SURROGATE : Conception (+18) BOOK 1 (COMPLETE)

| 9 | Impossible Position ||

Penelope put down her sketchbook and pushed off the outdoor couch. Keeping busy was the only thing that allowed her to stop thinking about the other night. Night time was the problem though. When everything was still, her body and mind were spent, but lying in the silence there was always time even if just a few minutes to remember.

Was it always like that? So delightful, so fulfilling? The morning after she woke up sore, it was an ache more like and she found drops of blood on her sheets. Of course she knew what it all was and why it was, but the knowledge, the books, the stories from friends never seemed to capture the after stuff. Never seemed to capture how she felt. Never seemed to tell you that after, you'd have memories so vivid as if you were back in that moment.

She walked into the other room and started getting dressed. Frida insisted they go to brunch together.

Penelope was weary of the event, but she was willing to sit down with the woman for an hour and keep small talk. Besides the fact that they both lived in different worlds, she actually liked Frida. She was spunky and opinionated. Bold even in her own oblivious-to-the-woes-of-others kind of way.

She seemed to live life on her own terms despite the fact that she was tied to a very successful and wealthy man. She was shameless and unabashed about the way she liked things, wanted them and part of Penelope admired that about the woman.

Once dressed, she started on her hair.

Then there were those things about Frida, like the complete disregard of anyone else's needs or desires that got Penelope. It was like the woman knew nothing of the meaning of sacrifice, compromise, and straight up not getting what you want when you want it. There was the disconnect. There was her hesitation to go to brunch, but she thought if nothing else, it was a politically correct thing to do. Frida just wanted to know the woman that was going to be carrying her child. It was reasonable.

She hooked earrings in her ear. She scrutinized her sundress. It was yellow, bright as the sun and set in contrast to her deep brown skin. She was certain without asking that they were going to some swanky place. Probably a country club the kind where people wore their sweaters around their necks and had tennis skirts and polos.

She laughed a little in her head.

She wasn't nervous about that stuff. Her mother made sure to prepare her for the world and code switching was something she did at the drop of a dime. She wasn't even concerned about keeping conversation. Frida loved talking about herself so a few well placed mhm's, nods, and questions would keep things moving in that aspect. The thing that was settling weird was the whole, you know, having sex with her husband thing. It wasn't like they weren't aware of the situation, they both were, but now that the deed was done, it was almost like waiting for the backlash. Would Frida know if Penelope's mind wandered back to the night? It happened unprompted all the time.

"Penny?" The woman sang, making Penelope look around for her purse. "Will you be down soon? We'll lose the reservation."

"I'm ready." She rushed out the room and down the stairs to find a smiling Frida.

"That color is perfect for you. That's the color you're going to wear for the announcement party."

Penelope frowned following Frida to the garage. "Announcement party?"

They got in Frida's powder blue BMW. "Yes. The party we'll have when we announce the baby."

At mention of the child that might or might not be growing in her at that very moment made her insides swim along with un prompted but delicious memories. "I-I suppose I could be pregnant, but on the first try I-I--"