Page 44 of The Facilitator: Part 3
We told each other how we felt and finally, we had the discussion about the remaining eggs.
“We have to do it, Mackenzie. They can’t be wasted,” Lauren said. We sat on the beach in the evening with a glass of wine each after dinner and a swim.
“I’m scared, Lauren. I don’t want you to go through what you have and then…All that illness, mood swings, and sickness for nothing,” I said, being honest with her.
She rested her head on my shoulder. “We have to use those two last eggs,” she whispered and I nodded.
Of course, she was right, we had to. I had to get hold of my fears andfuck them off out of it, as Alex had said. Since we’d spoken to Gabriella, we included Alex in the situation and it felt good to share our troubles.
“Okay. We’ll call the clinic tomorrow and see what they advise,” I said. I felt her smile against my skin.
I turned to kiss her head.
“I’m glad we didn’t get those houses,” she said. “The last thing we need is having to deal with that on top of everything else.”
“I did wonder if it was an omen. I don’t often lose out on a deal but if I do, it’s usually for good reason.”
“I also don’t think we’ve talked as much as we have the past few days,” she added. I couldn’t disagree with that.
We took Elaine out for dinner the following evening and spent the next morning doing those last chores for her. I dug up her flowerbeds, probably killing a few while I did. I wasn’t shy of physical work but having Elaine directing was proving to be a little difficult.
“Elaine, you tell me to dig here, then not here butthere. Then, not there but back here. Which is it?” I asked, leaning on the fork.
She laughed and Lauren popped her head out the kitchen window. “Anywhere there is not a plant or anything green,” she said.
“Thank you, I have clearer instructions now.”
I ushered Elaine away and got on with the job. I whipped my T-shirt off and got a couple of catcalls and Diet Coke jokes from her very elderly neighbors.
A couple of hours later, I’d showered and we said our goodbyes, with promises to keep Elaine updated on our next appointment.
Two weeks later we returned to the clinic for the final eggs.
Chapter Thirteen
Before the required two weeks were up to see if Lauren was pregnant, we received the most shocking news and had the worst fright we’d ever had.
“Huh?” I said, bleary eyed as I woke from a dead sleep. I reach over to my phone to see Gabriella was calling me. I sat up as Lauren woke. “Hey,” I said, as I answered, assuming she’d forgotten the time difference.
The noise I heard down the phone caused my heart to stop. Lauren covered her mouth hearing Gabriella’s screams as well.
“Slow down, Gab, what happened?”
“He’s got my baby,” was all we could make out.
“I’m on my way,” I said, and I switched off the phone, I threw it on the bed and jumped out.
“I’m coming,” I heard. Lauren had also climbed from the bed.
“No, Lauren, you can’t,” I said, grabbing some toiletries from the bathroom. “Please, get online and get me a flight, or a plane, or whatever? Will you do that for me?”
“I’ll get two seats, or a plane,” she said. She grabbed my phone and scrolled through my contacts.
“No, you can’t fly,” I said, trying to take the phone from her.
“Says who?” she challenged me. “She’s not just your best friend, but mine too, and they need us both.” Her voice rose.
“What if you’re pregnant?” I said, shouting back at her.
