re meeting Kylee at the doctor’s office in an hour and you still need to make me breakfast.”

  “I see what’s going on here. You’re only marrying me for my culinary abilities,” I joke.

  “Don’t kid yourself, babe. I’m marrying you for your fucking skills. A girl can

  go without food but not good sex.”

  “Touché,” I say, rinsing my body and taking the towel she’s holding for me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  Mira

  Kylee’s already at the clinic when we arrive. Parking next to her car, she climbs out, handing each of us a coffee and we all walk in together. My nerves are shot and I’m almost positive by the way my heart is hammering violently against my rib cage, I’m going to have a heart attack or something equivalent to that.

  I thought when I went to the OBGYN for t
he first time the paperwork was insane. Well,

  they have nothing on the amount of stuff Kylee and I need to fill out. Skylar’s section

  is pretty simple and I’m a little jealous. My hand’s cramped when the receptionist

  calls us back to the actual office of the physician.

  We spend the next twenty minutes or so going over the entire procedure and the doctor is very open and appreciative of Skylar’s twenty questions. Kylee provides the results of her last cervical exam and physical. Looking over everything, it looks like we’re going to be cleared to start in vitro, provided my doctor signs off on the procedure.

  “It would appear that everything is in order, and as soon as we receive everything from Mira’s primary care physician, we’re good to start the procedure,” the doctor says, closing the chart in front of him.

  “Oh my God, it’s really happening,” I whisper, squeezing Skylar’s hand that hasn’t let go of mine the entire appointment.

  Raising our hands to his lips, he places feather light kisses across my fingers, “It sure is, Sweets.”

  In all my wildest dreams, and I’ve had some pretty crazy ones, this is by far the most insane. There is no better best friend a girl could have. Kylee takes the cake. There’s never going to be a way for me to pay her back for this, but I’ll spend every day of my life trying to.

  “If Mira schedules the appointment with her doctor this week, what time frame are we looking at to get started? The way these two look, they’re ready for this baby now,” Kylee jokes, patting my knee that won’t stop bouncing.

  “We would start Mira on the injections within a week or so. After ten days, we’ll go in and take some of the eggs from her ovary. Skylar will be donating a sample of his sperm around that time as well. Once we have an embryo appear, we’ll inseminate you, Kylee. As long as the embryo attaches to the uterine wall, you’ll be good to go. Since you’re so young, the chances of the first round of in vitro working are significantly higher, but nothing is guaranteed. It can take multiple attempts, but each round is completely up to you. All three of you can stop whenever you choose.”

  “This is awesome. When we got the paperwork from the front desk, there wasn’t any insurance information. Do we get that from you? I’ll probably have to put in some kind of prior authorization before we actually get down to business.” Kylee roots around in her bag and finally pulls out an insurance card.