“I have the right to refuse.”
“What I’m telling you is that if you’ll agree to meet with me, answer some basic questions, just talk, really, then I won’t ever ask for any kind of contact with the child. I’ll be gone. Unless, at any time, for any reason, you or the baby would contact me.” Because he’d agreed to that, too.
And because he now knew that if his offspring ever needed him, for anything, he would be there.
“You’ll agree to disappear after I meet with you.”
“Yes.” Assuming he could live with what he saw. And if not...he’d have to check with his attorney. Maybe all he could do was express his concerns to child services. To have them watch out for the baby. Maybe he couldn’t even do that. He was getting way ahead of himself.
Probably for nothing. Just because he’d seen one child hurt didn’t mean that he would see another.
And rudeness didn’t automatically proclaim bad parenting.
“How many times?” she asked.
And he grinned. She was on her toes now—and so was he.
“Once,” he said. “Preferably in your home so we can have a private conversation. I’d also like to see where the child will be raised, but if that’s too weird for you, I’d settle for anyplace you choose, and pictures of the living space or anything else you’ll agree to share.”
“You’re too weird for me.”
He didn’t doubt that. And didn’t explain, either. Not until she’d given him what he needed.
“I need to speak with you.”
“Is there a medical problem? The clinic would have said so. Unless you withheld that information from them.”
“There’s no medical problem. It’s personal. I just need to know that my offspring is going to be well cared for.”
“Why’d you agree to give up your sperm if this was going to be a problem?”
She didn’t specify what she meant by “this,” but he figured he knew what she meant. The her-having-his-child part.
“It’s a long story. And one I’ll share during our one and only meeting,” he said to reassure her. He went on to give her references, even knowing that Christine had already vetted and vouched for him.
“One meeting.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have my address?”
“Of course not.” He didn’t know if she lived in Marie Cove, or had just traveled there for insemination. The Parent Portal’s reputation, and uniqueness in the weight it gave to the human elements involved in sharing biological material, brought in prospective parents from all over the state and beyond.
He was willing to travel. However far it took.
“Give me some time and I’ll get back to you.”
She didn’t say how much time. He didn’t ask.
A guy with no power had to take what he could get.
* * *
Amelia got through a couple of pressing things at her desk. She had to follow up on her meetings with a particular lace designer in the south of France, and there were emails that needed her personal response. She went home and showered. And carried the voice of the doctor she hadn’t met, carried his words, every step of the way. Who donated sperm and then got worried about the welfare of the child?
How bad could he be, caring about the welfare of his child?
How could she resent a man for that?