CHAPTER 9
"You're back." Evans said, staring at the man standing in her lounge. Audrey had just let him in her office. "I've closed for the day; you know."
"I'm sorry. I'm in a bind here too." Jason spoke in hushed tone. "We need to talk. Can we do that here or...?"
Recalling last night incidence, she chose her office, "Here."
"Perfect. I brought wine."
"I'll pass." she smiled still thinking of last night. She walked him to the corner where they had good view and sat. "So, how may I help you?"
He opened the wine even though she didn't want to drink so she went to get two glasses and a bottled water for her. He poured himself the wine and filled her glass with water. Then he handed it over to her.
"We needed a surrogate when my wife couldn't give birth." He said, launching into a story that was obviously painful to talk about. "That was before she had three miscarriages and we found out she was having womb cancer."
"Oh my God." Evangeline said, before she could caution herself. Her hands instantly covered her mouth to suppress whatever she had been about to say, knowing he didn't like that.
"It's okay." He smiled painfully and took a sip. "When it was obvious she couldn't give birth, she wanted adoption but I couldn't do that. I didn't want to. So she let me be. Then she came up with surrogacy. We wanted a child of ours. My sperm. Her eggs. It was not to be." He swallowed a gulp again and she reached for her water too suddenly wishing she could have the drink.
He saw her looking at the wine. "Want some now?" He asked. She nodded and he turned the water in the hand wash bowl just a few steps away and filled her glass with wine. She thanked him and sipped slowly.
"Surrogacy become the next option. She was okay with the child being mine. She was going to love her. Or him." He sniffed loudly. "But we agreed to do the selection locally. No strange online egg donors or surrogate mother. It had to be someone we picked."
He drank his whole cup this time. "When she suggested you as our surrogate, I didn't want burden you with such. But she can be quite persistent. She made Doctor Tom and I promise to at least inform you and have you turn us down than not saying anything."
So that's how Doctor Tom became involved in all these, Evans noted mentally.
"She started falling sick right after. There was no time to pick anyone. But she never gave up. It was her dying wish that I let you know soon."
"I'm sorry you lost her. She must have loved you so much." Evans said, reaching out to pat his hands. He watched the hand.
"She loved me, as I loved her." He stood up to leave. "I'll give you time to think about it. It doesn't matter what your answer is. I'll respect your decision." He said.
"Okay, I'll get back to you." She said standing up too.
"Can I take you home?" He offered.
"You can just tail me home. It's pretty late."
"Okay." He said and they both set out. She locked her door and went with him to the park.
The next day, Evans was in Miami to see her sister. "What couldn't we talk about on phone?"
"Surrogacy." Evan blurted out. She had come to Miami to let her sister know about the proposal and to see Doctor Tom about the procedure. Last night, she had deliberated all night about it. She was becoming excited about it really. "What will you say if I tried surrogacy?"
"I'm lost."
"I mean if I became a surrogate mother."
Adriana sighed heavily, "I'd ask if you are alright. Is this some kind of emotional breakdown? Are you not over Logan yet?"
"I'm okay, really." She smiled to sound convincing. "Okay here's the thing." She went into the full story of the Valdez.
"And you're considering doing this?" Adriana asked having listened to the whole story. She didn't know what to make of it.
"It's going to be my child too. His sperm, my eggs." She explained.
"This makes me want to throw up," Adriana teased, "You'd be having a baby. Your baby!" She said excitedly.
"The baby is not entirely... mine. I don't know why you're getting so excited" Evans teased.
"Wow... Mom's going to freak out."
"Please don't tell her. Until it's done, that is."
"Sure," Adriana promised "She's sure will faint. I'll let you do the honours."
