Page 37 of Her Baby His Gift

Harlem reached over and grabbed a very old and worn teddy bear from her bed. Snuggles had seen her through some really tough times. “Mom, I really need you to not be judgmental.”

“Okay.” I can do that.

Harlem smirked. She wasn’t so sure, but she needed to talk to someone she trusted, not in her circle of friends. “You know that Damian and I have been trying to have a baby.”

Elaine wanted to scream,girl, are you crazy? But kept her response neutral. “Mmmhmm. Yes, I remember. I always wondered whose last name the baby would carry since y’all ain’t married.”

“Mom. C’mon. You said no judgment.”

“It’s not judgment,” Elaine said innocently as she took a sip of her tea. “Just an observation.”

“It’s almost like we are married. He’s committed. He’s loving. He’s supportive. I couldn’t ask for a better life partner, and he’s going to be a great father.”

Life partner? My daughter has been watching too much Red Table Talk. Lord. Almost being married ain’t the same thing.Elaine kept her mouth shut. “Damian is a good guy. I’ll grant you that. But I’m not following. Why do you look so sad?”

“We’re having a problem conceiving.”

“Everything happens in God’s timing. It’ll happen when it’s supposed to.” She said.

“I’m devastated.”

“Are you?” Her mom wasn’t so sure.

“What? Of course!”

“If I remember correctly, you had your doubts about getting pregnant when Damian first brought it up.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“A year is not that long ago.”

“I plan to spend the rest of my life with him, and we decided to start a family sooner rather than later.”

“Mmm,” Elaine said as she took another sip of her tea.

“Anyway, there’s a difference between timing and never having the opportunity to be a mother.”

“You’re being dramatic, Harlem.”

“No, I’m not. See . . . this is why I didn’t want to talk to you.” Harlem responded.

“Why? Because I see the truth behind the lies.” Gently, Elaine turned Harlem’s face toward hers. “In relationships, there is always give and take. You have to compromise, but it can’t be one-sided. All I see is you making the sacrifices and doing all of the compromising.”

“That’s not true.” Harlem glanced down at Snuggles. She whispered. “We both compromise.”

“Your father and I just want you to be happy. If Damian is the one who can put that special sparkle in your eyes, then I’m all for it. But I won’t pretend that I haven’t watched as you’ve passed up promotional opportunities because it wasn’t a good time for you and him. You’ve given up on the life you planned for yourself to make your relationship work.”

Harlem mumbled. “You talk as if I’m not successful. I have a great job, and I make good money. Yes, I sacrifice, but Damian sacrifices too.”

“I am very proud of your accomplishments, Harlem. But I can’t ignore all the times you’ve said you couldn’t do this or that because it wasn’t the right time in your relationship. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard the reverse. What has Damian sacrificed?”

“He’s infertile.” Harlem blurted out.

That surprised Elaine. She was genuinely shocked. Lovingly, she placed her hand on top of Harlem’s. “I’m truly sorry. When did you find out?”

“A couple of days ago. Initially, Damian was dead set against adoption or in vitro. But, he has since agreed to in vitro treatments.”

“I see.” Elaine knew there was more to the story but would wait for Harlem to tell it. “So, what’s the problem?”

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