Chapter 2: The soft surrender.  

The message I receive is short and apt.

Unknown number: Please return to the clinic tomorrow at 10 a.m.

I sit up quickly and read it three more times, my hands shaking a little. I’m not sure if it’s good news or just one phase of many I need to pass.

But I can’t sleep after that.

The next morning, I arrive early. My stomach feels tight the whole ride there. But as I sit waiting in the waiting room, no other women arrive. The seats stay empty.

And though I don’t want to be too optimistic, it gives me a flicker of hope. Not long after, a nurse comes out almost and leads me straight through to a private consultation suite.

There, I am told to sit and wait. I do as I am told. But I don’t wait for too long because soon, the door opens and two people step in.

I recognize them instantly.

They are Lucien Cross and Celeste Laurent Cross; a high-profile couple, heirs to two of the most powerful Legacy families on the continent. Lucien and Celeste have been married for thirteen years. And though they live a very veiled life, they have been in certain infamous controversies in the past.

Still, they are vastly popular and influential. You could hardly come across a paper or billboard that doesn’t have one of their brands on it.

Ironically, I feel small sitting before their powerful presence. And though I’ve only ever seen their faces in countless articles and magazines, I can’t deny they look better in person. Like the photographs did not do them justice. At all.

Celeste is a stunning woman with long red hair that catches the light and striking blue eyes. She is tall and slender, but she has a curvy figure.

Lucien, on the other hand, is taller, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and dark eyes to match. His beard is well trimmed, revealing a strong jawline that looks sharp enough to cut.

I stand up to greet them and their scents curl around me as they round the table to take the seats across from me. Celeste smells like vanilla and peaches, warm and welcoming. While Lucien smells like cedarwood and dark amber — which strikes me as cold and closed off. His eyes appraising me don’t help.

For some reason, it makes me want to shrink inside myself. I quickly lower my gaze to the floor.

Celeste notices. She smiles warmly and says to me, “Ms Lily, you don’t have to be shy. We won’t bite, I promise.”

Something in her voice calms me.

I nod, though I keep my eyes away. For some reason, I can’t bring myself to look at them for too long. My heart pounds as I sit.

Though I expect the pay to be good as the agency advertised, I hadn’t expected the intended parents to be this important.

The fertility doctor — Dr Milton as written on his name card — walks in with them and takes a seat in the head chair. Then he looks at me. “Ms Lily, you’re welcome. I believe you know why you’re here.”

I nod slowly, though I can sense the Crosses observing me.

Dr Milton turns to the couple. “Ms Lily here was selected for two main reasons. One is that her size is healthier for carrying a pregnancy to term. She’s also had a successful previous experience.”

Celeste smiles and looks at me again. “That’s so wonderful to hear. Lucien and I, we’ve been trying to have a baby for a while now. But… well, as you can tell, we’ve decided to try other options.”

I smile and nod weakly, not daring to blink, as though it might make the moment vanish.

Celeste sighs and Lucien touches her palm softly. “Evelyn — can I call you Evelyn?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I say softly.

“Call me Celeste,” she smiles at me. “Evelyn, you see… we were worried that we might not get someone who can provide the level of… confidentiality we were hoping for. But when I read your file and watched your interview, I knew you were the one. Why? Because even as you spoke in secret to your interviewer about your experience, you never mentioned the names of your former employers. Hell, it wasn’t even on your résumé that you had previous experience.” She laughs softly. Then takes a deep breath, like her next words will carry weight.

I brace myself.

“I… can’t carry children of my own. Not anymore. And though surrogates are very common these days, you might be aware that the Cross family is an old family. Dated as it might seem, they still cherish the natural tradition of childbearing. And that is why I’m coming to you, to keep our secret. We want our own child. But we need someone we can trust.”

I swallow, but my voice comes out dry. “I understand.”

Lucien speaks for the first time. His voice is deep, but quieter than I expect, almost reluctant. “If you do this for us — if everything goes as planned, we’ll take care of you. We promise.”

I risk a glance at him. His face is calm and hopeful. I nod at him.

Celeste continues. “Once the embryo transfer is complete, we would like you to quit your current job. You’ll move into an apartment where we can care for you and we’ll provide everything you need. We won’t isolate you from your family, of course, but the child’s parentage must remain confidential. No one can know who the parents are.”

I nod again. “I understand.”

We go through the rest of the terms together, the medical care, the housing. I ask if I can get monthly support and they agree without hesitation. So I agree to everything they ask — a sudden lightness filling me.

With the amount agreed, I could cover a significant portion of my debt.

Afterward, Dr Milton places a contract in front of me. I take a pen and sign it. Celeste also signs and Lucien signs last.

When it’s done, Celeste reaches out and lightly touches my arm. “Thank you, Evelyn. You don’t know what you’re doing for us.”

I manage a small smile. “You’re welcome.”

Lucien only gives me a short nod and together, the three of us step out of the consultation office, me clutching my purse with both hands, acutely self-aware.

At the waiting area, Celeste turns to me again and thanks me again with a sweet smile.

I return it warmly.

Then her eyes travel the length of me and she giggles softly. “God, you’re so tall! I hope our baby steals some of that.”

I let out an awkward little laugh, briefly glancing at Lucien. His expression remains blank.

I guess he doesn’t have his wife’s sense of humor, I think.

“Do you need a ride home?” Celeste asks.

I shake my head. “No, thank you. They asked me to stay behind and speak to one of the nurses.”

Celeste simply nods. “Of course. We’ll see you soon, then.” She waves me goodbye and together the couple walks away.

I am left standing in the hallway and soon a nurse approaches me, giving me a folder with the next steps.

I listen to her instructions and once it is over I leave the building.

Once outside in the open air, I feel like I can breathe freely. I stand on the sidewalk for a moment and think about how for the next nine months, I will be carrying a child — a living being, a symbol of love — for someone else.

I can’t lie, it makes me nervous. The last pregnancy was a long and hard journey. Letting the child go was harder.

So doing this again, it makes me nervous. But underneath my nerves there is something else. A thin thread of hope.

I hail another taxi and go home.