The baby rolled inside her, distorting the skin of her swollen abdomen. Mary sighed and rubbed her belly. “Not much longer, little one. Pretty soon you’ll be in your momma’s arms and I’ll be eating and writing my way across Europe.” She had just put water on for tea when there was a knock at the door. She looked through the peep hole and was surprised to see her brother-in-law, Thad, on the other side.
“Hey, Papa bear,” she said with a smile. “You’d better have brought me some pie.” Thad didn’t laugh or even crack a smile. Instead, he began to sob. “Oh, God. What is it?” She put her arm around him, ushered him inside and guided him to the couch. He put his head in his hands and continued to sob.
“Is it Margot? Is she alright?” A dozen tragic scenarios began to play through her head. Margot, in an explosive car crash because she was going too fast-again. Margot, gunned down during a carjacking. Margot, dead from an allergic reaction to whatever new fountain-of-youth serum she’d had injected into her face. Regardless of the manner, Mary was convinced Thad had to deliver news of some disaster that had befallen her sister. She couldn’t imagine anything else reducing a man like Thad to a puddle of tears. He would now be a single father to a newborn. Sure, she would help as much as she could, but that would be a tough task to manage from abroad. She’d already put her career as a food writer on hold for a year to help them have a baby. She didn’t think the magazine would give her more time, dead sister or no.
Mary began to cry as the words dead sister rang in her head. Her sister: spoiled, beautiful, dynamic Margot was gone. “She’s dead, isn’t she? That’s it, isn’t it?” she wailed.
“What?” he said finally. “No, no, no. That’s not it. Margot is fine.”
“Then why are you here? And why are you crying, for God’s sake?” Sudden grief was swiftly being replaced by a throbbing anger.
“Albeit no one has died, I am here to give you some distressing news. I thought I was prepared, but then I saw your sweet, hopeful face and I lost it. I’m sorry.”
“Well, then. What is it? It can’t be that bad.” He reached for her hands and pulled her down next to him.
“Mary, honey, we’ve had a change of heart. We will not be taking the baby after all.” All the air seemed to be sucked from the room. Then she burst out laughing.
“That’s a good one. Now, seriously, what is it?” Thad sat silently, staring at her. “Wait. You’re serious?”
“Believe me, it came as a shock to us, too. But Margot is right. We’re just not cut out to be parents. So we won’t be taking the baby after it’s born.” Mary’s heart was racing. She vaguely remembered reading something about a mother’s accelerated heartbeat being dangerous to the fetus. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Thad, you can’t really mean this. It’s natural for new parents to be apprehensive, but you two will make wonderful parents,” she reasoned. This can’t be happening, she thought. “Margot was just here the other day, rubbing my belly, and telling me how excited she is. It’s going to be fine, you’ll see,” she said as she patted his hand. His face was impassive.
“Mary, it’s just not going to work. Margot confessed to me that she’s just not ready to be a mother. She was practically inconsolable. I’m meeting her at the airport in,” he looked at his watch. “Oh! I’d better get going or the jet will leave without me. We’re going to Europe for a few months. Margot needs some time away to recover from all of this.” She stood up. She was shaking.
“Are you out of your fucking minds?” Mary exploded. “What the hell am I supposed to do? Because precious Margot decides she doesn’t want to play mommy anymore, she thinks she can just walk away? This isn’t like returning a pair of shoes. This is a baby. Your baby,” she finished, panting.
“Well,” he said quietly. “Technically, it’s not. Technically it’s your baby.” He gave his nails close consideration before meeting her eyes. Mary sank back down to the couch as the implication of his words hit her. “It was your egg and the sperm of an anonymous donor, if memory serves. So, really, we have no biological ties to this child whatsoever.”
“Oh my God,” she breathed. “She planned it this way.”
“Now, Mary, that’s not fair. Margot truly wanted to be a mother or she never would have asked you in the first place.” He patted her hand. “She’s had a change of heart. That’s all it is and nothing more.”
“What am I going to do? What the hell am I supposed to do, Thad?” she asked, crying. The armpits of her shirt were soaked, yet her body was wracked with chills. Thad cringed as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand. He rose to leave.
“Keep it. Give it away. Regardless, you’ve been paid for your time.” She followed him to the door, clutching his arm.
“Please, don’t do this,” she begged. He jerked his arm to shake her off.
“It’s done, Mary. We’ll check in on you once things have settled down.” He shut the door without looking back.
Mary stood in her empty apartment, hiccupping and wiping her face on the hem of her shirt. Inside, the baby rolled, content in the warm oblivion of its mother’s womb.
–Story by Heather Kerner
–Photography by Manuel EstheimSportswear Design | Nike nike air max paris 1 patch 2017 , Sneakers , Ietp STORE