The corners of her lips lifted into the sweetest smile. “I promise.”
“That’s my girl.”
I heard a slight buzzing noise and looked around, trying to find where it was coming from. It didn’t take me long to realize it was coming from my purse. I reached into the bag for my phone and noticed I had a missed call from Amara.
Oh shit.
I instantly went into panic mode.
Amara left a voicemail telling me to return her call. I glanced around, wanting to step outside to have a private conversation, but when I looked at Rhema’s wide eyes and parted lips, I chose to stay. I couldn’t let her out of my sight.
I dialed Amara’s number back, and when she answered, I lowered my tone.
“Hey, Amara. Sorry I missed your call.”
“Hi, Ember. Thanks for returning my call. I was calling to let you know the results from your physical exam came back, and everything looks great,” Amara said, cutting straight to the point. “Also, you were selected to become a surrogate for a family. Congratulations!”
Amara said a mouthful in such a short time.
My eyes were now as wide as Rhema’s, but for different reasons.
Was this really happening? Can I really carry a baby for someone else? What if I get attached to their child? Nah, I can’t do this.
“Ember?”
Amara’s voice snapped me from my thoughts.
“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that, please?” I needed more time to process what she said and time to come up with some type of response.
“Of course. The results from your physical exam have been cleared. And I also said you were chosen to be a surrogate for a husband and wife. Would you still like to move forward?”
My prior thought about no one wanting a Black woman to be their surrogate had been proven wrong.Why wouldn’t Black surrogates be wanted? Black women are amazing.
Amara threw me for a loop. The last thing I expected to hear was that I had been chosen. It had been about two months since I applied to become a surrogate, but it still felt like things were moving fast.
“Yes, Amara. I’m still interested,” I found myself saying.
“Awesome! I’ll go over a few things with you. If you have any questions, please let me know.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath, not believing what I was getting myself into.
“We’ll start with the payment details first. The intended parents are paying eighty thousand dollars. You’ll receive forty thousand dollars once a heartbeat is confirmed, and the second half will be paid after the baby is born.” She sniffled before continuing. “They do not want you working while you’re pregnant and will pay for lost wages, food, and living expenses along with the eighty thousand dollars.”
My heart stopped.
Surrogacy was starting to sound like a dream come true. I still had my concerns, and fear still had a hold on me. Other thanthat, this would eliminate my financial problems and put me ahead… for once in my life.
“They’ll cover any extra costs pertaining to the pregnancy. Depending on the circumstances, payments can be negotiated, since things can change at any given time.”
“Circumstances such as?” I inquired out of curiosity.
“So, let’s say you were to get pregnant with twins… maybe triplets.” She paused, sounding like she was shuffling through papers. “One second.”
“Oh, here it is. Never mind, I see here that you’re only interested in carrying one child at a time,” she went on. “Other instances include c-section fees, maternity clothes, life insurance, or things of that nature. In those cases, payment can be negotiated.”
“Oh, okay, I see. Thank you for explaining.”
“No problem. Ember, I also wanted to mention that it’s important for you to know that both parties will remain anonymous. All information will go through either myself or my husband, Nehemiah. There are some things I haven’t gone over yet, but I’ll be emailing you with more in-depth details and stipulations. If you’re confused about anything in the paperwork, you can reach out, and I will clear up any confusion. In the meantime, do you have any questions?”
