I couldn’t let my mind linger too long on my parents. Those thoughts took me to a dark place I struggled to get away from. Life was already kicking my ass; I couldn’t add to it.
My phone buzzed next to me, interrupting my current thoughts, and I gladly accepted the distraction. I didn’t recognize the number and usually didn’t answer anyone who wasn’t saved. I stared at the screen as it continued to ring. It stopped and started again. Whoever was on the other end was persistent, and when it stopped and rang again for the third time, I answered.
“Hello? Who is this?”
“Hey, Ember Heart. This is Amara Honor. I own Little Miracles Surrogacy along with my husband, Nehemiah Honor. You met our surrogacy coordinator, Tina, and our agency representative, Leiyah, about a month ago.”
Owner?
“Mrs. Honor. Hey, how are you?” I greeted calmly, but my heart raced from anticipation.
I perked up because I never thought I would hear back from Little Miracles Surrogacy after my meeting. I had given up that idea along with any hope when I didn’t hear back from them after three weeks. Now that Mrs. Honor was calling, I was very curious to know why she was on my line.
“Please, call me Amara. Is it okay if I call you Ember?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Great. You would usually hear from Tina or Leiyah throughout this process, since my husband and I are usually behind the scenes. However, you will hear from me or Nehemiah from here on out. When it comes tospecialcases, we like to be more involved.”
“That’s okay with me,” I answered. What else could I say? It was this woman’s business.
Amara sounded like a take-charge businesswoman. Her voice carried authority, but not the kind that made me feel uneasy.
“It’s been a while since you met with Tina and Leiyah, so I’m calling to find out if you’re still interested in becoming a surrogate?”
Oh shit! What the hell! This is not what I was expecting.
I stood to my feet and paced around the room with the phone glued to my ear.
“Hello, Ember? Are you still there?”
“Uh, um. Yes, yes, Mrs.—I mean, Amara. I’m still here?”
I was freaking out. Was it really about to happen?
“Are you still interested?” she repeated as the line went silent again.
My body tingled all over. “Yes, I’m still interested.”
“Great. We believe you meet the criteria for one of our families.”
Who, me?
“Oh, okay.” I didn’t know how else to respond.
I heard her shuffling through papers and then typing. “I’m looking over your file, and I see that you provided your medical documents. However, we would love for you to get a physical examination through our company. Once that’s cleared, we’ll continue, and I’ll give you all the details. Do you have any questions or concerns?”
“No, not at the moment,” I answered quickly.
“Perfect. The number I called from is my personal number. If anything comes up, you can call me anytime, and I’ll be glad to answer your questions.”
“Thank you.”
“The pleasure is mine. When would you like to come in for your examination?”
The eviction notice on the chair handle caught my attention.
Without hesitation, I asked, “Do you have any availability for today?”
