The Surrogate Girlfriend

Two

What do I tell my mom? 

What do I tell Kelvin?

Oh God, what had I done?

Panic washed over me, twisting my stomach into knots. I texted Kelvin: I’m coming over.
Grabbing my purse, I left for his house. The drive was a blur, my heart lodged in my throat the entire time. When I arrived, I had to take a deep breath just to steady myself.

"Hey, Babe," Kelvin greeted me as he opened the door, pulling me into a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around him, desperate for the comfort of his embrace.

"How are you?" he asked, kissing me gently before leading me to the couch.

"I'm not fine," I admitted, my voice trembling. "My mom’s still sick. She's not getting better, and our savings are almost gone. I haven't found a job yet... I don't know what to do." The words spilt out, heavy and suffocating. My chest ached with the weight of it all.

Kelvin took my hand, squeezing it gently. "I’m so sorry you're going through this. But you're not alone, Eva. I'm here with you." He brought my hand to his lap, but the warmth of his touch did little to calm my racing heart.

I needed to tell him. I had to, but fear gripped me. How would he react? Would he understand why I did it?

"I... I did something, Kelvin." My voice wavered, and I looked at him nervously.

"What is it?" He kissed the back of my hand, his tenderness almost making me forget what I was about to confess.

"I applied to be a surrogate," I said quietly, watching his face closely. His body went rigid. His eyes locked onto mine, searching for any sign that I was joking.

"You’re kidding, right?" he asked, his voice tight with disbelief.

I bit my lip, shaking my head. "No."

His eyes widened, and in an instant, he released my hand and stood up, the sudden loss of contact making me feel exposed and vulnerable.

"Are you out of your mind?" His voice was loud, sharp. The shock and anger were clear.

"Babe," I started, getting up to meet him.

"You are not doing that!" he snapped.

"I have to. The money, it's a lot," I tried to explain, my voice desperate.

"Money?" His tone was harsh, almost cruel. "Do you even understand what you're saying? You’ll be carrying someone else’s baby for nine months! Nine months, Eva!"

"Please, just listen," I begged, but he stepped away from me, avoiding my touch.

"Eva, you’re a virgin! How are you going to give birth to a child?" His words hit me like a punch to the gut, and tears welled up in my eyes. He was right. I hadn’t even thought it through. I’d been so blinded by the money that I hadn’t considered what it would mean to carry another man’s child for nine months and to go through childbirth.

"I just wanted the money," I whispered, my voice breaking as the tears slipped down my cheeks.

Kelvin’s anger softened, and he rushed back to me, wiping the tears from my face. "We’ll find another way, okay? I promise. You don’t need to do this." He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest.

"I can’t lose you," he whispered, his hand rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"I can’t lose you either," I murmured, but even as I said it, doubt crept into my heart. How long could I keep waiting? His words were comforting, but I was getting tired of promises.

When I got home, Daniel and Sofia were sitting at the dining table, both of them crying.

I rushed over, my heart pounding. "What happened?"

"They took Mom to the hospital," Daniel said, his voice shaky.

My stomach dropped. No.

"What? Who? Why?" I stammered, dropping my bag as I bolted to my mom’s empty room. Panic surged through me. "Who took her?"

"Mrs. April," Daniel replied.

Without another word, I ran for the door. In less than ten minutes, I arrived at the hospital, my heart pounding against my chest.

I spotted Mrs. April talking to the receptionist. "Mrs. April!" I rushed toward her. "Where’s my mom? What happened?"

"Calm down, Eva," Mrs. April said, her voice steady. "She had a heart attack, but they’ve put her in the intensive care unit."

The world blurred around me, her words echoing in my head. Cold sweat broke out across my forehead. Before anyone could stop me, I ran toward the room where my mom was.

My heart shattered when I saw her lying there, hooked up to machines, breathing through an oxygen mask. Tears streamed down my face as I stood beside her.

"What were you doing, Mom?" I whispered, my voice cracking. "What were you thinking about?" I held her hand, almost shaking her, willing her to wake up.

"Eva," Mrs. April gently pulled me back as nurses rushed in to check on her.

"I can’t lose her," I sobbed into Mrs. April’s shoulder.

"You won’t lose her," she assured me, though her words did little to ease my pain.

Three hours later, I was back home with Daniel and Sofia. Kelvin had stayed with me at the hospital for a while, offering comforting words and gentle hugs, but for the first time, none of it made me feel better. None of it could fix this.

I couldn’t just sit and watch my mom suffer. I couldn’t lose her, too.

Sitting in front of my laptop, I pulled up the page where I had agreed to be a surrogate. There was an address and a phone number listed. I stared at it for a moment, my heart heavy with guilt and desperation. Then, I typed the number into my phone and closed the laptop.

I’m sorry, Kelvin.