“I never thought I’d see the day when Reason St. Pierre would ask me to connect him to anything associated with surrogacy.”
“Nigga, you the one who brought it to my attention.”
He was still laughing. “You right. You got me there. I just never thought you would consider it. I’ll buzz Nehemiah when we get off the line.”
“Bet. I’ll holla at you later.”
We ended the call, and I plopped down in my chair.
Was this the route I really wanted to take? Would Saje accept this?
She was so devastated. Memories of the hurt I saw on her face earlier were on my brain, and it confirmed that this was the right thing to do. Saje wouldn’t have to worry about anything. The fact that she went out of her way to go get checked showed me how determined she was to become a mother. She cared enough to take that step.
Therefore, I would do my job to make sure we became parents, even if we had to use a surrogate to make it happen.
CHAPTER 11
EMBER
Ipulled into the parking lot designated for visitors in my bucket. The loud screeching of my brakes caught the attention of the valet attendants. They gave each other a look as embarrassment washed over me. Instead of driving in their direction, I looked around for a ‘Self-Parking’ sign, and when I found it, that’s what I opted for.
Little Miracles Surrogacy was located in Santa Monica. Being in a wealthy area already had me feeling out of place and ready to hop back on the freeway and head back to my side of town.
After parking, I sat behind the wheel, trying to find the courage to get out of the car. I was on the verge of flaking because what was I doing?
Ember, turn around and take yo’ ass back to the hood. You don’t belong here.
Ember, grow some balls and go after a better life for you and Rhema.
It felt like it was good versus evil on each shoulder, having a debate over my future.
I took a deep breath, reached for my purse in the passenger seat, checked my face in the mirror, and stepped out of my car. Fear couldn’t win; I wouldn’t allow it to this time. “Fear notbecause God is with me,” I muttered to myself and headed to the elevator.
I arrived on the third floor and walked to Room 333. Once inside, I was greeted by a kind, older receptionist. She told me to have a seat until I was called. I looked around at all the posters on the gold, beige, and brown walls of overly happy pregnant women and photos of smiling families. In the waiting room was a clear glass table with stacks of brochures with information about surrogacy. I grabbed one and slipped it into my purse.
When I first contacted the agency, I was advised to go online and save time by completing the initial questionnaire. Then the surrogacy coordinator, Tina, reviewed the basic qualifications and gathered information about my background, work, and personal motivations for wanting to become a surrogate. That question caught me off guard because, although my only motivation was that I desperately needed money, I couldn’t bring myself to say so. Instead, I told her I wanted to give a family the gift of becoming parents.
After our phone conversation, Tina scheduled an in-person appointment for me to meet with the agency representative, Leiyah, for the official intake process, which would include a more in-depth review. Now, here I was, with sweaty palms and feeling uncomfortable, as doubt kept nagging at me.
Someone opened a door, and two beautiful Black women in business suits walked out.
“Ember?” one of them asked.
“Yes, hi.” I stood and greeted them.
“I’m Tina. We spoke on the phone. And this is Leiyah, the agency representative I told you about.” Both women extended their hands for me to shake, then said, “Please follow us.”
Their friendly faces and welcoming dimpled smiles made me feel relaxed. They looked like they could’ve been sisters. The pair shared many similarities, even down to their flawless cocoabrown skin tone. The main difference was that Leiyah was much taller than Tina.
“Ember, it’s so nice to meet you.” Tina glanced my way as we walked down multiple halls. “Before we get started, can we get you a beverage or snacks?”
“It’s nice to meet you as well. And yes, I’ll have a water, please.”
Leiyah slowed down. “I’ll grab that for you and meet you two in the boardroom.”
“Sounds great,” Tina replied as we continued trotting down the hall.
We made it to the end of the hall and stood in front of two dark wooden double doors. Tina unlocked them, pushed them open, and stepped aside to allow me to enter first. She followed behind me and gestured toward a large table, the same deep color as the doors.
