All Things For Our Best Life

“You’re late on your rent, your utilities are all set to be cut off, there’s no food in the house, and you have three children. You must take this offer, Lawrence. You have no other choice,” his sister told him. “Besides, Jada will have a better life than you could ever hope to provide her. She may not think so now…but one day she will thank you,” Marilou told her brother. Lawrence looked at his sister sadly and agreed.

“Call Mrs. DeRoya and set up the meeting. I’ll find a way to explain it to Jada and hope she won’t hate me forever,” Lawrence said in defeat. Marilou hugged her brother and left. He sat up in his hospice bed and looked at the picture of his children with tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry I let you down, my children,” he said.

Jada had just graduated from high school and celebrated her 18th birthday, both in one week. Marilou had been the only one in attendance for her, but she was glad she had her aunt. Her father had been sick for so long, and now he was in the final stages of his cancer. Jada wasn’t sure what path she would go, but she did hope that she could get a college degree and have a better life than what she had experienced so far. Until then, she had to keep up her waitressing job at the restaurant and take care of her younger brother and sister.

Jada prayed and asked God to provide a miracle that would be a solution to her family’s problems. They had always been poor, but this was the worst situation they had ever been in. Her father had to be taken to the hospital two weeks ago, and she had become the sole provider for their home. Marilou had given them what money she had that she could to help, but she wasn’t exactly rolling in money herself.

The young girl had a huge responsibility placed upon her shoulders, but she was determined not to lose their home or have the children sent to foster care. She had been waiting tables and using her tips to buy gas and groceries, but it was barely enough most days. Her paycheck had not been enough to pay all the bills since her father had let them get so far behind.

It wasn’t his fault, she told herself. The chemo had affected his brain, and he could not remember to pay the bills. Had he let her know months before she would have already been working and helping him out. They had lost their mother in a car accident 8 years ago when Charity was just a baby, so Jada had been a mother to her and Charley ever since. Her father had spent time in prison for some foolish choices when he was younger, so he had never been able to have a job with a pension and insurance and was ineligible for unemployment. He had always just done under the table handyman jobs. Once he was unable to work, there was no money for them to come in until Jada got a job.

The girl thought of the overwhelming situation and cried as she held the steering wheel on her way home from work. She had a box of leftovers for the children she had managed to sneak out of the restaurant. They had a strict policy on taking leftovers home, but she had no choice, there wasn’t money to buy food for them today. She worried about them losing their home and resorting to living in their car.

When she got home, her aunt told her that her father needed her to come to the hospital this evening for an important meeting. She said they would be meeting with some people who may be able to help them with their financial situation. Jada didn’t know who these people were, but she was very glad for anyone who could help them out of this impossible mess. She hoped that this was the miracle she had been praying for.

Jada came in and gave the children kisses and hugs and made plates of the leftovers for them. Charity had math homework, but Jada told her she had to run to the hospital for a meeting. She asked Charley to help her with it. Charley was a math whiz anyhow, so he was the best one to tutor her. She drank an energy drink and freshened up a little, changing into a blouse and jeans and got ready to leave.

Before going out the door, she gave her aunt the usual instructions about making sure they did their homework, took their baths, and said their prayers before bed. She knew that her aunt would automatically do those things, but she just felt better saying them.

Marilou was a phlebotomist and worked night shift. Fortunately, she was off tonight. She shooed Jada out the door, assuring her that she would take good care of them. “Don’t open the door for anyone,” Jada added. “We know, now go, your dad is waiting for you,” her aunt told her. They lived in a slum neighborhood where break-ins were commonplace, so she couldn’t help but worry.

Jada arrived at her father’s hospice room to find a room full of people. “Have a seat, Miss Pence,” a man in a business suit instructed. She felt nervous, wondering what was going on. “Daddy, are you okay?” She asked. “Yes honey, I’m doing fine, this meeting isn’t about me, its about our finances. I’ll let the lawyer explain it all,” he said.

“Miss Pence, we have called you here because the DeRoya family have generously offered a solution to your family’s financial difficulties,” the lawyer explained. He gestured toward an Italian looking older lady and a younger Italian man beside her. The lady looked to be in her fifties, a little snooty and apparently very rich by the way she was dressed and the diamonds she wore, Jada thought. The man beside her resembled her, so she supposed was her son. He was a very handsome Italian gentleman with dark features, dark complexion, and dark hair. He wore an expensive looking suit and shoes, which he was currently looking down toward. He appeared to be very sullen, not making any effort to be polite. Neither one of them seemed very friendly for that matter, Jada perceived.

“As you are aware, your father’s medical bills are mounting and to continue his stay here, a payment must be made. You both know that you cannot take the chance of losing his bed here since his condition is rapidly declining,” another man said. He also wore a suit and bore a name badge that said “Scott, Case Manager”. “So, these people have come forward to give you a payment option to consider,” he continued. “I’ll let Mr. Hastings the lawyer explain their offer.

“Thank you, Scott,” Mr. Hastings began. “The DeRoyas have offered full payment of your father’s medical expenses for the duration of his life, including his past due medical bills. They will put aside college funds for you and your siblings, and they will pay all your utilities, rent and other debts,” he explained.

Jada looked at her father, confused. Lawrence looked back at her with a sad countenance, mouthing “I’m sorry.” Jada was even more concerned then. She turned back to Mr. Hastings seeking answers. “I don’t understand, why would these strangers do all this for us?” she asked.

Mrs. DeRoya cleared her throat, signaling that she would answer the girl. “Miss Pence, I only had one child, my son Brayden here. My husband was also an only child. So, unless Brayden produces an heir, our bloodline here in the United States is lost. What we need is a surrogate to carry the child. If you sign the contract, when the child is born you will receive one million dollars to take your siblings and go have a good life,” she said, staring at her without emotion.

“You will not live in your current neighborhood, though, while carrying a DeRoya heir. You will live in the old mansion, which is still very nice, and be given servants and a groundskeeper as well to care for you and your family. You will also be given a spending card of $25,000 for you and your siblings to use as you please for clothing and such while living there,” she explained.

Jada looked over at Brayden who had never had the courtesy to even make eye contact with her during his mother’s entire speech. Jada frowned, processing all the information Mrs. DeRoya had given her. “So…I’m to have sex with your son, a total stranger who doesn’t even have common courtesy to look at me, and hopefully I’ll get pregnant in one pop. I’m to live in an old mansion near you and the sperm donor. But when the baby is born, I’m to take the money and my happy hiney away, leaving the baby behind. Is that what I’m understanding?” Jada asked, being very insulted.

“Jada!” Her father scolded her for her insolence. “Miss Pence, the DeRoya’s offer is very generous,” the lawyer began. “Not only are they paying all your bills, but they are providing you a nice home with servants, giving you a generous spending card and one million dollars,” he said, clarifying their offer.

“You will not be having sex with me,” the younger man finally spoke, rather rudely. “It will be performed in a clinic by artificial insemination. I won’t even be there. I’m just the ‘sperm donor’ as you put it,” he answered tersely, finally making eye contact with her. The likelihood of you becoming pregnant that way is 99.9% as opposed to the ‘one pop’ method you suggested,” he said, meaning the insults. The look he gave her was one of pure hatred, staring at her with angry eyes that seemed to penetrate her very soul with the evil within him.

“Mr. DeRoya, I’m sure there are plenty of rich witches out there that would be more than happy to have your baby no matter by what method,” Jada answered him, standing. “But I am a Christian…and I am a virgin, and I don’t want my first time to be in a clinic with a turkey baster!”

Turning to Mrs. DeRoya, she continued. “Furthermore, I would not want this rude man’s sperm in me even for a moment. And if I ever do have a child, I would never leave it behind for any amount of money!” she shouted.

Looking at her father with tears in her eyes, she apologized and ran out of the room. Brayden dropped his head, ashamed for insulting the young lady. A slight grin tickled the corner of his mouth, though at her spunkiness. He thought she was quite a little firecracker, and he secretly liked it. “Let me talk to her, Sir,” he told Jada’s father. “I owe her that much,” he said, leaving the room.

Brayden found the girl hanging over the balcony looking down upon the fountain on the ground floor, considering her circumstances. “Don’t jump,” he teased. “The cleanup is messy,” he said, coming to stand beside her. “Leave me alone. What? Did they send you to drag me back in by my hair?” She asked sarcastically. “I volunteered,” he said, with the corner of his mouth twitching against a smile. He liked this spunky girl.

“You didn’t get to hear the best part of the contract,” he said. “You mean it gets better?” She asked, joking. “You get to be Mrs. Brayden DeRoya for nine months,” he told her with a side grin. “Be still my heart!” She said dripping with sarcasm. “You got something against older men?” He asked. “Older men?” She asked. “Yeah, I’m 29,” he said, his eyes revealing his amusement. Jada was not amused, though. She took a deep cleansing breath and blew out her frustration. She knew she had no other choice. “Come on, let’s get this over with,” she said.

“What?! You’re gonna do it?” He asked. “Sure, why not?” she asked, looking up at him, lacking emotion. “It was the thought of marrying me that persuaded you, wasn’t it?” He teased. She rolled her eyes at him. He couldn’t hold back a chuckle at her. She started ahead of him, which gave him a view of her perfect round peach bottom as she walked away in her jeans.

“Stop checking out my butt!” She scolded, feeling his gaze on her. He smiled, thinking this may not be quite as miserable an adventure as he had originally thought. She was fine, fresh, funny, and feisty. What more would he want in a wife? he asked himself, smiling.

Jada returned to her father’s room with Brayden following. She walked over to the table and signed the contract without a word. A tear fell from her cheek and dripped onto the paper. Brayden pressed his lips together in a thin line, feeling bad for the young girl. He felt a pang of guilt that this contract caused her to lose her innocence, her hopes and her dreams of what adult life should be. Hopefully when this time is over, she can start a new life and find happiness, though, he considered.

Lawrence called to her. She looked at him and he held his arms out to her. She ran over to him and fell into his arms, sobbing. “Sweetheart, I’m so so sorry you had to do this. We had no other way, “thank you, honey. You saved our family,” he said. “I love you, Daddy,” she said, laying on his chest. Everyone slipped out of the room silently and gave them time alone.