Talk To Me

41. A blind date

It had been over a month since Swalha last saw Cherry, and though the chaos of recent weeks had stirred up a whirlwind of emotions, she couldn't deny the bond she and Cherry shared. Ten years of friendship didn't fade easily, and she missed him. Still, Swalha was concerned for Cherry had ignored her calls and Wale's as well, despite their regular check-ins. According to his parents, though, he seemed to be doing fine, and was taking good care of the surrogate carrying his child and Wale's.

But knowing Cherry's parents, their assurances only made Swalha more suspicious. They were sweet, gentle souls, always hesitant to burden others with their worries. They'd treated Swalha like family since college, and as an orphan, she'd spent countless weekends at Cherry's house. She'd even lived with them for a few months when she and Cherry were job hunting together after graduation to the point that they'd assumed the two an item. Remembering that time brought a smile to her face. She'd eventually started her own practice, refusing to settle for any offer that didn't match her aspirations.

Arriving at Cherry's parents' home, they welcomed her like a long-lost daughter, scolding her for disappearing for so long. Cherry's surrogate, apparently, was still resting after a doctor's appointment she'd attended with Cherry's mother. With some time to spare, Swalha caught up with Cherry's parents, bearing gifts for them, her closest thing to family.

"So, sweetie, are you dating anyone yet, or are you still all work, work, work?" Cherry's mother didn't wait for an answer before turning to her husband. "Honey, remember that handsome boy, Freddie? The one next door? If he's still visiting his parents, we should introduce him to our lovely Swalha..."

"Oh, please," Cherry's father interrupted with a chuckle. "Our girl here isn't interested in matchmaking. Besides, you know the young ones these days. Marriage is the last thing on their minds."

"Oh, stop it, you old sandwich!" Cherry's mother shot back, ignoring his comment. She turned to Swalha with an enthusiastic smile. "Don't listen to him, dear. Leave it to me. I'll set you up with Freddie. I have quite the matchmaking record, you know! He's a real catch and looks like he stepped right out of one of those fancy TV dramas. And believe me, I know what's popular these days."

Swalha grinned, amused by their banter. Cherry would have rolled his eyes, likely muttering something about his parents meddling. But to Swalha, their concern was endearing, and after Cherry's mother kept pressing, she finally agreed to meet this Freddie. Cherry's father, however, looked comically jealous as his wife went on and on about Freddie's good looks.

"Honestly, honey, you seem more excited about Freddie than Swalha is," he grumbled, crossing his arms. "I should've known those compliments about my looks last week were just so you could ask for that new handbag..."

"Oh, hush, you!" Cherry's mother replied with a laugh, then turned to Swalha, ignoring his complaints. "Let me fetch one of my fancy dresses for you. You're meeting him tonight. I'll make sure of it." She winked and disappeared toward her room.

Swalha exchanged a knowing smile with Cherry's father. He was always like this, teasing his wife, who either didn't notice or pretended not to. "Don't worry about her, dear," he said with a wink. "If Freddie's not your type, I'll help you dodge her matchmaking plans. But fair warning, she won't give up that easily."

Swalha laughed. "No worries, Dad. I knew this would happen. Besides, I'm a bit curious about Freddie, is he really that handsome?"

"Oh, if my wife says he is, he must be!" he replied with a smug grin, almost as if he were bragging about his own looks. They shared a laugh until Cherry's mother returned, holding a pink dress.

"Cherry's surrogate set this one aside, saying you'd like it best."

"She knows who I am?"

"Of course! We told her you are our other daughter and were to visit today. Go on, change in her room, she's awake now. You two probably have a lot to catch up on. And don't worry, this old sandwich and I will handle the dinner preparations." Swalha felt a wave of warmth; she'd missed them all more than she'd realized.

Cherry surrogate greeted her with a small smile, though she seemed tired after introductions. Swalha decided not to push her suspicions and let it rest for now. "I've been up for a bit," the lady said, rubbing her belly. "This little one's been kicking like crazy, so sleep hasn't been easy. Take anything from my closet you like since most of it doesn't fit me anymore anyway. And I'm glad you're meeting Freddie. That old woman has been all over me about this baby, so at least she'll have something else to focus on for a while."

Swalha gave her a searching look upon her remark. "Everything alright?"

Cherry waved it off. "Just keep her entertained tonight since Cherry doesn't seem to care." She handed Swalha a dress, who tried on a few options before finally settling on the pink one Cherry's mother had chosen. Swalha glanced at the lady's belly, noticing the pregnancy had progressed quite a lot. Without asking, she reached over to touch her stomach, smiling at the connection. "Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

"Couldn't care less," she said with a smirk. "I just want this baby out so I can move on with my life. Three more months, and then I'll ask the old lady to also find me a match." After a pause, she added, "Was that why you came? To convince me to not get rid of this thing like your beloved brother is?"

"What are you talking about?," Swalha replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Oh, please!" Cherry snapped. "All any of you care about is this baby. Don't pretend otherwise. After your little date tonight, you can tell them that I'm not plotting to rid myself of this child. I must collect my pay."

Swalha was bewildered. "You seem to be under a lot of stress."

Cherry's expression tightened. "I am! And that's exactly why I hate Cherry! If he cared so much, he should've told me, told all of you about us! Instead, he let me believe in this fairy tale for years that he loves me. Now I can't see anyone else. I still want Cherry, even if he's moved on. And I blame myself for allowing him to use me."

Swalha sighed. She wasn't surprised that her suspicions were proven correct. "It appears you are not afraid to reveal your identity to me."

The lady closed her eyes briefly, swallowing. "Maybe I'm not. At this point I've already lost all there is to loose. I have no dignity left to call my own."

"I see," Swalha said quietly. "Look, I'm sorry for what you are going through, but I'm sure after everything, Cherry will clear everything out. He is just going through al or as well."

The lady let out a bitter laugh. "You make him sound like a saint."

"Because he cares for you from my view," Swalha replied with a small smile. "He bought you all these clothes. I know these fancy dresses are Cherry's fashion preference for women."

The lady shook her head, trying to hide a smirk. "And that's exactly why I hate him. Even his faults feel like virtues." She took a deep breath and looked at Swalha, her voice softening. "Tell me...is he alright? I know he must be struggling after...everything with your other sister's arrest. He puts on a tough front, but he's too soft-hearted."

Swalha met her gaze steadily. "I don't expect you to support this family's struggles, neither will I advise you against wanting to protect your interests. However, you have to come to terms with living without him for many years after delivery. You know Cherry is simply using you and you appear to have accepted that fate too." Swalha could see her unconvinced body language. The lady appeared to be just as stubborn as Cherry.

"Cherry knows how frustrating my relationship with him has been...well, after I miscarried repeatedly years ago, he avoided me for months and it frustrated me a lot. He often said seeing me bleed reminded him of his dead relationship with his lover. He refused to disclose the details but I could see what had happened to me took a toll on him that it even brought down his sexual appetite so I found myself someone else but we ended it after a while. I just can't get over him. You know what that means right?"

"My dear..." Swalha stopped when the lady lifted her hand to gesture her from uttering more words. "You don't have to say it out loud, walls have ears. Even so, just like you and your family have kept Cherry's secret, so must you keep mine and if you utter a word to anyone, I'll make sure to hunt this child down even if he or she is old and grey and cause them great harm...more than you can imagine. I will not give up on Cherry, no matter what happens."