Soon after I was done checking my mails, Mad walked in to discuss plans. It was high time that both of us pooled all our ideas together and came up with a foolproof plan. Isaac’s money had allowed us to create a small advertising budget that we needed to strategically execute, so that we could maximize the returns on our investment.
Mad tapped her pen against her notebook as she considered her thoughts. “I still think we should consider that conference in Seattle. It’s a great opportunity to network with all the big companies. Once they see our new additions to the program, they’ll be fighting over who gets it first.”
“Provided I’ll be done in time. Things have been a little crazy lately,” I replied, pouting at the delay on our end to add the new components to our program.
“Right, your ‘mystery meetings’ with a mystery client,” Mad scoffed.
I frowned in disapproval. “Maybe you should go.”
“Go to Seattle without my boss beside me? That’ll be the day! You’re the brains behind this whole thing, Greta. I can’t go without you. Who’s going to get drunk with me and drag me back to our hotel room at two in the morning?” Mad asked in all seriousness. It was true. She wasn’t kidding about anything she’d just said. That was exactly how she could be expected to behave in such conferences, which ensured that instead of being bored to death, you had the best time of your life.
“That was the first and the last time, Mad. We nearly got kicked out, remember?” I chuckled.
“It was fun though,” she winked.
“It was,” I agreed. “You’re the extrovert among us. I was voted ‘most introverted’ in high school.”
“Only because your student body president was a cheerleader and dumb as dirt,” Mad muttered. “She doesn’t know shit about you. And look at you now.”
I made a gesture of being crowned and smiled widely at my best friend.
“Besides, I may be an extrovert, but I am completely anti-social. Crowds are not my idea of fun,” she proclaimed with disgust in her voice. “Please, you have to come with me.”
Mad pouted and I couldn’t resist. I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. “Fine! I’ll come.”
“Yes!” Mad cheered happily. I smiled but noticed that it was almost lunch time. Our discussion had gone on for too long. I had agreed to meet Isaac for lunch. “I have to go.”
“Meeting?” Mad asked with suspicion.
“You know it.”
“I can come with you,” she suggested.
“I’m fine by myself.”
“You were never the sharing type, especially not when it comes to guys, or gossip,” Mad sighed.
“It’s not like that, I promise,” I said as I stood from my chair. “I’ll see you later. Okay?”
“Sure.”
I had decided to walk to the restaurant where we had agreed to meet. Even though I had walked briskly, I was running a little late. So, I dashed inside and found that he was already seated.
“Hey,” I said, a little breathless.
“Hey,” he greeted me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just walked here real fast.”
“You walked six blocks?” he asked with disbelief. “We really need to get you a car.”
“I’m fine. Walking is good for me. It gets my blood pumping,” I shrugged and looked at him. There were dark rings under his eyes and his usually sparkling green eyes seemed a little dull. “You look tired. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’ve just been dealing with a bit of stress.”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Okay,” I said quietly.
“I took the liberty of ordering for you. Something healthy.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Please tell me that that is code for a cheeseburger.”
As soon as I’d said that, the waiter brought our lunch to the table. The plate that he put down in front of me was piled up with an assortment of vegetables and fruits. There was nothing except greens and a few segments of orange on the plate. I couldn’t see any meat, or even nuts! This dish was taking the word “healthy” to a whole new level. In fact, I couldn’t help feeling a bit nauseous looking at it.
“Wow,” I said in an unenthused tone and glanced at Isaac.
“Looks good, right.” He was smiling, while I was cringing inside.
“I mean…I don’t hate it, but let me take this opportunity to remind you that this is a business arrangement, which means that we’re in this together. You don’t get to call all the shots. If I want to have a cheeseburger, then I will have a cheeseburger. Everything in moderation, OK?” I explained.
Isaac opened his mouth to reply, but resigned and just sighed. “I only want what’s best for the mother of my child,” he said in a low voice.
I pursed my lips and refrained from commenting further about the food. In a way, Isaac was being really sweet and caring by looking after my health, and I was touched by that gesture. He was being protective of the body that would soon house his child. So, I decided to give it a shot — for his sake. I stabbed at a piece of broccoli with my fork and took a bite. Admittedly, it was tasted good.
“Not bad,” I pointed out.
Isaac suppressed a smile. “I spoke with Dr. Fowler this morning, and he confirmed that our tests were positive. Everything looks good and we’re all set for the egg retrieval in ten days.”
“I always ensure that my eggs are ‘easy,’” I joked with a mouthful of broccoli.
Isaac laughed. “Very easy indeed. Your eggs are almost as good as my swimmers.”
“Hey,” I said and playfully pointed my fork at him. “It’s not a competition. We’re a team.”
“Yes, we are,” he laughed.
It felt good to talk like friends, without fighting or arguing about the business part of our relationship. Even though I could still feel the sexual tension, I chose to suppress my desires. What had happened at the park was a momentary lapse of judgment. We both knew that, and as adults, we were mature enough to move past that.
After we finished our meal, Isaac pulled out a big mint-colored gift bag. “This is for you.”
“What is this?” I asked, my eyes widening at the surprise.
“Just something to help you,” he shrugged.
I noticed that the sparkle in his eyes was back, and it made me giddy all of a sudden. As I opened the bag and looked inside at the contents, a wide smile formed on my lips. Isaac had got me a pair of fluffy pink socks, a pair of super-soft pajamas, packs of prenatal vitamins, a few books on pregnancy, and a whole bunch of healthy snacks for expecting mothers.
“Is this all for me?” I asked, a lump forming in my throat.
“Yes,” he answered and placed his hands on the table. “I’ve realized that this is harder for you than it is for me because you’re the one who has to go through the physical changes and the emotional rollercoaster ride. Pregnancy isn’t an easy thing, I’ve heard. So, I just want you to be as comfortable as possible, and I would do anything to make it super easy for you. I know this is a business arrangement, but I really want you to know that you’re important and that you matter to me.”
My eyes filled up with tears and I nodded slowly, trying hard not to cry. In my entire life, no one had done something this heartfelt for me, and that thought hit me hard.
“Thank you,” I whimpered as a tear ran down my cheek. Isaac reach out his hand and brushed the tear away. “Oh my God! I’m not even pregnant and I’m already emotional.”
Isaac chuckled and handed me a napkin. “It’s an emotional time for both of us. So, you can cry as much as you want to. I’ll be here to wipe all the tears way, or hand you a napkin, at least.”
I laughed and he smiled at me. “Thank you,” I said sincerely. As we got up from the table to leave, I gave Isaac a big hug. He had been really gracious and kind to me today. We walked out to the parking lot together and I waved him goodbye and he drove off in the other direction.
As I walked back to the office, clutching my gift bag in my hands, I thought of all the laughs Isaac and I had shared before he had left for college that fateful summer, seven years ago. I remembered one night in particular, when I was sitting on the balcony in my bedroom, wrapped in my favorite fluffy blanket. I had been feeling lonely that day at school, and the feeling had become worse by the time the sun went down. It was just a bad day, which my mother said was absolutely normal. But it didn’t feel normal to me.
I used to spend many nights out there, just staring across the backyard, pretending that everything was okay. I had been so lost in thoughts that I didn’t hear Isaac come into my bedroom. He came to sit down beside me on the balcony. We didn’t talk much that night, but I appreciated his presence more than anything.
That night, he had told me how much he missed his parents and that he’d also felt lonely at times. He told me that if ever I wanted to talk, he was there to listen. Though he claimed that he was not great at giving advice, he would sit with me for however long I needed him.
I remember my vision blurring as tears formed in my eyes, and I couldn’t believe that he had said such a sweet thing. He’d always joke around with me, say silly things and make me laugh, but mostly when Garrett was around. However, that night, on the balcony, Isaac showed me the person he really was, and I loved this new side of him. That is why I had chosen him to be my first. Through all the years that I’d known him, he had never lied to me. He was always kind and sweet, so it was obvious that it had to be him.
Lost in these thoughts, I looked up to realize that I had reached my office building. I quickly wiped my eyes. As I walked in through the door, I realized that I had the gift bag with me. I bit my lip in worry. If Mad saw me with the bag, she would surely ask me about it. I had no other option but to tell her the truth. The whole truth.
I greeted everyone as I passed them on the way to my office, but didn’t see Mad on the floor.
“Cassie? Where’s Mad?”
“She’s gone out for a coffee. Her favorite coffee place just opened nearby.” she answered.
“Okay,” I answered with relief and headed to my office. I quickly hid the bag under my desk and sat down in my chair, pretending as if everything was normal.
But I couldn’t help smiling as I thought of Isaac’s gift and how thoughtful he had been. I realized that he was still the same boy who had sat down beside me on that balcony, helping me deal with the ups and downs of life by just being there for me. In all this time, his heart hadn’t changed, and I was glad about that.
I felt a sense of warmth growing inside me as I realized that Isaac would make a great father, and that the baby was going to be lucky to have him as a father. As I thought about the baby, I lowered my gaze to the gift bag under my desk and smiled, reaching for it. I took out the pregnancy book and turned to the first page. My eyes teared up again as I read what Isaac had written.
We’re in this together, so I got one for myself as well, since I get so uncomfortable with all these female terminologies. Hopefully, I’ll get the hang of it in the next nine months.
Thank you.
Isaac
I pursed my lips to suppress a cry escaping my throat and slammed the book shut. Now was definitely not the time to be tearing up. I slid the book back into the bag and drew in a few deep breaths to compose myself.
Pull yourself together, Greta. You’ve got this.
11
Isaac
So, today was finally the day.
Dr. Fowler was doing the egg retrieval procedure today, and my mind was flooded with an array of emotions as I sat beside Greta in the waiting room. As I had already given my sperm sample, we were now one step closer to getting pregnant.
The pregnancy book that I had bought didn’t exactly cover this specific scenario, so I wasn’t sure whether it was normal to feel anxious, scared, and excited at the same time.
It probably was.
I felt bad for Greta though. She was going to have an uncomfortable, and possibly painful procedure today. Despite knowing that she was a strong woman, I could imagine that she was feeling overwhelmed and nervous.
A sudden protective feeling overcame me, and I placed my hand over hers. Her gaze met mine and she smiled at me.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “You?”
“I’m a little nervous. I’ve never had my eggs sucked out of my follicles before,” she answered.
I stifled a chuckle and squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll be right there with you.”
“I know,” she smiled.
The fear was evident in her hazel eyes, so I held on to her hand. I wanted her to feel supported and safe. Suddenly, I wondered what it would have been if we had been doing this for real – as a real couple and not as business partners. We’d definitely not resort to such drastic measures. We’d have tried to get pregnant the traditional way.
I thought back to our little rendezvous in the park, and couldn’t help but smile. But I shouldn’t be thinking about that, as I had promised Greta that I’d be professional. There was no use letting our hormones get in the way.
Soon, the door opened and Dr. Fowler called us in.
Once we settled into our seats, the doctor retrieved a small plastic cup from a cabinet and said, “As you already know, all the test results are positive. Everything is perfectly fine and we are ready to go, but before we proceed today, I just need another urine sample from you, Greta.”
“Another one?” she asked, frowning.
“This is just standard procedure. We want to make sure that there is no trace of an infection that can have a negative effect on the retrieval process. It’s nothing to worry about, I assure you.”
“Okay,” Greta said as she rose to her feet and took the cup from the doctor.
“There is a restroom to your left.”
Greta nodded and turned to look at me. I nodded reassuringly. She drew in a deep breath and went to the restroom.
“Isaac, I am very optimistic about having an easy procedure today. Looking at both your test results, you are both in perfect health. There is absolutely nothing compromising your fertility, and I am positive the egg will implant without issue.”
“That is good to hear, Doctor,” I nodded, but a strange feeling overcame me. Strangely, it was a pang of guilt. I had just realized that I hated how artificial and clinical this felt to me. I couldn’t imagine what it was like for Greta.
I’d know Greta for years and cared about her deeply, even more than I thought I did. Seeing her again had brought out many emotions that I had been suppressing. She was my best friend’s little sister, and Garrett would never forgive me if he found out that I’d taken her virginity during Spring Break. He’d told me that Greta was off-limits, especially after that night when he’d seen us talking on her balcony. That night, I had spoken to her about missing my parents, even though Uncle Anthony was doing his best to ensure that I had a normal life. But “normal” wasn’t normal for me.
After my parents’ sudden deaths, Uncle Anthony moved into our house, so that I could have some stability. He had always had my best interests at heart, which is why I found it strange that he’d included the part about producing an heir by the time I was thirty, or risk losing the company. I knew that Uncle Anthony had been a firm believer in the idea of a family, which was also strange as he was divorced and had no children. Maybe he realized his mistake too late and regretted his divorce. Whatever it was, I had never understood it and he hadn’t explained it to me either.
But I guessed losing his sister and brother-in-law made him feel differently about family.
The door opened, whirling me back to the present moment, and I looked at Greta as she handed the cup back to the doctor.
“Isaac, would you like to join us inside the examination room?” Dr. Fowler asked.
I turned to Greta and raised my eyebrows. “Will that be okay?”
“Yes,” sh
e answered. “I want you there.”
We entered the examination room and Greta sat down on the bed. The doctor advised me to take a seat on the chair beside her. I lightly touched Greta’s knee and she smiled nervously at me.
“It’s also procedure to do a pregnancy test before the egg retrieval, just in case,” the doctor explained as he dipped a plastic pregnancy test into Greta’s urine for a few seconds, before resting it down on the metal tray beside him. “While we wait, I’ll just check your vitals.”
The doctor checked Greta’s blood pressure, which was normal, as well as her heartbeat, her circulation, and her glands. Then, he turned back to the test, studied it for a second, and shook his head. He took out another stick and dunked it into the sample.
“How has the last two weeks been? Have you been stressed?” he asked Greta.
“Work is going through a bit of a rough patch, but nothing too stressful. I have been doing meditation before bed, which makes me sleep better. And I have been reading a very informative book about pregnancy and everything that I can expect from it.” Greta looked at me with a smile, and I couldn’t help but reciprocate the gesture. Truth be told, I had spent the past two weeks reading that same book at night. I wanted to know everything that was in store for us, no surprises.
“That’s good. It’s great to be prepared, especially for something so important,” the doctor told her. “And how was your last menstrual period?”
“It was lighter than usual. But other than that, quite normal.”
“No abnormal pain or bloating?”
“No, not at all. I don’t usually get a lot of bloating. In my teens, yes. But it’s gotten better once I hit my twenties,” she answered.
The doctor nodded and turned back to the second test on the tray. He cocked his head and turned to Greta with a strange expression on his face.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Greta, have you had unprotected sex in the past two weeks?” the doctor asked.
Greta blushed and I frowned.
“Why would you ask that, doctor?” I asked him.
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