girl.
‘Yes,’ said her friend. ‘I
must admit I was quite surprised when I first heard what you were planning; but
I suppose if she’s happy, and you—’
‘She is. I think it’s all
worked out well. I haven’t seen her so happy in years. She has a child. It’s
her dream come true.’
On hearing that, Stephanie
couldn’t help feeling the stab of pain associated with the knowledge that she
could never have a child. The doctor had been clear about that: ‘I’m sorry,
Mrs. Forester, I’m afraid you will never be able to have children.’
It had been such a final
blow. Like someone had taken a baseball bat to her dreams. Knowing that she
would never know the joy of holding her own child was a burden she carried with
her every day. Every time she saw a small child playing, or a baby in a pram,
she would be back there in the doctor’s surgery, tears flowing from her eyes,
shock taking hold and refusing to let her go.
‘But how do you feel?’ asked
the girl with the brown hair, bringing Stephanie out of her trance.
‘Oh, I’m fine,’ said the
blonde girl. ‘It’s a wonderful feeling. I’ve given my sister something she’s
always wanted—a child of her own.’
‘But... it’s not really
hers.’
The blonde girl took a tissue
from her bag and blew her nose.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to
upset you, Stacy,’ said the brown haired girl.
‘No, no, you haven’t. I just
get a bit emotional...’
‘Well, yes, I suppose you
would. It must be the hormones. I’m not judging you or anything, but I really
don’t think I’d be able to give my baby away to someone else.’
‘It wasn’t hard to do. Josie
isn’t a stranger; she’s my sister, and we’re very close. Throughout the
pregnancy I told myself the baby was Josie and Paul’s. It is Paul’s baby, and
I’m sure Josie and Paul will make the best parents. I don’t regret it for a
minute.’
When Stephanie got off the
bus, she felt a new sense of hope surge within her. It was raining and she had
to open her umbrella, but it seemed to her as if the sun was shining. Roger
hadn’t agreed to adoption because he didn’t want a baby that wasn’t theirs. He
could still have a baby. Someone could have a baby for her and Roger. She
smiled to herself.
Stephanie mentioned the surrogacy option to Rita and she
actually asked Rita whether she’d consider having a baby for them. Rita
declined, saying she didn’t think it was a good idea. However, a couple of
months later, Rita phoned her:
‘Steph, remember you were telling me you wanted to
consider surrogacy as an option?’
‘Yes. Have you changed your
mind? Oh, Rita—’
‘No, no. I’m not offering.
But I talked to a friend of mine and she said she knows someone who might be
interested.’
‘Oh. Do you know her?’
‘No. She’s a student,
apparently. She has plans to travel abroad but is short of money. She mentioned
to my friend that she’d be willing to have a baby for you if you pay her.’
‘Well, how much does she
want? We have some savings, but bringing up a child is expensive and we’ll need
money.’
‘She hasn’t said how much,
but she’d like to meet with you and maybe you could discuss it with her. Her
name is Miranda Carey.’
Stephanie told Roger about it when he came home form work
that night:
‘Are you going completely crazy?’ was his initial
reaction.
‘You know how much I want a
child,’ she said. ‘I thought you did, too.’
They were sitting in the
living room on the brown leather sofa. Roger was smoking. He put out his
cigarette and turned to face her. He saw how his comment had upset her, as her
eyes were welling with tears. He reached out and touched her face softly.
‘Darling, you have to admit
this is a crazy idea. What woman in her right mind would give up her baby to a
complete stranger?’
He was talking softly, but
Stephanie felt that there was a patronising tone to his voice. She reached for
a tissue from the box just in
‘Yes,’ said her friend. ‘I
must admit I was quite surprised when I first heard what you were planning; but
I suppose if she’s happy, and you—’
‘She is. I think it’s all
worked out well. I haven’t seen her so happy in years. She has a child. It’s
her dream come true.’
On hearing that, Stephanie
couldn’t help feeling the stab of pain associated with the knowledge that she
could never have a child. The doctor had been clear about that: ‘I’m sorry,
Mrs. Forester, I’m afraid you will never be able to have children.’
It had been such a final
blow. Like someone had taken a baseball bat to her dreams. Knowing that she
would never know the joy of holding her own child was a burden she carried with
her every day. Every time she saw a small child playing, or a baby in a pram,
she would be back there in the doctor’s surgery, tears flowing from her eyes,
shock taking hold and refusing to let her go.
‘But how do you feel?’ asked
the girl with the brown hair, bringing Stephanie out of her trance.
‘Oh, I’m fine,’ said the
blonde girl. ‘It’s a wonderful feeling. I’ve given my sister something she’s
always wanted—a child of her own.’
‘But... it’s not really
hers.’
The blonde girl took a tissue
from her bag and blew her nose.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to
upset you, Stacy,’ said the brown haired girl.
‘No, no, you haven’t. I just
get a bit emotional...’
‘Well, yes, I suppose you
would. It must be the hormones. I’m not judging you or anything, but I really
don’t think I’d be able to give my baby away to someone else.’
‘It wasn’t hard to do. Josie
isn’t a stranger; she’s my sister, and we’re very close. Throughout the
pregnancy I told myself the baby was Josie and Paul’s. It is Paul’s baby, and
I’m sure Josie and Paul will make the best parents. I don’t regret it for a
minute.’
When Stephanie got off the
bus, she felt a new sense of hope surge within her. It was raining and she had
to open her umbrella, but it seemed to her as if the sun was shining. Roger
hadn’t agreed to adoption because he didn’t want a baby that wasn’t theirs. He
could still have a baby. Someone could have a baby for her and Roger. She
smiled to herself.
Stephanie mentioned the surrogacy option to Rita and she
actually asked Rita whether she’d consider having a baby for them. Rita
declined, saying she didn’t think it was a good idea. However, a couple of
months later, Rita phoned her:
‘Steph, remember you were telling me you wanted to
consider surrogacy as an option?’
‘Yes. Have you changed your
mind? Oh, Rita—’
‘No, no. I’m not offering.
But I talked to a friend of mine and she said she knows someone who might be
interested.’
‘Oh. Do you know her?’
‘No. She’s a student,
apparently. She has plans to travel abroad but is short of money. She mentioned
to my friend that she’d be willing to have a baby for you if you pay her.’
‘Well, how much does she
want? We have some savings, but bringing up a child is expensive and we’ll need
money.’
‘She hasn’t said how much,
but she’d like to meet with you and maybe you could discuss it with her. Her
name is Miranda Carey.’
Stephanie told Roger about it when he came home form work
that night:
‘Are you going completely crazy?’ was his initial
reaction.
‘You know how much I want a
child,’ she said. ‘I thought you did, too.’
They were sitting in the
living room on the brown leather sofa. Roger was smoking. He put out his
cigarette and turned to face her. He saw how his comment had upset her, as her
eyes were welling with tears. He reached out and touched her face softly.
‘Darling, you have to admit
this is a crazy idea. What woman in her right mind would give up her baby to a
complete stranger?’
He was talking softly, but
Stephanie felt that there was a patronising tone to his voice. She reached for
a tissue from the box just in
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