Ember
“Amara, what do you mean they want to meet me?” The words sprang from my mouth.
I had just left from getting a massage and was feeling relaxed until now. This was the last thing I expected to hear. This was supposed to be anonymous, and from my understanding, both parties signed contracts on that agreement.
I didn’t know if my nerves would allow me to be in front of the parents whose baby I was carrying. I assumed it would be an awkward encounter, and I wasn’t ready for that.
“I know meeting wasn’t in the original contract, but you know, some things change.” I’d never heard Amara not seem so sure of what she was saying since meeting her. This only let me know she was probably thrown off by the sudden change of plans too.
“What if I say no?” I inquired, wanting to know my options.
“By all means, you have a right to refuse… but Ember, my clients… the father, particularly, is so adamant about personally thanking the woman who put herself on the line to carry his child.”
I didn’t know what to say as I focused on catching my breath while I walked toward the parking lot. That was something else I struggled with lately; I was always out of breath. After getting in the car, I took a moment to gather myself.
“Amara, I don’t know… I mean… I like our current arrangement. What would I say to them? Where would we meet? What if they see me and change their minds? There are so many what-ifs,” I expressed, surprised at myself for being so vulnerable.
“You have every right to be concerned, and thank you for opening up to me. However, I can assure you my clients would make it comfortable for you.” She chuckled. “And trust me when I say the baby is very much wanted, so no one is going to change their minds.”
I still wasn’t sure, but I asked, “Can I get a few hours to think about it?”
“I don’t mean to rush you, but they are expecting an answer by the end of the day.”
The pressure. I turned on my car and instantly turned on the AC to cool off. I felt my hot flashes rising, another thing that had become the norm lately.
“Okay, I’ll reach out by the end of the day.”
“Great. Again, my apologies for the sudden change of plans. If I’m not in the office by the time you call, please use my personal number.”
“Will do. Talk to you later, Amara.”
I quickly hung up and leaned back on the headrest.
What made them change their mind?
We were headed to month seven, and now, all of a sudden, they wanted to meet the woman who was pregnant with their baby.
I guess in a way, I wanted to meet who was responsible for changing my life too.
My thoughts went back and forth between wanting to say “yes” and wanting to say “no.” When it came down to it, the only reason for saying “no” would be fear.
And fear was something I so desperately needed to remove from my life.
I dialed Cassie’s number right away when I made it home. She answered on the first ring.
“Ember, y’all okay?” was the first thing she asked.
“Y-Yes,” I replied, feeling my anxiety build up.
“You don’t sound like you’re okay. What’s wrong?”
“Amara called to tell me that the baby’s parents want to meet me,” I blurted, knowing Cassie would hear through my lies if I kept saying I was okay.
“What!” she squealed. “Okay, okay. When and where is this meeting going to happen? I’m dying to know who these rich ass people are.”
I laughed at Cassie’s antics. I should’ve known we would have different reactions to this situation.
I gently rubbed the area where the baby was kicking. “You think I should? Even though we signed a contract?”
“Um, Ember… Hell to the yes. When you look at it, y’all changed each other’s lives, so it’s normal for them to want to meet you.
You’re giving them a blessing they probably weren’t able to attain on their own.
And they’ve given you the opportunity to elevate your life with a clean slate.
” I heard what sounded like a drawer closing on her end before she continued talking.
“One of the best parts out of all this is… You ain’t gotta deal with Mr. Gross ever again. Sounds like a win-win to me.”
We both let out a deep, throaty laugh.
“You’re right about that. Damn, I didn’t think about it in that way.” Listening to Cassie explain her view on the situation made the idea of meeting the family not sound too bad after all. “Thank you, Cass. I’ll call you back later.”
Out of nowhere, the sound of water running came through the line.
“Alright, and you better be calling Amara to tell her you’re all in.”
I chuckled. “I am.” The anxiousness I had prior to calling Cassie subsided.
I stood up from the couch and ambled toward the floor-to-ceiling window. It was a cloudy winter day with just a slight peek of the sun. Nonetheless, the view from above the city was a different type of beauty. I made sure to appreciate the scenery whenever I could.
While still looking outside, I called Amara’s number, hoping she was still in the office.
“Hello, thank you for calling Little Miracles Surrogacy. This is Amara speaking.”
“Hey, Amara. It’s Ember.” I nibbled on the inside of my cheek.
“Oh, Ember. I didn’t expect to hear back from you so soon.”
“I know, but I made a decision sooner than I expected.”
“Sounds good. How should we proceed?”
I took a deep breath. “You can go ahead and set up the meeting… I’ll meet them.”
I could’ve sworn I heard Amara clapping. “Yes! They are going to be very pleased to hear that. In case you did say yes, I was instructed to tell you that the meeting will happen at a gender reveal. Their close family and friends will be in attendance as well.”
“Huh?” was all I managed to utter.
Family? Friends? Meaning I would be the only stranger there.
Suddenly, I felt the baby doing somersaults in my belly.
“They want to kill two birds with one stone. First, they want to thank you personally, and second, they want to find out the sex of their baby. But…” she paused and then carried on. “There are some stipulations.”
“And those are?”
“You will have to sign an NDA. My clients are extremely private and would hate for any of their business to get out before they can tell the world themselves.”
The world?
So, not only were these people rich, was Amara saying they were celebrities too? Am I really carrying a baby for a famous couple?
“Well, they don’t have to worry about me telling a soul,” I told her. It was the truth; I didn’t have anyone to tell but Cassie.
“That’s great to hear. There shouldn’t be any issues then.”
“Not at all,” I responded.
“The other thing I want to let you know is that the gender reveal will take place in Miami. The best part is you’ll be flying there in a private jet with an entire medical team on board.
My clients want to ensure that you and the baby are comfortable and protected as much as possible during the flight. ”
Wow! A private jet? This had to be a dream. Who are these people?
It was a good feeling to know I wouldn’t have anything to worry about, but still, this was a lot to take in. My life felt like it had changed overnight, and it’d been moving forward at a high speed ever since.
“I’m sorry for my silence, Amara. I’m still trying to process this.”
“I thoroughly understand. It’s a lot, but you are in good hands… very good hands,” she reiterated.
That was an automatic given. Months later, and I was still in disbelief that this family had chosen me.
They were taking care of their unborn child, but they had no idea they were blessing Rhema and me too.
My daughter was experiencing things I would never have been able to provide for her if I hadn’t decided to go down this path.
“Amara, can my daughter be with me?” There was no way I wouldn’t have my baby with me during this entire journey.
Amara cleared her throat. “I don’t think that should be a problem, but I’ll have to reach out to my clients to get their permission first.”
“No disrespect to you or anyone else, but if they say ‘no,’ you can tell them my answer to meeting them is ‘no,’ too. Then we’ll just stick to the original plan.”
“Very much understood, Ember. I’ll talk to them and get back to you.”
“Sounds good. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“You as well.”
She hung up as I leaned against the kitchen island.
My first thought was to call Cassie, but I would update her later.
Part of me wanted Cassie to come, too, but with an NDA being mentioned, it was obvious they wouldn’t let me bring any additional adults with me.
I knew Cassie wouldn’t expose their business, but they wouldn’t know that.
I needed an escape, something that would settle my nerves. There was one thing that came to mind, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that washed over me.
Rhema was at a winter session class she begged to attend, so I had the place all to myself. Slowly, I removed my lounge pants, my underwear, and the sweater I wore. I strolled past a large mirror in the living room, amazed by how a woman’s body changes and adjusts to carry tiny human beings.
This wasn’t my first pregnancy, but it still fascinated me.
When I was pregnant with Rhema, I was in survival mode. I was alone and too young to appreciate the beautiful side of pregnancy. Crazy that it took me carrying another couple’s baby to see the beauty of it.
I finally made it to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and waited a few seconds for the water to warm up to my liking. For some reason, I was extra horny and yearning for a man’s touch. It had been months since I’d been penetrated or licked.
I needed an orgasm.
I needed some type of release.
I needed to break free from any past tension and hurt that was still buried inside me, even if it was only temporary.
I stepped into the tub and stood right under the showerhead.
Closing my eyes, I let the water run down on me, drenching my hair in the process.
I shivered from the slight breeze that blew in from the small bathroom window.
My eyelids fluttered open, and I looked down at my breasts, taking in the view of my swollen nipples that were surrounded by my dark chocolate areolas, which seemed to spread and darken with this pregnancy.
Without hesitation, I gently pinched my nipples, causing an intense sensation to travel down to my pussy.
I glided my hand over my protruding belly and moved lower to my tamed bush, courtesy of the wax lady I found in the area.
My fingers slid across the fine hairs until I found myself spreading my lips apart, exposing my thick, throbbing bean.
The instant satisfaction caused my head to fall back as my lips parted.
The pleasure felt foreign because it had been so long. But the feeling was exhilarating. I wouldn’t… I couldn’t stop rubbing until cum was gushing out of me.
My balance wasn’t the best since my belly had gotten bigger, so I sat down on the built-in shower seat, impatiently ready to finish what I started. I couldn’t see below my belly, but that didn’t restrict the immense pleasure I felt between my legs.
With one leg on the edge of the seat and the other one keeping my balance stable, my fingers found their rhythm on my clit.
The massaging and tugging on my pearl sent ripples of gratification through my body.
“Fuck,” I moaned, unable to stay quiet.
“Ooo, shit…” I bit my bottom lip feverishly.
I imagined myself getting ate up and my pussy getting beat up.
Until then, self-pleasure would do. With my legs spread wider, I rubbed my clit faster in a circular motion.
The pressure I put on the thousands of nerve fibers that were packed in such a small package had me feeling like I was in another universe.
“Shittt…” I cried as warm tears ran down my cheeks.
The orgasmic explosion almost took me out.
I panted, waiting for my heart rate to go back to normal.
Then, out of nowhere, an overwhelming feeling came over me. My eyes welled with tears. In a matter of seconds, I felt myself on the verge of becoming an emotional wreck.
What is happening? One minute I was on a mountain of pleasure, and now I felt a meltdown coming on strong. It felt like every past emotion I once swept under the rug was now coming to the surface.
I thought about every ‘L’ I’d taken, my parents’ absence, my aunt’s departure from this world, feeling abandoned by my cousins, Rhema’s father, and the guilt I felt from once loving Shane. He was a nigga who had no business having access to my heart.
I continued to sit on the shower seat longer than I expected, crying my eyes and heart out.
I gotta stop. This isn’t good for their baby.
My sadness wasn’t fair to the baby. I was getting paid to provide a happy and safe environment for their developing fetus.
I would have enough time to cry this shit out after their little one was born.
Then, I could start my healing journey. But, for now, I had to put my emotions on the back burner.
After getting myself together, I got out of the shower, got comfortable, and went to make a fruit salad.
I wanted to relax until it was time for Rhema to come home.
Cassie offered to get her from class for me so I wouldn’t have to leave the condo.
I eagerly accepted her offer, especially after that orgasm.
A nap was needed until my daughter got here.
As I ate my fruit salad, my eyes got heavy, and not long after taking my last bite, I drifted off to sleep.