A Bundle of Joy 2: The Baby Proposal (BWWM Interracial Romance) (12 page)

Triston was enraged.
The Stevens’ lawyer was leaving out the most crucial part of the entire story. How could they blatantly omit pertinent information in the court?

The lawyer continued. “We have medical bills that prove that this baby was conceived with money that had been given by Warren and Meg
an Stevens. By virtue of that fact, and the surrogacy contract, this baby belongs to my clients. We request, Your Honor, to order this woman to carry out the terms of her agreement and hand over the baby to Warren and Megan Stevens after its birth.”

The judge peered at Selene and her lawyer.
“What does the defendant claim?”

“Your honor, my client did
, indeed, sign a traditional surrogacy agreement,” said Selene’s lawyer as he stood. “The plaintiff paid not only for the donor sperm, but also insemination fees. They also gave her living expenses until she was three months pregnant. At that point, they called to inform her that they had changed their mind and didn’t want the baby. The Stevens offered to pay for her abortion, if she wanted to go through with it. Without waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do, they immediately stopped paying for her medical and living expenses.” The lawyer stopped to fiddle with the papers that were neatly filed in a folder in front of him. “We have the medical bills that prove that after the 12
th
week of pregnancy, one doctor’s appointment was paid for by the defendant and all the others were paid by her husband, Triston Walker, whom she married when she was nineteen weeks pregnant.” He cleared his throat. “The Stevens made no attempt to contact her after that last phone call. We have submitted the defendant’s phone records to show that she was not contacted by Warren or Megan Stevens until a week ago when they called to inform her that they’d changed their mind, yet again, and did in fact want the baby.”

“I would like to hear from the plaintiff. Please
, swear Mrs. Stevens in,” the judge ordered.

After Meg was sworn in and
had taken the stand, her lawyer came forth. “Did you hire this woman to be your surrogate mother?”

“Yes, my husband and I did
.”

“Did you change your min
d after she was about fourteen weeks pregnant?”

Meg hesitated
, but perhaps the thought of the consequences of committing perjury crossed her mind because she nodded in agreement. “Yes, my husband did call her. I felt that I was not emotionally ready to handle a child. It struck me that I would be homebound and not able to travel as freely with a child as I did before. We would’ve paid for her abortion, but since she didn’t abort, that baby belongs to us.”

“Why did you change your mind regarding the baby?”

“I thought hard about it, and it finally occurred to me that I was ready to be a mother. I would take good care of this child and be caring and supportive.”

“Your witness,” said the lawyer as he went to sit down.

Selene’s lawyer stood. “Do you agree, Mrs. Stevens, that had Selene gone forward with the abortion this child wouldn’t even be alive today?”

“Of course, I
’m glad that she didn’t do it.” Meg patted her hair. “And I want to take the responsibility off her hands now. This baby was conceived because we intended to have a child and not because she wanted one. It’s a matter of intent. It was our intention to become parents that brought this child into this world. She only did it for the money.”

Triston glanced at the judge a few times during Mrs. Stevens’ testimony and noted that s
he’d been listening intently to her and had even nodded a couple of times, especially when Meg testified that it was their intention that had brought this child into the world.

That worried Triston.

A whole lot.

“No more questions,” said the lawyer.

Meg stepped down.

“I would like to hear from the defendant now,” said the judge.

Their lawyer had told them that in surrogacy agreements the court often favored the intended parents rather than the biological and surrogate carrier mothers. Triston wondered if that would happen in this case.

He
leaned forward as Selene walked over to the stand. She sat, took her oath, and folded her hands in her lap. He thought she looked dignified and graceful, albeit a little scared.

Their
lawyer stood in front of her. “Is it true that this child was conceived because of a surrogacy agreement?”

“Yes.”

“Would you please inform us regarding the circumstances that led to your agreeing to carry a child?”

Selene dragged in
a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “I answered a classified ad because I was desperately in need of money. I had been fired from my job and was unable to find any other work despite making repeated attempts to apply for various positions.” She sighed. “After going for countless interviews, I figured this was my only option to pay my rent and college loan and other debts my deceased father had left behind.”

“Why did you agree to a traditional surrogacy agreement as opposed to a gestational one in which you wouldn’t have been biologically related to this child?”

Selene blinked rapidly. “This is what Mr. and Mrs. Stevens wanted. I didn’t…I wasn’t aware that there were other options.”

“Do you think that Warren and Meg Stevens
wanted this option because it was cheaper?”

“Objection.” The plaintiff’s lawyer jumped up.

“Sustained,” said the judge. “The witness will not answer that question because it would be her opinion, not a fact.”

“When the Stevens asked yo
u to abort, why didn’t you do it?”

“I was already fourteen weeks pregnant. Even though
an abortion is more dangerous in the second trimester, it was still a medical option. But I’d seen the baby move in an ultrasound and…” her voice broke. She took a moment to compose herself. “Even though I had no means to pay for doctor appointments, I simply couldn’t bring myself to abort her. It was impossible for me to pay the hospital fees, but the doctor very kindly offered to help with the medical costs.” She ran a hand over her face. “Even if I wasn’t biologically related to this child, I wouldn’t have been able to give it the death penalty simply because the Stevens didn’t want it anymore.” Selene leaned forward as she made her point. “That would’ve made me cruel. I thought about giving it up for adoption after it was born. But then I got married, and since my husband and I have the means to support her, we would like to keep the baby now.”

“Why have you decided to keep this baby rather than hand it over to the Stevens?”

“They wanted to abort her. They didn’t want her. What if they decided that they didn’t want her a second time around, where would she end up? I don’t want to lie awake at night, wondering what’s happening to my little girl.” Her eyes welled with tears but she fought to control them. “This child deserves to be raised by people who are committed to her wellbeing, and I fear the Stevens are not dedicated to the responsibilities that go along with parenthood.”

“No more questions,” said her lawyer.

Triston
looked at the Stevens’ lawyer to see if he would question Selene any further, but he chose to sit. Perhaps he’d realized that cross-examining a pregnant woman wouldn’t make him win any points. Both the lawyers made their closing speeches. The judge seemed to listen to both sides carefully.

As far as Triston could understand, if the judge believed that because the
ir child had been conceived due to the intent of the Stevens, she would likely give them the custody of the baby, but if she thought that they had abandoned the child, she would give custody to Selene. It could go either way, depending on what the judge thought was fair and in the best interest of the child.

“
I’m going to review the documents that have been submitted in the court and will announce the judgment at the next hearing.” The judge banged the gavel and left the room.

Triston
stood slowly. He walked over to Selene, gave her a tight hug and then kissed her on the forehead. With a reassuring hand on her shoulders, he escorted her out.

It was all in the judge’s hands now.

Chapter Twelve

A few
days later, Selene received a call from the lawyer, who informed her of the next court date. It was only a few days before the baby was due to be born. The entire pregnancy was now overshadowed by the worry that she might actually lose her daughter. Selene wondered how she would be able to cope with the anguish of losing her firstborn.

Why had she put herself in this situation? She cursed herself for not thinking through it. By nature, she was not a dishonest person. If the Stevens hadn’t backed out of the agreement,
she was sure she never would’ve considered keeping this child. But the fact that they breached the contract had given her time to ponder over her child’s fate. It created a mother-daughter bond that she hadn’t felt when she conceived the little girl.

Saying that her belly was big was putting it mildly. It was ginormous
. She found it difficult to get around and stayed home most of the time. Triston, ever optimistic, busted his gut to get the nursery ready for the baby. He refused to consider the possibility that they wouldn’t have their daughter with them.

Selene wished she had faith that was even one-third of his.

She got a call from the publisher who’d interviewed her.

“Hello
. May I speak to Mrs. Selene Walker, please?”

Selene crossed her fingers. “This is she
.”

I’m calling from Cros
sword Publishing.”

Hope flared in her heart.
“Yes?”

“I’m happy to inform
you that we would like you to join our team of freelance editors. We’re in the process of setting up our offices, but we’ll be hosting a one-day workshop very soon and would like you to attend if you accept our offer for employment. Would that be all right?

“
Yes, I accept your offer.”

“Good. I’ll call you again when we’ve finalized the date for the workshop. But
I would like you to note that we wouldn’t be officially giving any assignments for the next couple of months.”

“That’s fine
.” The timing was perfect. Her baby would be born and already a few weeks old before she actually started working.

Now if only things would work out at the court. The anxiety was consuming her every waking hour.

When Triston
got home, she gave him the news, not sure of what his reaction would be. She knew he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of her going back to work. He surprised her by beaming happily. He gathered her in a hug and deposited a kiss on her neck.

“I’m happy for you, babe
. It’s the perfect opportunity. You can work and take care of our baby, right in the comfort of our home. I’ll be on paternity leave soon, so I’ll be able to roll up my sleeves and help you with her.”

It was on the tip of Selene’s
tongue to tell him not to get too excited. What if they lost custody of their child?

But she couldn’t bring
herself to say the words. Instead, she hugged him, finding strength in his arms.

The court date arrived with nauseating speed. They were due to appear in court at three in the afternoon. Se
lene hadn’t slept well for the last few nights. The court’s outcome would decide their fate. She couldn’t relax until they were passed the danger of losing their daughter. Her back was paining a little. It was probably because she hadn’t been able to get comfortable in bed the night before. Triston tried massaging her back, but she got no relief.

At one o’clock
, Selene made her way upstairs where Triston was setting up the crib. He’d opted to stay at home with her rather than go to work because he knew she was anxious.

The nursery was white with pink stripes. Though she hadn’t wanted to get emotionally invested in the process of preparing for the baby’s arrival, Selene had finally caved in and painted pretty, pink butterflies on one of the walls
. Jamie, Heather and Tasha wanted to throw her a baby shower, but she’d refused because she didn’t want to pin all her hopes on having her baby, only to have it snatched away from Triston and her.

She wondered if their daughter would be able to enjoy everyt
hing that they’d bought for her. As she entered the nursery, she saw Triston putting the brand-new mattress in the crib.

Seeing him do that, she felt giddy with overwhelming love. How could she have thought that she wouldn’t be happy with him? He was an absolutely amazing, loving, and caring man.

And not to mention, handsome, too.

“Hey, how is it going?”

Triston
whipped around. “What are you doing up here, babe? You know you shouldn’t be climbing up and down the stairs.” Rushing over, he helped her to the rocking chair that they’d bought for the corner of the room.

“What you mean is that I scared the crap out of you because you couldn’t hear a fat, pregnant lady sneaking up the stairs,” she joked.

“You’r
e
not
fat. You’re pregnant. There’s a big difference.”

Selene smiled at him. As she raised her head to kiss him, a sharp pain ripped through her. She doubled over, whimpering in pain.

“Are you ok
ay? Should I call an ambulance? Tell me what’s going on.”

Selene gritted her teeth until the pain
subsided. “I’m okay. I think…maybe it was a contraction.”

“She’s not
due for another week. She can’t come early.”

“Babies don’t come on a timetable. I think we better get t
o the hospital and check it out.”

“Maybe these are false contractions,” he offered as he helped her to stand and took one of her arms to steady her. They went downstairs. Triston collected the
two bags that she’d packed. He rested them on the back seat of his SUV.

Another contraction gripped her. Selene breathed through it as she’d been taught at the birth class.

Triston looked back at her as she stood by the door of the passenger side.

“What’s wrong
?”

Trust Triston to sense that something wasn’t quite right. But she was too caught up in what was happening to her to give it more than a passing thought.

“Oh my God.” Selene stared down at the flow of water that was rushing out from between her legs. “My water broke.”

Their daughter was determined to be born even though the court still hadn’t decided her fate.

****

Triston ignored every road sign, speed limit,
and stop light on the way to the hospital.

“Slow down,” Selene said. “We’
ll get pulled over by the cops.”

And sure enough, they heard a siren behind them.
Triston couldn’t think straight. His mind was consumed by worry. All he wanted to do was to get her to the hospital.

“What if we just outrun them?”

Selene looked appalled. “No! You pull over right now. I do
n’t want my husband to go to jail on the same day our daughter is born.”

Triston pulled over. He turned off the engine and dug out his license from his wallet.

An officer stepped up to the rolled down window. “License, please.”

Triston handed them to him. “We’re in a hurry, officer.”

“I can see that, sir, but there’s a speed limit.”

Triston was
antsy. He didn’t want to waste time with the cop. “Officer, my wife’s pregnant and her water broke. I need to get her to the hospital.” 

“Which one?”

Triston told him the name of the hospital.

The police officer bent a little more so he could see Selene. His keen gaze noticed her belly and the wet spot on the front of her dress. He handed Triston his license. “Go ahead, sir. I’ll give you a police escort. Just stick close behind me, ok?”

“Thank you, officer
.”

Triston couldn’t believe his good luck. A few seconds later, the police cruiser
went hurtling passed them with sirens and lights flashing. Within minutes, they were at the hospital. As they pulled up at the emergency room parking lot, Triston could see that there was already a team ready with a wheelchair. He was a little confused as to how they’d known about their impending arrival. The officer went over and greeted him.

“I called ahead and told them you were coming. I hope everything goes well for you guys.”

Triston couldn’t thank the officer enough. He was happy to hand over Selene to the medics, as they were the experts. As far as he could tell, her contractions were now four minutes apart. Everything happened fast. The medics knew what they were doing, and before he could get a handle on things, Selene was in bed being checked out by a nurse. Triston left her with the nurse to fill out all the forms. When he was done with the paperwork, he pulled out his phone. It was two in the afternoon. He would have to inform their lawyer that they couldn’t make it to court.

“Hello
, it’s Triston Walker.” After he’d apprised the lawyer of the situation, the lawyer assured him that their presence wouldn’t be required at the hearing because of the medical emergency. He would inform the judge of the situation and tell them about the final decision.

When Triston entered the delive
ry room, Selene was panting through a contraction.

“Two minutes apart, already,” the nurse announced cheerfully. “Th
is baby’s in a hurry.”

Triston gripped Selene’s hand as she rode the
wave of pain.

God, he hoped all that Selene was going through at the moment was not in vain.

Suppose, the judge ruled in the Stevens’ favor?

Suppose as soon as Selene delivered, their daughter would be taken away from them?

Suppose…

He mentally shook himself out of his dark thoughts and concentrated on Selene
. She needed him, and he was determined not to fail her.

The nurse checked Selene. “It’s going to be time to push in
a minute or two. The doctor will come any time now.”

Not long after,
Dr. Mardsen strolled in. “How are we doing?”

“I can’t feel anything from my waist down. Is that normal?” Selene said.

“Yes, it’s normal to not feel anything after you’ve been given the epidural.” The doctor’s tone was calm. He probably handled dozens of panicked pregnant women a day.

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You’re doing fine,” the doctor assured her.

“Ok
ay, Dad, stand by Mom’s head,” the doctor instructed Triston.

Triston
wondered if he was up to the task. But as quick as a wink he stamped down the thought. For Selene, he would face anything. Triston did as the doctor instructed. She raised her chin and peered at him through long lashes. He kissed her softly on her lips.

“You’re goin
g to be fine, babe,” he promised. He clasped her hand in his.

The doctor took his place. “Al
l right, you’re ready to push. This is what we’ll do. I’ll count for you, and when I say push, you start to push. Keep pushing until you just can’t anymore, okay?”

Selene nodded and squeezed Triston’s h
and for reassurance.

“B
ear with me while I count. Here we go. One, two, three, push.”

Triston could feel Selene bearing down with everything she had. He craned his neck but there was nothing to see.

The doctor didn’t appear perturbed that the baby hadn’t made an appearance. Was it normal? Triston
decided not to worry since the doctor seemed to be in control of the situation.

“Once more, Selene,” Dr.
Mardsen said. “One, two three, push.”

Selene pushed.

“That was a nice, strong push. Get ready for another one, here we go. One, two, three, push.”

Selene pushed with all her might.
The veins on her temple looked like they were ready to burst.

“Good girl.
A couple more pushes like that and she’ll be right out. Don’t quit on me now. One, two, three, push.”

Selene
let out a yell as she bore down again. It seemed like their daughter slipped out straight into the doctor’s waiting hands.

Triston
heard their little girl cry. He wanted to see her but the doctor gave her to one of the nurses, who took her over for cleaning. Triston didn’t want to leave Selene although he was dying to see their daughter.

“Is she ok
ay? Is my baby all right?” asked Selene. Tears were streaming down her face.

“She’s perfectly fine. She’s getting cleaned up a little. In a minute, you can hold her,” said the doctor.

Dr. Mardsen looked at Triston with a smile on his face. “Now it’s time for you to cut the cord.”

Triston snipped the cord, surprised by the spray of blood.