Chapter Twelve
DEE
After having a fantastic lunch with Anna and Johnny, we stayed a little longer, and Anna helped me organize a few things for the wedding. Now that I know how to plan it properly, I’m actually excited.
We left when Aston woke. I probably would have been fine hanging out a little longer, but Colt didn’t want to risk me having a panic attack, so he decided we should head home. Honestly, he was probably right.
Seeing Anna, Johnny, and little Aston made me feel lighter. I’m so happy for them, and even though they’re exhausted—Anna yawned every five minutes—Aston is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
Colt looks more relaxed too, and as the afternoon fades, neither of us can be bothered to cook. He orders us takeout while I lounge on the sofa, Princess curled up in my lap.
“I was thinking,” Colt says as he comes in and drops down beside me. “If you’re up for it, we could go to the hospital tomorrow and talk about our options. If you want to, that is.”
I peer up at him and give a small smile, nodding. “That sounds great. Do we need an appointment or anything?”
He pauses, looking like he’s thinking hard.
“What?” I ask.
He scratches the back of his neck, a sheepish look crossing his face. “Well, I kind of already made an appointment. I just wanted to make sure we could get in before getting your hopes up.”
I smile, shaking my head. Always thinking ahead. Always protecting me.
“Thanks, babe. Yeah, it’ll be good to know exactly what we need to do and, more importantly, how to find the right surrogate.”
Colt leans in, brushing his nose against my shoulder. “And how long it’ll take too.”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “I guess I hadn’t really thought about the timing.”
“I’m sure it won’t be too long. I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t want to carry rock royalty’s baby?” he teases with a cocky smirk.
I half-laugh, half-sigh because deep down, I’d give anything to be that woman.
“Yeah, we’ll find someone.”
He taps his knuckles gently against my thigh. “That’s settled then. Tomorrow, we get answers,” he says, leaning in to kiss me softly.
***
We’re on our way to the hospital to find out what the process is to, hopefully, have our own child.
I’m nervous as hell, and I don’t really understand why.
It’s basically an information session to tell us what we need to do, nothing dramatic.
So, my feeling like I’m going to pass out doesn’t make any sense.
Colt reaches out and rests his hand on my knee as he drives. His touch calms me, but not completely.
“Why the hell am I so bloody nervous?” I murmur.
“Because we’re going to be talking about babies. And all you will be thinking about is how we go about making babies, and you don’t want to jump me in the doctor’s office,” Colt jokes.
I smack his hand on my knee, to which he chuckles.
“Colt, be serious.”
“Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. Don’t be nervous.
We’re only going to find out some information.
It’s not like we’ll be making life-changing decisions today.
Just think of it like you’re going into a classroom to learn,” he replies, turning to look at me briefly before squeezing my knee gently.
He’s right. I need to think of it as a learning experience, not a life-changing event. I take a deep breath, and my nerves settle to a minor flutter in my stomach.
“Thanks, that helped,” I say.
He smiles and takes my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of my hand gently. “Glad to be of service,” he replies, entwining his fingers with mine and holding my hand tightly.
We drive the rest of the short drive to the hospital in silence.
When he pulls the car into a park, my nerves start again.
Stupid stomach!
Colt walks around to my side of the car and opens the back door, pulling out my crutches while I swing my legs out of the car, getting ready to stand. He places the crutches in front of me, and I steady myself, pulling myself into a standing position.
“You ready?” he asks, tucking some hair behind my ear in a tender gesture.
I nod, taking a steadying breath. “I guess so.”
Colt leans in, quickly kissing my lips before we head inside the hospital.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long before the doctor calls us in.
I hobble in on my crutches, my stomach doing backflips, Colt right behind me.
We take a seat in the pristine white office, and the doctor settles behind a large desk, flipping through some files as an awkward silence hangs between us.
I glance at Colt, silently asking what we should do. He just shrugs, so we sit and wait.
“Deliah Norman,” the doctor finally says, his voice cutting through the stillness.
“Yes, that’s me,” I reply.
He lowers the file and peers at me over his glasses. “And you must be the other half,” he says, eyeing Colt like he doesn’t recognize him, which makes me smile a little.
“Yes, sir,” Colt answers, sounding almost… nervous.
That’s so unlike him.
“Right. Doctor MacNamara sent me your files from New Jersey. Looks like you’ve had a rough go of it, dear.”
“Yes, sir,” I echo automatically.
He chuckles, setting the file down. “First things first. Stop with the ‘sir.’ I know I look intimidating, but I swear I’m nice. Call me Pete. ‘Doctor Doherty’ is way too formal, and ‘sir’ is definitely out.”
“Okay, thanks, Pete,” Colt says, his shoulders relaxing a little.
“Right,” Pete continues. “You’re here to talk about your options for starting a family?”
“We’re hoping to find out what steps we need to take,” Colt says.
“Perfect. First, I’ll need to review the eggs the New Jersey hospital harvested. We’ll fertilize them with Colt’s sperm to create embryos. Then, we implant them into a surrogate and wait to see if the pregnancy takes.”
He leans forward, folding his hands on the desk.
“The first thing you need to do is find the right surrogate. She’ll need to undergo medical testing before implantation and, just as importantly, a psychological evaluation.
It’s not just about carrying a baby. She has to be strong enough to hand the child over when the time comes. Not every surrogate can.”
I swallow thickly, nerves creeping in.
“If we have three eggs, do they all get placed at once, or do we get three separate tries?” I ask. Colt nods like he’s been wondering the same thing.
“We’ll fertilize all three at once and implant them together. Sometimes, one takes, sometimes more. It’s possible you could end up with twins or even triplets. It’s also possible none take. That’s the risk.”
I nod slowly, unease curling in my gut.
What if none of them take?
Colt squeezes my hand, and when I glance at him, he gives me a steady look.
He’s thinking the same thing.
Pete offers a kind smile. “It’s important to be aware of the risks. But it’s just as important to stay positive. This path isn’t easy. However, if you stick together, communicate, and keep your focus on why you’re doing this, you’ll give yourselves the best shot.” He pauses. “Any other questions?”
“No, I think we’re clear,” I say. “Find a surrogate and go from there, right?”
“Exactly. Once we’ve found her, we’ll start on prenatal vitamins and prep her for the embryo transfer and counseling. It’s a process, but it’s worth it.”
I nod, hope sparking in my chest.
We could have a baby at the end of this.
Maybe even three.
Or… none.
Pete walks us through more of the medical details, handing over a stack of brochures and pamphlets. Despite the sheer amount of information, he talks to us like a friend, and somehow, I trust him completely.
I really believe this could work.
“Thanks so much, Pete. We appreciate it,” Colt says, shaking his hand firmly.
“It’s my pleasure.” Pete hands Colt a business card. “Here’s my cell number. Call anytime if you have questions.”
We both rise to leave. I struggle awkwardly with my crutches—weeks later, and I still haven’t mastered them—but Colt is right there, steadying me without a word.
“Thanks again. We’ll be in touch soon,” Colt says, placing his hand firmly on my lower back, helping me walk out of the room.
Where I was once nervous and defeatist, now I’m filled with excitement and hope at the prospect of becoming parents.
Colt ambles with me to the car and opens the door. Before I can sit down, he suddenly cups my face in his hands and kisses me passionately. I grin against his lips at his unexpected move, kissing him back. When he finally pulls away, I smile up at him, my heart pounding in the best way.
“And what was that for?” I ask as he nuzzles his nose against mine.
“Because I love you,” he replies, then kisses me again, before placing my crutches in the back seat and helping me into the car.
“I love you too, you know that?” I say as he gently closes my door.
He sure seems like he’s in a great mood.
“Yeah, I know,” he says as he slides into his side and starts the engine. He immediately takes my hand, his grin wide and infectious. “I’m excited. This is going to be great. I can feel it.”
His good mood is contagious, and I find myself smiling right along with him.
“How would you feel about stopping by Johnny’s on the way home?” Colt asks as he pulls out of the lot. “I wanna tell him what’s going on. But if you’re not up to seeing Aston yet, I can call him when we get home.”
The thought of seeing Aston, surprisingly, fills me with hope. Where before the idea of not carrying my own child had gutted me, now it feels different.
I may not carry our child, but I will still have our child. And that thought makes my heart soar.
“Sure, I wanna see Aston and Anna. I feel different somehow. Lighter. Like before, I was only sad about everything, but now… now I feel excited and hopeful at the chance of us having a baby. It’s weird.”
“It’s not weird. It’s called hope.” Colt reaches over, squeezing my hand. “I’m feeling it too. I can’t wait to start looking at the surrogacy agency to find the right one.”
His words make my smile grow, my heart swelling with love for this man.