by Roxy Wilson
“I did.”
“And?”
“She’s pregnant.”
Lisa’s mouth fell opened. She looked as surprised by the news as he’d been. “Pregnant? Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. She told me herself.” He wasn’t an imbecile who couldn’t understand simple English.
“Who’s the father of the baby?”
“I didn’t ask.”
Lisa raised her eyebrows. “You didn’t ask who the father of the baby was? Did you see him? Was he there?”
“No, Mom. I didn’t wait around for introductions. When she told me…I left.”
“You know I’ve always been fond of that girl, Triston. God knows, I was worried when you guys started dating.” Lisa tapped her fingers on the counter. “You were both so young and too serious about each other back then. But you’ve been back a while now and you haven’t even looked at another girl. I feel you’re still hung up on Selene. And maybe she’s the one for you.”
“Mom.”
Maybe he needed to make an appointment for his mother to see his therapist.
“So, what’s the problem?”
Yep, she’s definitely going crazy.
“Selene’s pregnant. Pregnant! Don’t you get it?”
“Yes, I get it. But did you bother to ask her if she’s happy? If the baby’s father is with her? Or were you so traumatized by the thought of another life growing inside her that all common sense deserted you?” His mother frowned at him. “What if she has no one with her at this time? If she’s alone, if she’s going through this pregnancy on her own, it’s important for you to be there for her…if not as a lover, then as a friend.”
“Mom.” Triston whirled away from her. “Forget about it.”
“Men!” Lisa huffed. “I’ll leave you to throw your pity party. Call me when you’ve regained your inner confidence and compassion.”
Triston followed her to the door, trying to persuade her, and himself, that pursuing anything with Selene was useless, but she was in no mood to listen to him. Triston knew that she wasn’t as much upset with him as she was annoyed. His mother had always known when to push him and when to leave him alone to wallow in his thoughts and figure out what he really wanted to do.
And this time, she wasn’t so far off the mark. If nothing else, she’d given him a reason to doubt his hasty decision to leave Selene alone. Maybe he needed to get more information. And even if it turned out that she was happily settled in her life with the man of her choice, the least he could do was offer his support and friendship.
When he slipped the wrapping paper off the package his mother brought for him, it was to see a framed photo she’d taken on the night of his prom. His fingers glided over the glass, which covered a smiling couple. He and Selene. It was a picture of their 18-year-old selves. Just a few days before he’d told her of his plans for his immediate future.
He felt his muscles tightened in readiness.
It was time to go visit Selene again.
Chapter Five
Selene strode across the pavement, dodging pedestrians as she made her way to her apartment.
She sighed.
Yet another job hunt that didn’t worked out.
Having abandoned all hope of finding a job in her own field, Selene was now ready to grab any opportunity that came her way. But luck, it appeared, wasn’t in her favor. The interviewer had made it abundantly clear that he didn’t think she stood a chance among the candidates who’d applied for the position of manager at a fashion boutique.
As she climbed up the stairs to her second-floor apartment, Selene wondered if she would ever find anything. The economy was weak, sluggish. Work was slow, and employers were becoming choosier. It was getting hard for her to figure out what to do with the time she had on her hands. Selene had always been an active person. And now, she had no work and too much time. Jamie’s visit last weekend had cheered her up. Her sister wasn’t gung ho about the whole surrogacy thing but she’d been supportive enough to go to one birth and pregnancy class with her. There she’d met Heather Lovey, a woman who was excited to be having a baby. Selene could read the skepticism in Heather’s eyes when she’d told her that she was a surrogate, but things went smoothly between them after that. It was like they just clicked with each other.
Having Jamie around, even for a short time, was such fun, in spite of everything that was going on. But now she was alone again.
After dumping her bag on the counter, she picked up the pregnancy book she’d bought from a secondhand bookshop. It had been a while since she’d held a book in her hands, always opting to buy an interracial or multicultural romance story with 1-click at Amazon. Her staples were authors like Brenda Jackson, Dez Burke, Sienna Mynx, and Delaney Diamond. She’d discovered some other authors recently and was sure to add books by Mallory Monroe, Ancelli and Lena Hart on her automatic buy lists. But she’d happened upon the bookshop while she’d been scouting for a job, and found the book. It had been a marvelous help, telling her all the things she should expect now that she was expecting. She’d just completed her first trimester but her belly wasn’t even showing yet. She’d been in good shape before the pregnancy, and the doctor had told that her belly might not start bulging until the end of the fourth month.
By reading up on it, Selene was aware of what was happening inside her body. Even though she knew she wasn’t going to keep this baby, she was starting to get excited about it herself. Whenever she went to the pharmacy to refill her prenatal vitamins, she would take a quick peek into the baby aisle and wonder about how different it would be if she was married to Triston and this child was going to be their own. She’d watched a couple of documentaries on difficult births and always cried in the end when everything turned out to be fine. She was a lot more emotional when she watched movies. Her appetite was slowly increasing and the nausea had all but vanished.
If only she could find a job. Other than the sword of unemployment hanging on her head, life was good. This month’s utility bills were paid and tomorrow she was going to deposit a payment on her college loan. If the money kept coming in like this, she’d be able to get it completely paid off, sooner than she’d envisioned.
Reading the baby book had made her realize the happier she was, the happier the baby would be. So she tried hard not to dwell on her job crisis. So, what if she hadn’t found a job yet? It hadn’t stopped her from going for interviews every chance she got. She actually had another one lined up for the next day. It was a job at a bank for a teller position. She didn’t have any kind of formal training for it, but she was hoping that the bank would overlook that fact. She was willing to work hard and to learn as much as she could.
Apart from the current job hunt, Selene was also wondering if she should start a scrap book for the baby. She’d saved the ultrasound pictures and there would be more in the coming months. And also, she could cut out the newspaper headlines each month and stick them in. It would be a good way, when the child was old enough, to show him or her what had transpired in the world when he or she was still in her womb. Maybe she should talk to Warren first to find out if it was something that Meg would like.
Almost as if on cue, Selene’s phone rang. A glance at the screen showed her that it was Warren’s number. She smiled. This was the perfect time to ask him.
“Hello, Warren. I’m glad you called.”
“Hey, Selene.”
“I wanted to ask you something.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a few moments. “Err…I’m not good at these things, but I’m the bearer of some bad news.”
Her heart sank. “What bad news?”
“Meg has changed her mind.”
Selene’s stomach clenched. “Changed her mind? About what?”
It seemed as if Warren covered the phone because all Selene heard next was a muffled conversation and the sound of someone crying in the background. Then Warren spoke again, “I’m sorry but Meg’s decided that she isn’t ready
to be a mother.” Warren’s sigh could be heard across the line. “We won’t be able to take this baby.”
The bottom fell out of Selene’s already barely stable world. “Wait. What? What am I supposed to do?”
“This is a tough decision, but it is what it is.”
“What about the baby? What about me?” Selene’s legs were weak. She plopped down on the chair.
“I think it’s still possible for you to get an abortion. We’ll pay for it, of course.”
Selene couldn’t believe how calmly he spoke, as if he was talking about killing an exasperating bug rather than the child she’d carried and nurtured for the last few months. How could they do this to her? She’d gotten pregnant because they wanted a baby.
“We have a contract, remember?”
“Yes, we do, and if you choose to exercise it, we may have to go to court but I think no one can force us to take a baby if we don’t want it.”
“I’m…” Her breath hitched in her throat. “I’m your surrogate. You wanted this.”
“I’m sorry. I would strongly advise you to go for an abortion.”
“But…” Selene’s thoughts scrambled, as she tried to grapple with the situation. She didn’t know what to say or do, to make them change their mind.
“I can understand your dilemma. But I can’t do it if Meg doesn’t want to. And since we’re revoking the contract, we won’t be paying you anymore. If you do decide to abort then let us know, and we’ll pay the doctor’s bill.” Warren cleared his throat. “And one more thing, you’ll have to vacate the apartment at the end of the month, because we won’t be paying the rent.” Without any pleasantries, he ended the call.
Selene’s belly did some flip flops. The world had just fallen from under her feet. The precarious control she’d had over her emotions threatened to break loose.
For a long time, she sat on the couch holding the phone up to her ear even though the line had been dead for a long time. What was she going to do? She finally recovered enough to put the phone down. After putting her head in her hands, she sobbed.
How could they do this to me?
Her life was a mess.
She’d have to try even harder to get a job now. And worse than all that, she was stuck with a baby that she didn’t have the resources to take care of.
What were her options? It seemed that what Warren had suggested was the only course of action left opened to her. Selene picked up the phone and made an appointment with her doctor for the next week. She didn’t want to do it but what other choice did she have? She could barely survive on her own. How would she raise this baby?
Selene didn’t have the legal counsel, resources, or money to sue Warren and Meg. And neither did she want to. She would have to do something on her own. And unfortunately, abortion was the only solution she could think of to solve her immediate problem.
****
Triston stood outside Selene’s apartment. He’d gone to her old place but found out that she’d moved. Luckily, her neighbor, Zac, knew her new address and pointed him in the right direction. Triston knew that he had to be crazy for doing this. What else could possess him to ring her bell again, knowing full well that she had another man in her life? How could she be alone? Which idiotic man would make her pregnant and then not want her? Selene was beautiful, beyond perfection.
As the door opened, he changed his mind. She was not merely beautiful, she was so alluring that he hoped he would be able to keep a respectable distance from her.
He could already tell that she’d put on a little weight, but it looked good on her. And he could also tell that she’d been crying. Her eyes were tinged with pink and there were dark circles under her eyes. Was the bastard who’d made her pregnant responsible for making her cry? He wanted to tear the idiot from limb to limb.
Triston controlled his anger, but with great effort. Instead, he settled for plastering a smile on his face.
“How are you?”
“Triston, what are you doing here?”
“Just came to check up on you.” He glanced down at the bouquet of white roses, which looked delicate in his large hand. He offered it to her. “And to replace the ones I had ruined.” He hoped she would smile at his feeble attempt at a joke. But already he saw that it fell flat.
Selene shook her head. “I’m sorry. This isn’t a good time.” She began to close the door.
An instinct born out of years of army training made him put his hand on the door before she could close it. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Selene, I know you too well. Something’s up, and I’m not leaving until I know what it is.”
Perhaps she sensed his determination, or maybe she remembered his dogged persistence, but for some reason, she stopped trying to slam the door on his face. Instead, she stepped aside to let him in. “Fine. Get in. I don’t want this to become gossip fodder for the neighbors.”
Triston made his way inside. As soon as she closed the door, he whirled around to face her. “What’s going on? Is everything all right…with your pregnancy?”
Her lips lifted in a wary smile. “Everything’s fine. I just wish…” She shook her head as she trailed off.
Okay, he was going about this all wrong; tactics of warfare had no place here with Selene. He needed to put her at ease, not stress her out. And doing that wasn’t going to give him the answers he needed anyway. Triston decided to change the subject.
“I’m sorry about your parents.”
Way to go Walker, you can’t even think of something to say that would cheer her up a bit.
She sighed. “Yes, thank you. I got the flowers you had sent but…” She left the rest of the sentence unfinished.
His mother had told him about the accident which claimed Selene’s parents’ lives. He’d tried to call, but she never picked up.
Triston understood her feelings. What could she have said to him back then? Even now, Triston expected her to ask him to leave. But like so many times before, she managed to surprise him.
“Cool.” Triston stepped further inside.
He took a look at her apartment. Neat. Clean. Spartan. And yet, it had a certain style and class. His gaze took in the family photos encased in wooden frames on the walls, and the neatly organized open kitchen.
“Would you like something to drink?” She retrieved a vase from a cabinet, and filled it with water.
“No. I’m fine.” He walked over to join her.
“How’s your mother?”
She’d always gotten along with his mother.
“She’s fine.”
“And what about you?”
Triston watched as she trimmed the stems and put the flowers in the vase. “I’ve joined my father in the business.”
Her gasp was audible. She stopped fiddling with the petals of the flowers. “You’ve left the army?”
“I had to leave because I was injured.”
“What?” Her eyes widened.
“Yeah…Was in the hospital for a couple of months. Paralysis of the left side of my body, but physical therapy helped. I’m good now.”
Selene’s fingers brushed her parted lips, something she did when she was surprised. She took a tentative step forward and lifted her hand, as if to touch his face. Triston was disappointed when she shook her head and lowered her hand. He wanted her to touch him, to give him a clue that she’d forgiven him for leaving her, to serve in a war that nobody had won.
“I’m glad you’re all right now.”
“Yeah.” He sat on the bar stool that lined the counter. So far she hadn’t kicked him out. He decided to take that as a positive sign. “What about you? Are you working?”
She winced. “I was working as an editor. But I got fired a few months ago.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Budget cuts.”
He hoped he hadn’t embarrassed her with his questions. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ll find something else.” Her lips lifted, but the smile didn’t qui
te reach her eyes. She fiddled with the flowers, arranging them to her liking. Her gaze then lifted to meet his. “I’m surprised to see you wander this way. What brings you here again? I thought after hearing about my pregnancy, you’d be running for the hills.”
Triston leaned closer, all his senses on full alert. This dejected, depressed Selene wasn’t the one he’d seen the last time they met. What happened to make her so sad?
“What’s going on with you?”
That’s it. Triston couldn’t keep his distance anymore. He stroked her cheek.
And that was all it took.
Selene broke down.
Triston pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her.
Through her tears, she managed to tell him everything from the time she lost her job to her struggles to make ends meet, her calling about the surrogate job, to being pregnant, and now the new catastrophe about the couple not wanting the baby anymore.
And throughout the rehashing of her woes, Triston’s heart tightened little by little against his chest. But he held her close, his chin resting lightly on her head. Triston savored the scent of coconut and vanilla, so much like a tropical island paradise, which emanated from her braids.
Selene squeezed him tightly around the middle, and then gently pulled away from his embrace, indicating without words that their brief interlude had come to an end. He held on a little longer than he should have, as if he was stealing a few extra moments with her. Then, he let his arms fall away.
“I’m at my wits end.” Selene flung her arms in the air. “The easy thing to do would be to abort. I still have time. I can do it in the next couple of weeks, and I’ve made a tentative appointment with the doctor, but…”
“Since when you’ve done the easy thing? That’s not the girl that I know.”
She looked at him as if he was speaking a foreign language. “The girl you knew doesn’t exist anymore. She’s broken and lost.” She inhaled a deep breath, and then expelled it. “Anyway, the other option is for me to give up the baby for adoption when it’s born. But for that to happen, this pregnancy has to progress right to the end. About 40 weeks, give or take a week or two if everything goes well. I want the baby to be healthy and happy, and that means that I need a job.” She bit het lower lip. “I can’t get the nutrition he or she needs without money. I wouldn’t care so much if it was just me, but this baby deserves the best I can give.”