I closed the folder and decided to hold onto it to show my mother. Maybe if she knew this wasn't going to work out, she'd talk some sense into my father. It was all I could do, honestly.
“Thank you for your time,” I said, standing up.
Lisa stood up in front of me, reaching out her hand. “My card is included in the paperwork,” she said. “Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions, Malcolm. I'd be happy to help you, if only there was a way I could.”
“I understand.”
I left Lisa's office as another woman was bringing the younger couple to the back. There was so much hope in their eyes, and they held each other's hands tightly as the three of them walked by me in the hall.
If only my eyes held the same amount of hope.
~ooo000ooo~
“It's impossible,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I looked down at the dining room table, feeling utterly hopeless.
Mom was looking through the folder, reading everything she could. She was looking for any loophole or fine print that might help us find a way around our predicament. So far though, even my incredibly detail-oriented mother couldn't find anything that would help us. At least not with the surrogates. I could see the resignation and frustration in her eyes.
“You told them you were single?”
“I told the truth, yes.”
She pursed her lips together. “Maybe you could tell them that was a mistake.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And what good would that do?”
Mom pushed the folder over to me, her finger directing me to a section in the paperwork that dealt with couples.
“It says here, if you're already together, the testing period is waived,” she said. “Meaning, they wouldn't have to wait six weeks.”
“Great,” I said. “Except I don't have a partner.”
She cleared her throat and I saw a shadowed look in her eyes. I knew the next words coming out of her mouth were words I wasn't going to like.
“You could ask Danielle,” she said, her voice soft and gentle.
Sometimes, I hated being right. Hearing her name again filled me with a dark anger and made me clench my jaw so tight, I was half-afraid I was going to crack a tooth.
“No,” I said simply.
“Come on, Malcolm, it's not like you two have to stay together forever,” she said. “She'd just be your surrogate. And once that was over, you two could go on your merry ways once more. It would be a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“At what cost, mom?” I asked her. “Because you know Danielle wouldn't agree to just being my surrogate. She'd try to weasel her way back into the family for some of the money as well. And as the mother of my child, she would have a solid claim.”
Mom sighed. “It might not be the best option, but it might be the only option, Malcolm,” she said. “You can't let Adam take over the company.”
“What if neither of us give dad a grandchild?” I asked. “Not like Adam has any options that I don't have. Maybe we'll both fail. What happens then?”
“Do you really want to take that chance, Malcolm?”
“It's at least worth talking about it,” I said. “What happens if neither of us give him a grandchild?”
“Only Terrance knows the answer to that one.”
“I'll talk to him,” I said. “Find out what the contingency plan is. And maybe, it'll be worth forgetting this whole thing after all.”
“Do you really want to let your father down, Malcolm?” she asked, her voice holding a hint of melancholy. “This is his dying wish – to have grandchildren. It's not just about who takes control of the company. This is about him wanting something good and pure in his life before he goes. And there is nothing more good and pure than children, sweetheart.”
She had a point, but it was asking for far too much, too fast. I reached across and took her hands in mine, trying to convey that with my eyes.