Page 40 of The Surrogate Mother
“So?”
“It seemed a little… familiar. Also, you hate being called Sammy.”
“I don’t hate it.”
“You told me you hate it.”
He yanks his keys off the dresser. “Fine, I hate it. I hate it and I hate her and I don’t want you to invite her here ever again. Okay? Happy?”
I lower my eyes. There’s part of me that realizes I’m being ridiculous, but I can’t help it. Something isn’t right. “Are you going to that ultrasound appointment?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Yes, I am.”
I bite my lip.
“Look, this isn’t about Monica,” he says. “I want to see the baby. It’s my baby too, and I think I should be allowed to go.” He frowns at me. “I didn’t say anything about the fact that younever even told meabout the other appointment, but from now on, I want to go.”
I was afraid he was going to say that. And he’s right—he deserves to be there as much as I do. Or admittedly, more than I do. I’ll be adopting this baby, but it’shisbiological child. And I want to share this with him because I love him. I just wishshedidn’t have to be there.
Of course, that’s impossible since the baby is literally inside her.
“Abby.” His voice softens. “I get why you’re upset, but you shouldn’t be. It’s like you said—this is what we’ve always wanted. You should be happy.”
His kind words help, but not completely. I take a deep breath, trying to put my finger on the exact source of my misery.
“She said it was ‘our baby.’”
Sam wrinkles his brow. “What?”
“That’s what Monica said when she was talking about the baby. She called it ‘our baby.’”
“Right. Itisour baby.”
“Yes, but she didn’t say ‘our’ meaning yours and mine. She said ‘our’ meaning, presumably, hers.”
He shakes his head. “So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying, what if she wants to keep the baby?”
“That’s what our contract is for, right? We can take her to court.”
Except what if she wants to keepyoutoo?
Sam isn’t even thinking that way though. He’s notworried about falling under Monica’s spell. I wouldn’t have worried about it either, except I saw the look on his face when he was listening to that heartbeat. His child is inherwomb. That’s got to be messing with his head.
“Come here, Abby.” Sam holds out his arms and I fall into them, nuzzling my head in his shoulder. Despite everything, being in his arms makes me feel warm and safe. “Don’t worry so much. It’s going to be fine.”
I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost him.
16
Monica is having her ultrasound today at two.
She had to get her blood drawn too and some other stuff, so she ended up taking a personal day. Sam is coming too, obviously, but all three of us will be arriving separately, and then meeting up. It’s an awkward situation, but there’s not much we can do about it. I want to be there for the ultrasound, especially if Sam is going to be there.
I eat lunch at my desk just to ensure I’ll make it there on time. At one-thirty, I grab my purse and head for the door. But I swear to God, Denise must have cameras in my office to know when I’m trying to leave, because she heads me off before I can get to the elevator.
“Abigail.” She narrows her ice-blue eyes at me. She’s the only person here who has the ability to make me feel terrible with a single gaze. “Where are you going? You’re notleaving, are you?”
