SHE WAS ALREADY HERE

FIONA'S POV

Jasper's words about April kept resurfacing in my mind as the cold breeze of the night brushed past me while I stood on the balcony.

I couldn't sleep. April was Jasper's first love. He had told me about her before we got married.

How she chose to go abroad over him, he had planned to propose to her the next day and she left without a goodbye, leaving him shattered.

It was the same woman he wanted to

carry our child. I couldn't let that happen.

Janice had been restless over this male child ruckus. She brought up this surrogate issue and now I had to watch our child grow in my husband's ex-girlfriend’s belly.

I looked back into the room, Jasper was sleeping calmly. Like he hadn't dropped a bomb.

He didn't even ask me what I was going to tell him. I was going to die and his ex was coming back into his life.

I walked back to the room and laid beside him. He was facing the other side. For the past few nights now, that was how he had been sleeping.

Away from me, not even holding me or giving me a kiss goodnight. I had tried talking to him about it, and he had promised to change, but all to no avail.

I guess I'll talk to him about it in the morning. He must've been very tired from work.

~~~

As my eyes fluttered open, the rays of the sun hit me as I winced and shut my eyes. I turned to the other side and slowly opened my eyes.

Jasper wasn't next to me. The sun was already too bright for 6:00am. I checked the clock, and it was 9:00am.

I must have overslept.

“Ahh my head!” I yelled as I tried getting up. My legs were too weak to move. My entire body acted like it was on a holiday. Then I remembered.

Six months. My illness. It wasn't a bad dream. I was really going to die.

Well, I couldn't keep having this pity party on myself. I had to go look for May and Jasper. It was the weekend, and we were going to have our weekend special.

I slowly tried to move my body until I finally had it working again. What the hell was that? It was like I had died but my head was still functioning.

As I opened the door, I could hear May laughing. What was making my baby girl happy?

I got to the stairs and saw May hugging a beautiful average height woman with blonde hair. The woman's red lip parted into a smile as she carried May.

She looked familiar, where do I know her from? Jasper also hugged her, but there's was deeper than a friendly hug.

His hand trailed down her pink gown to her waist like he was familiar with it. She held him like a tight friend.

I hoped it wasn't who I was thinking of. She looked up and locked eyes with me.

“Oh, hi.” She said holding Jasper firmly. “Jax, is she your wife? Aww, so beautiful.”

Jax? What was that?

Both May and Jasper looked up at me. “Oh yes, come down Fiona.”

He urged the lady to sit down, and she sat beside him on the sofa. May sat in-between them.

“May, how was your night? Come to mommy.” May held the lady tighter.

“She already likes you. That's a good sign.” Jasper said. I faked a smile and managed to walk down the stairs.

“Fiona, this is April Hutchkins. April, Fiona.” Jasper introduced us as I got down the stairs.

“Oh, this is your wife. You look even more beautiful up close. Too bad you need a surrogate. You look like the perfect couple.” She rubbed May’s head, looked at Jasper with sad eyes and smiled at me.

“And you're his ex?” I asked. Jasper immediately looked at me with blazing eyes.

“Fiona.” He muttered.

“What? I was trying to identify her.”

“It's okay. I get it. I'm the surrogate. I just wanted to help Jax and the family. You know I kinda grew up here.”

“Really auntie?”

“Yes, May. Your father and I were the best of friends.”

May giggled with widened eyes. “Really, Dad?”

“Yes, May.” He then looked at April. “Do you remember when we went to the park and hid in the fountain so the driver wouldn't find us?”

Then both of them burst into loud laughter.

“Oh, babe…sorry, Jax.” She sneaked a look at me. “It was one of the most stupid things we did as kids. May, we received a loud scolding that your father cried.”

I watched their joyful back and forth. They really looked like the perfect family. I don't remember when last May smiled at me like that.

“Welcome April. I need to make breakfast.”

I was about to get up when she interjected.

“Oh dear. I'm sorry, I made breakfast.”

“What?!”

“i didn't know you were in. We all ate at the main house. You weren't there yesterday, either. It was delicious, wasn't it May?”

“Hmm. Yes. And then you made me apple pie after school. I want more, today.”

“No. No. You have to earn it, my little princess. And ask your mother for permission.”

May looked at me for a second before looking back at April. “Mommy won't mind. She hasn't picked me up from school in a long time or cooked my favorite food like you do.”

“I thought Grandma picked you yesterday.” I asked.

“No, I did. I used Janice's name because she asked me to.”

That pierced my heart. What was she trying to say? May had stopped eating my food for some time now. No matter what I prepared. I held back the tears that were struggling to burst out.

“It's okay. I'm here now.” April kissed her on her cheek.

“Fiona, she is going to be our surrogate. I know you’ll be okay with that?” Jasper walked over to me.

“Why her? Couldn't you have picked someone who isn't attached to you, at least?” I whispered to him.

“Oh please, stop it.” He walked me over to the kitchen.

“What do you mean by ‘stop it’?”

“I mean be nicer to her. She is trying to help us. To help you. Even better, May likes her so much. What's the problem?”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Okay. So, you eating her dinner and breakfast is part of the surrogate contract?”

“Oh. Is that your problem? Did you cook last night? I found you sleeping. And she cooked for the family?”

“My problem is that you have to choose someone else. What if you sleep with her by accident?”

He scoffed a bit. “Fiona, listen. Everyone approves of her, stop behaving like this. Why will I sleep with her? The surrogacy will be done traditionally. How else would we get the baby? Mother says the problem is your egg. So hers will be used.”

My eyes widened as I touched my ears, as though I could somehow clear what I'd just heard.

“Wait. What did you just say? How can you do that? She is supposed to carry our child, not yours and her's.”

“It's still going to be ours. Stop acting like this, please. And especially not in front of May.” With that, he left.

What did he mean by “traditionally”?