“We just need to wait a couple minutes for it to kick in. I’m anxious to get started as soon as possible,” the doctor says.
I nod, feeling the same. I just want my baby to be okay.
Ethan soon rushes in and is by my side within seconds. He takes my hand as the doctor puts up a little curtain so I can’t see anything from the chest down.
Ethan kisses my hand. “Look at me, Alice.” I do. “Everything’s going to be okay. I promise.”
Tears run down my cheeks as I nod. “I love you.” I don’t care that we’ve been separated these last few weeks. I’m just so grateful that he’s by my side.
“I love you, too. I love you so, so much.” He kisses my hand again before smiling. “We’ll get through this together. You and I are a team. Soon, we will add a third member.”
Through the tears, I start to laugh. “I can’t wait.”
“Okay,” the doctor says. “I need to make sure you’re well anaesthetised before we deliver your baby. Tell me if you can feel anything.”
I wait to feel something, but I don’t. I shake my head. “No, I can’t feel anything.”
“Okay. Let’s begin.”
Everything goes silent. I wait to feel some pain, but nothing comes. Instead, after a few minutes, I feel a tugging sensation inside me. If I weren’t so scared about the baby, this would freak me out.
Something catches Ethan’s eye, so he looks up. “What’s going on?” I ask. “Ethan, what’s happening?”
I hear a suction sound. “The baby’s out. They’re just trying to clear her airway.”
“It’s a girl?”
Looking at me, he nods, but there’s no smile. My heart sinks as I watch a nurse rush our baby over to the far corner of the room. Judith joins her. When I see the other nurse place a stethoscope into her ears to listen to our baby’s heart, I start to cry all over again.
Please, say our baby will be okay. I’ll do anything—just make her be okay.
Just as I finish praying, a sound is heard that makes my heart skip a beat. The sound of a baby crying. “Oh, my god,” I cry. “Is she okay?”
Judith turns around. “She’s fine.”
“You did it, baby,” Ethan says, kissing me on the lips. “I’m so proud of you.”
“You always knew we were having a girl.”
He winks. “See, I told you.”
I could chastise him for being so cocky, but this is a moment he has a right to be. “Here’s your baby,” Judith says, placing her in my arms. “She had Meconium Aspiration, but she’s fine now.”
I frown. “What’s that?”
“It’s when the baby poops inside of you and inhales a mixture of the meconium and amniotic fluid,” Ethan says. Judith looks at him, impressed.
“That sounds terrible,” I say.
Judith places a hand on my shoulder. “It does sound bad, but we’ve checked her over and she’s fine.”
I smile brightly. “Thank you so much.” I glance down at the tiny bundle in my arms, noticing the small amount of light hair on top of her head. When I look into my baby’s eyes, that bond I always hear about hits me like a ton of bricks. Right then, I know I will love, care, and cherish this baby until the day I die.
“She’s beautiful,” I say through my tears. She holds out her tiny hand and I place my finger inside. Instantly, she grips it. “Oh wow. She’s a strong one.”
“Just like her mother.”
Looking up, I see Ethan staring adoringly at us both. In my heart, I know I could never let him go. I know he did wrong, but I would be a fool to believe his love for me isn’t genuine. I can be sure of that. Just by looking at the way he stares at our daughter, I know he is going to love her just as fiercely. How could I begrudge her that kind of love? Besides, he is willing to love her no matter who the father is. How many men would do that?
“Do you want to hold her?” I ask.
Eagerly, he holds out his hands, nodding. Ethan gently lifts her from my arms and cradles her close to his chest. “So you’re the one who’s been kicking the life out of your mother.”
I can’t help the smile that creeps up on my face. I’m filled with so much love right now.
“When you have a boy, you become a father, but when you have a girl, you become a daddy,” Ethan says, making more tears spring to my eyes.
“You’re turning me into a blubbering mess,” I complain.
Ethan looks down at me. “You could never look a mess. You’re beautiful no matter what. Thank you for looking after our daughter.” He looks down at her and places his finger inside her little palm. Instantly, she grips it. “Now it’s my turn. Mummy’s going to need some looking after for a while, so I’m going to need your help, little one.”
As the doctor finishes stitching my stomach, Judith comes over and stares at the baby. “She is beautiful.” She looks at me and Ethan. “Do you have a name for her yet?”
Ethan and I look at each other. He smiles. “How about Judith?”
Instant tears fill my eyes again as I smile. Knowing that he wants to name our baby after my mother makes me love him even more. If my mother were here, I think she would not only feel honoured, but extremely proud.
As a lone tear rolls down my face, I reach out and place my hand over his. “I think that would be perfect.”
Epilogue
Three years later
Ethan
I can’t say that the last few years have gone by without a hitch. In fact, the number of years before Alice and I got together weren’t easy. At least I can now relax and enjoy the precious moments Alice and I have shared.
Today is our daughter’s third birthday and everyone is here to enjoy the fun. My sister’s helping my very pregnant wife gather plates and food. The kids are running amuck outside, and I can tell Alice’s best friend, Sally, is a little tipsy as she snuggles up to her fiancé, Larry. When Alice and I married last year, Sally said she wanted to wait until this year before she and Larry tied the knot. I’m glad Alice has Sally in her life. She’s been a great friend to her…unlike my vindictive ex-wife. I haven’t heard from her since our divorce over two years ago. I wish her well, but I know our marriage was always a sham.
As I stand there watching my daughter running around the sofa, I smile. If I didn’t do what I did all those years ago, I wouldn’t be here now.
You see, when I found out my ex-wife was having an affair with a close colleague of mine a few years back, I didn’t get mad. I got even. I knew she wanted a baby, so I invented a story that I needed to go away for a few days on a doctor’s conference. Truth be told, I went and got a vasectomy. When we started trying and never got pregnant, I invented this other story that she was infertile. I know. I’m a fucking bastard.
But then again, I don’t care. Karma’s a bitch, as far as I’m concerned.
You could say I was a man scorned, and I guess you’d be right. But if all this wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have noticed Alice.
Sweet, gorgeous, sexy as hell Alice. I had been infatuated by her ever since I caught her and Sarah having a conversation in the kitchen a couple years before Sarah and I divorced. Sarah was complaining about not getting pregnant, and Alice offered her a shoulder to cry on, saying she would do anything she could to help. Over those next two years, I began to realise it was always Alice and I who were meant to be together. My biggest hurdle was the fact that she belonged to someone else. I took a risk when I mentioned the idea of surrogacy, secretly hoping she would selflessly volunteer. The thought of her pregnant with my baby made my cock stiffer than it ever was.
Thankfully, she spoke up that night and everything started going according to plan. Just before scheduling the inseminations, I made up another excuse that I needed to go away and had the vasectomy reversed. Luckily, it was a success, but then I had to find an excuse not to sleep with Sarah. It was hard, but I managed. We argued a lot, but I never even touched her, let alone slept with her. After her betrayal, I didn’t want her. Add in the fact t
hat I knew Kyle and she were sleeping together long before Alice ever knew, and I was certain Sarah’s baby couldn’t have been mine.
With those two sleeping together, things couldn’t have gone more perfectly. As their relationship continued, they started to get more and more reckless. I knew it was just a matter of time before Alice found out. I just hoped she would be pregnant by the time that happened. I was gutted when I found out Alice knew and Kyle had left. I didn’t know whether or not she was pregnant, but she hadn’t told me, so I became accustomed to the idea she may not be. Then I saw the magazine. My heart nearly jumped into my throat. I was elated. All those years of planning had paid off. Perhaps I could be a father now, wooing the mother of my baby in the process. Alice never looked at me in a way that said she was attracted to me, but I knew I could change her mind. If we spent a lot of time together, I knew I could persuade her that we belonged together.
What I didn’t plan on was Kyle and what he did with the condoms. I thought he was bluffing, but when I went to find him and have it out with him, I could see it in his eyes. He was telling the truth, actually looking quite smug about it. I could have decked him then and there, but I knew Alice would find out about it. It took every bit of willpower I had not to punch his fucking lights out. When Alice showed me the condoms in the basement, it just confirmed it.
After that, I needed a plan. When Kyle started demanding a paternity test, I knew I had to act. After the fake results came through, I took them to Kyle and told him to drop it. He said he didn’t trust me and there was only one way to get rid of him. Money. I could tell he was already drinking excessively, probably losing his job in the process. I took advantage of that. Let’s just say I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
With that fucking idiot out of our lives, I knew I would finally be able to have Alice all to myself.
I smile as Alice walks into the front room. We’re not in her old house anymore. I insisted on her selling it and putting the money into a trust fund for Judith, and now our little boy who’s on the way. She doesn’t know it’s a boy yet, but I do. We now have a big four-bedroom house overlooking the sea with a spacious garden big enough for Judith and our new addition to run around in.
“Ethan, can you go fetch Judith for me? She needs to wash her hands before we sit down to eat.”
I look around the living room, not seeing her. “She was just here,” I say, gesturing to the room.
Alice laughs. When she does, I want to tell everyone to leave the room so I can have some time with my wife. You could say I am a little obsessed. Yes, I can admit that. I’ve been obsessed with her for years, but no one knows just how deep that obsession runs.
“You have to watch her like a hawk,” she playfully scorns.
Fuck me, she looks beautiful. She has on my favourite strappy sundress that shows off her beautiful perky tits. All I want to do when she wears it is bury my face in her chest before bending her over and fucking her from behind. The thought of that makes my dick stiff.
“I’m sorry, beautiful,” I say, stalking toward her and wrapping my arms around her for a kiss.
She giggles and tries to pull away. “Ethan, stop. This is a kid’s party. You can’t behave like this here. Not now. ”
“Can we tell them all to fuck off so I can bend you over our sofa?” I whisper into her ear.
She gasps, pushing me away. “No, you dirty little shit.”
“Ooo, I love it when you talk dirty, baby. If we can’t tell them all to fuck off, then how about we disappear into the toilet for a few minutes?”
She gives me a scornful look. “No. You have your daughter’s birthday party to host. Now, get hosting.”
Groaning, I reluctantly go in search of our daughter. It takes a good ten minutes to find her since she’s hiding in some bushes. She never fails to amaze me. She may be only three, but she would make an excellent spy.
“Daddy found me!” she cries with a giggle.
“Yes, I found you, sweetheart. But you were so hard to find. You make it very difficult for Daddy.”
“Can I go play?” she asks, pouting.
“Mummy says I have to bring you in and wash your hands.”
“But I want to play.”
“You can play after. If you’re a good girl, you can open a present before you eat.”
Her faces lights up and she jumps into my arms. “What is it?! What is it?!”
I laugh. “You’ll have to wait and see, sweetheart. First, we need to clean those hands.”
As I carry Judith into the house, I stare at her adorable face. When I look at her, I know it’s his smile I see, but at least she has her mother’s eyes. The same beautiful eyes that lit up on the day she told me she was pregnant. The same eyes that have a way of looking at you like you’re the most important person in the world.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and I know my Alice has the most beautiful soul one could ever possess. And, as I stare into our daughter’s eyes, I have no doubt in my mind that Judith’s is just as beautiful.
Bonus Chapter
Ethan – Before dinner with the Armstrongs
Although Alice and that shithead husband of hers are coming over tonight, I can’t help but follow her as she goes about her afternoon. She’s heading to a dentist appointment now. I know that because I often check the calendar they have hanging up on the kitchen wall. I remember it being at two thirty, silently laughing at the irony of that time. I made sure to clear all my appointments so I could follow her around. Watching Alice has become a favourite pastime of mine now. I often see her look over her shoulder like she can sense someone’s watching, but she never spots me.
I made sure to join the same gym she goes to. We often bump into each other and chat for a bit. I love those precious few minutes because it allows me to gaze into those sparkly brown eyes of hers without my treacherous wife or her lowlife husband watching me. She always wears these yoga pants that show off what a fantastic arse she has. When she walks away, I often find myself staring at her as she does. I can’t count the number of times I’d rush home hoping Sarah wasn’t in so I could fantasize about Alice as I got myself off.
I know... I have it bad. A psychiatrist would have a field day with me. I know I’m cheating on my wife in my head, but it’s nowhere near as bad as actually living out the fantasises like Sarah does on a regular basis. She thinks I have no idea. She thinks she can sit at home, acting like she’s lonely, while she spends my money and shags anyone who gives her the time of day. Supposedly, we’re trying for a baby, so at least she has the forethought to wear condoms with these mugs. I can’t have her getting pregnant and trying to make out that it’s mine. It would totally blow my plans of having Alice offer herself as a surrogate.
The more I think about it, the more my dick gets stiff. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s acting. I’m more than able to act like my interest in Alice is purely platonic, secretly plotting to get her pregnant with my baby, eventually stealing her from her shitbag husband. Alice has no idea how infatuated I am by her. Lately, she is all I ever dream and think about. The more time I spend with her, noticing how much of a pure heart she has, the more I despise my wife.
Taking a seat at a coffeehouse across the street from her dentist, I order a coffee and wait at the window for her to reappear. While I’m waiting, I can’t help but think how much of a lucky bastard that dentist is to get close to her as she opens her mouth. It makes me wonder what she would smell like. What she would taste like. For a brief moment, I wonder if it would be a good idea to buy her a latte and bring it to her, then I remember she’s not mine yet.
Patience, Ethan.
Patience has its rewards, and that reward is Alice becoming mine and mine only. Mine, like she was supposed to be eight years ago. I often think about suing that taxi company for screwing up. I’m sure I would have been as smitten with Alice then as I am now. Unfortunately, I got the scheming, lying cow. I must admit, she did work me. She worked me reall
y well back then.
Not anymore.
After another half-hour, my heart rate picks up when I see Alice emerge from the building. Throwing my cup in the bin, I quickly grab my paper and walk out, making sure to keep on the opposite side of the street and a few steps behind so she doesn’t notice me. Her favourite wine shop is right up the street. I wonder if she’ll go in there like she usually does and buy her normal bottle of Freixenet for tonight’s dinner party. I smile as she approaches and watch as she steps in. Knowing I need to do something, I look behind me and dash into a shoe shop. Immediately, I’m set upon by a saleslady.
“Looking for something for a girlfriend...or wife perhaps?” she says with a leer.
She’s fishing for information, but all I want to do is pretend I’m interested in these shoes so I can watch Alice.
“Or maybe,” she says, making me want to roll my eyes, “you want to buy some for yourself?”
Looking around, I notice they’re all women’s shoes. “No, not me. My wife loves shoes, so I thought I would pop in and see if I can find anything nice for her,” I say, trying to keep one eye on the store across the street.
“Oh, that’s nice. All women love shoes, so you’ve come to the right place. Do you know her size?”
I’m getting frustrated. I just want her to go away so I can wait for Alice. Is that too much to fucking ask?!
“No, I don’t,” I reply, hoping to get rid of her. “I just thought I would look first and see if I find something she may like. If I do, I can call her and ask.”
She rolls her eyes and smiles. “Maybe I can show you a few I think she may like.”
This girl doesn’t know anything about my wife. “No, that’s fine. I just want to browse for now.”
“Or...” she starts. All I want to do is get the fuck out of here. “You can guess the size and always bring them back if they don’t fit.”
A Surrogate Love Affair Page 26
