Chapter 7 #3
She just stared at him. Then her eyes dropped to the paper and back to him. Then slowly came across the table to me. I kept my face straight. She looked at Kaizleigh and Kaizleigh's ass was already smiling.
Nyrobi looked back at the attorney.
“Say that one more time.”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
Her head snapped toward us.
“Bitch.”
Kaizleigh lost it.
“I knew you were gonna cuss!”
“Because what the fuck?”
I leaned back in my chair.
“You knew it was over a hundred.”
Nyrobi looked at me like I'd personally offended her.
“Over a hundred could mean a hundred and ten!”
“It could.”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”
“Yes.”
“For real?”
“No, we brought you all the way down here to prank you.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Don't play with me...Billion.”
Kaizleigh stopped laughing shit, I did too.
I’m Mr. Stylez, to her, I thought.
I don't even think she noticed she called me by Billion, but I did.
“I'm not playing,” I said.
Nyrobi looked back down.
“Two hundred and fifty thousand.”
Her attorney touched the paper.
“Before you get caught up in the number, let's go through exactly what this means.”
Nyrobi immediately nodded.
“Please.”
That caught me off guard. She didn’t jump up, ask where to sign, none of that shit. Yeah, she was shocked as hell, but the second her attorney pulled her back to the paperwork, she listened.
Her attorney explained that the money wasn't being handed to her that afternoon.
Nyrobi's face fell.
“Damn.”
Kaizleigh laughed.
“I knew that part was coming.”
“Shit, I had hope.”
“The compensation will be handled according to the payment schedule outlined in the agreement,” her attorney continued.
“We are also going to make sure you're clear about what is base compensation versus reimbursements, medical expenses and other payments that may apply,” he added.
Nyrobi nodded.
“So the two-fifty is mine.”
“Yes.”
“And doctor's bills don't come out of that.”
“No.”
“Lawyer?”
“No.”
“Medicine?”
“No.”
“If they tell me I can't work?”
“Qualifying lost wages are separate.”
She looked at me.
“You really agreed to all this?”
“Why you keep asking me that?”
“Because it's a lot of fucking money.”
“To you.”
The second it came out, I knew it sounded wrong.
Nyrobi's eyebrows went up.
Kaizleigh kicked me under the table.
I shook my head.
“That ain't how I meant it.”
“How you mean it then?”
“I mean we're in different financial situations. I'm not pretending two-fifty ain't a lot of money. I'm saying the amount doesn't put us in a position where we can't still cover everything else we're supposed to cover.”
Nyrobi stared at me another second.
“Okay.”
“I ain't throwing money in your face.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
Her attorney looked between us before continuing.
Nyrobi read damn near every page. And when she got to something she didn't like, she didn't care that Kaizleigh and I were sitting there.
“This part.”
Her attorney leaned closer.
“What about it?”
“It says travel restrictions.”
“Let's read the full section.”
They did.
Nyrobi shook her head.
“No.”
Our attorney looked up.
“What specifically concerns you?”
“I understand if the doctor says I can't fly at a certain point. Cool. But this sound like I gotta ask permission every time I leave town.”
“It wouldn't necessarily…”
“Necessarily means maybe.”
I almost smiled.
She pointed at the paper.
“I work. I got family. My sister don't even know where the fuck she gonna wake up some days. I can't promise I'm not gonna have to go somewhere.”
Kaizleigh looked down, probably trying not to laugh at the Nysheca part.
Nyrobi continued.
“If it's medical, say medical. If the doctor says I can't travel, fine. But I'm not texting y'all like, ‘Hey, can I go see my cousin?’”
I looked at our attorney.
“Change it.”
Nyrobi's eyes came to me.
Our attorney nodded.
“We can tighten the language.”
“That easy?” Nyrobi asked.
“What you want me to do, argue with you?”
“I thought you might.”
“Why?”
“Because it's your contract.”
“It's yours too.”
She got quiet.
Her attorney smiled a little and made the note.
We went through more.
There was language about medical emergencies. Possible hospitalization. A C-section. Multiple pregnancy. Nyrobi's face changed when twins came up.
“Wait. If both embryos?—”
Kaizleigh cut her off.
“One.”
Nyrobi looked at her.
“What?”
“We are not transferring two.”
“Oh.”
Kaizleigh shook her head.
“One baby at a time. Please.”
“Girl, I wasn't trying to give you a two-for-one special.”
I laughed.
Kaizleigh stared at her.
“I'm serious.”
“So am I. My little ass don't need two babies fighting for room in there.”
I looked away.
This girl was something else.
Then we got to the part none of us wanted to talk about.
What happened if something went wrong.
Nyrobi stopped smiling.
“If I miscarry, what happens?”
Kaizleigh's whole body changed beside me.
I reached under the table and grabbed her hand.
Nyrobi noticed.
Her voice softened.
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't apologize,” Kaizleigh said.
“I know it's something we gotta talk about. I just…”
“Ask.”
Nyrobi nodded.
Her attorney explained that no pregnancy could be guaranteed and that the agreement needed to address unsuccessful transfers, pregnancy loss and other outcomes without treating Nyrobi like she had promised them a baby no matter what her body did.
Nyrobi listened.
“So if I do everything the doctor tells me and it still doesn't work, I'm not in breach or whatever y'all call it?”
“No,” her attorney said.
“And they can't sue me because the baby didn't stick?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
She looked relieved.
Then her attorney turned another page.
“There was one additional protection the intended parents requested be included.”
Nyrobi frowned.
“What?”
“A life insurance policy during the arrangement.”
Her face changed.
“For me?”
“Yes.”
She looked across the table at Kaizleigh.
Kaizleigh answered before she asked.
“For your mama.”
Nyrobi didn't say anything.
Kaizleigh squeezed my hand before letting it go.
“You asked us what happens if something happens to you. I don't like thinking about that shit either, but your mom depends on you.”
Nyrobi looked down at the paper.
For once, she didn't have a joke.
“You thought about my mama?”
“Of course I did.”
Nyrobi swallowed.
I saw her blink a few times before she leaned back.
“Well, damn.”
Kaizleigh smiled.
“You about to cry?”
“No.”
“Look like it.”
“Girl, don't start with me. You cry enough for everybody.”
Kaizleigh laughed and they brightened the mood.
The meeting kept going until everybody was tired of hearing themselves talk. When the final version came back, Nyrobi and her attorney took another few minutes alone. Kaizleigh and I waited in the hallway.
She leaned against the wall beside me.
“You think she's gonna sign?”
“Yeah.”
“You sound sure.”
“She didn't spend three hours arguing over that shit just to leave.”
“Maybe she found something she doesn't like.”
“Then they'll change it.”
“You really okay changing whatever she asks?”
“If it makes sense.”
“And if it doesn't?”
“I'll tell her no.”
Kaizleigh smiled.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You keep saying nothing and smiling.”
“I just like seeing you like this.”
“Like what?”
She shrugged.
“Never mind.”
“Kaizleigh.”
The door opened before she could answer.
Nyrobi's attorney stepped out.
“We're ready.”
We went back inside. The final copies were sitting on the table. Nyrobi had her purse in her lap now and she looked tired, like her brain was done with legal shit for the day.
Our attorney slid the papers toward Kaizleigh first.
She signed. Then me.
I signed everywhere they told me to. Then it went to Nyrobi. She picked up the pen and then stopped and my heart kind of dropped mainly for my wife.