Torn [SHAWN MENDES]

~90~

It had been five weeks of insanity, but Taryn and Tricia were finally settled in California. Shawn kept his existing airline ticket to Toronto so he could go with his girlfriend to help her tie up all her loose ends. During that time, Karen sold the house and movers were hired to haul all of Tricia's things to Santa Barbara along with the few items Taryn decided to keep. The sale of the brewpubs was finalized, and the staff at Ford's gave their boss a wonderful going away party which ended with Shawn and Jules singing a drunken duet on stage.

The happy couple opted to drive her SUV across the continent with Hendrix instead of selling the vehicle and flying. They each took a six hour shift behind the wheel and then crashed at whatever hotel allowed dogs. It didn't matter if it was a fancy place as long as they were together. This time gave them the opportunity to talk nonstop for three and a half days, which they desperately needed after years of being separated. They reminisced about their past, shared stories from the period they weren't together, and discussed their hopes and dreams.

Once they arrived in Southern California, Shawn hired both McAllister women at Third Chance Records as consultants so they could obtain work Visas. Their duties were limited to previewing album cover art and giving input, which was not a real job, but as long as they were technically employed, this was legal. Taryn planned on opening a wine bar eventually, and at that point Tricia could "work" for her.

Patricia moved into a lovely two bedroom condo in Santa Barbara, only ten minutes east of Montecito. It had a view of the ocean from the deck, which was the primary reason she allowed Shawn to purchase it. She insisted on paying him rent, which he knew better than to argue about.

The sale of her brewpubs, coupled with a steady income from Ford's, provided Taryn with a substantial nest egg. She and Shawn came to an agreement that they'd split all household expenses, which helped her feel like it was a shared home and not just her living off him. She'd compromised by moving to California, but she refused to be dependent on any man. He respected her strong feminist ideals, even if her contribution made little impact on his finances.

One of the things they discussed on the road trip was the possibility of adding to their family. Taryn told Shawn what Dr. Abbott said about only having a few years left to harvest eggs, which meant they needed to act fast. They'd made an appointment for a consultation with one of the best doctors in the area to investigate surrogacy using his sperm and her eggs.

Pulling his SUV into a parking spot at the Santa Barbara Fertility Center, which was inside a pretty Spanish style building, Shawn asked, "You ready?"

Taryn nodded. "I'm a little nervous, but this is definitely what I want."

They went inside the office and checked in with the receptionist who blushed when she spoke to Shawn. Ten minutes later they were called back to a stylishly modern office where a young woman greeted them. "Good morning! I'm Amy Kim and I'm happy to meet you. Let's take a seat on the couches instead of at my desk, since I'm not one for formality."

"Hello," Taryn said. "Thank you for getting us in so quickly."

"We prioritize patients based on age, like how they triage people in the ER. I've reviewed your file which Dr. Abbott emailed me, but before we get into the medical part of all this, I'd like to hear your story."

Taryn told her the basics, starting with the botched abortion and ending with giving up on getting pregnant. She explained that initially she was against surrogacy but had recently changed her mind.

"Have you two gotten married again?" Dr. Kim asked.

Taryn hadn't shared about their divorce, Shawn's marriage, his divorce, and their recent reunion, but it appeared the doctor knew the basic facts. "No. Does that matter?"