I looked down at the pregnancy test and smiled. I endured tests, shots, screenings, and fertility medication all for this positive.
“Hello, my little $100,000,” I said as I rubbed my stomach. Overwhelmed with excitement, I called my cousin Imani to tell her the news. She was one of the few people who knew I planned to become a surrogate. As soon as she answered the FaceTime call, I put the pregnancy test in the camera. “Ok, boo you!” her ghetto ass screamed. “You’re about to have a natural bbl!”
I laughed as I shook my head. “Yeah, well, we will see about that.” I giggled. I had always been small. My breasts were barely a B cup, and my ass really wasn’t much to look at. The biggest thing about me was my curly, sandy blonde hair. I assumed I got it from my father, whoever he was. I had hazel eyes and an almond skin tone, too. None of these features belonged to my mother, who was a chocolate vixen with thick hips and brown eyes. I emphasize the word was when I talk about my mother because she was now a shell of herself. Small, thin, and feeble. Cocaine had taken over not just her body but her life. She loved it so much, she named me after it. Snow White was my full legal name.
“That baby is going to spread them hips!” Imani giggled.
“Girl, you are too much.” I laughed. That’s not why I became a surrogate. It was strictly about the money. I was introduced to the idea of being a surrogate by my aunt Tracey. She told me I was the ideal candidate. I was twenty-five and in good health. I didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, and was single. I was a little apprehensive at first. All I could think about was morning sickness, stretch marks, contractions, and labor. However, when she began discussing money, my decision was quickly swayed.
When I walked away from Royal, I left every damn thing behind. Leaving him wasn’t the hard part. It was what I had to go back to, which wasn’t easy. I went back to a drug addicted mother, a dirty ass Nycha apartment, and no money. I realized quickly that all of these things had to be temporary.
And it would be.
Chapter 2
Summer had yet to melt the chill off the morning, so when I stepped into it, I was damn near sprinting to get out of it. I had quickly turned the ten-minute walk to my job into a five.
I sighed with relief when the warm air from the bakery hit me. I followed the smell of vanilla extract until I saw Mr. Bailey. He was filling a piping bag with cream cheese frosting.
"How are you doing this morning?" He asked.
“I'm fine,” I said. I quickly washed my hands, then put my apron on. “Where do you need me?” I asked.
“Well, you can start by finishing these cupcakes, while I get started on the lemon cakes,” he said as he handed me the piping bag.
“Ok,” I said as I turned to the tray of cupcakes. When I was done with the cupcakes, I filled the display case and turned to today’s menu. Every day, the bakery had a cohesive theme. Today, that theme was yellow.
So, along with the lemon cakes Mr. Bailey was making, we also had to make pineapple upside-down cakes, banana pudding, and lemon bars.
For our happy hour desserts, we were going to have lemon margarita cupcakes and banana fosters with vanilla ice cream. Itseemed like a lot, but Mr. Bailey handled a lot of the prep work. Plus, we still had a few hours before we opened.
I fell into a calm rhythm of mixing, rolling, and kneading. To others, this would be overwhelming. The heat from the oven alone would probably drive them crazy. For me, it was relaxing, peaceful even. I had been working here at Sprinkles and Co. on and off since I was twelve. At first, I was working for leftovers, but as I got older, this bakery became my home and my escape. It was my peace in my otherwise chaotic world.
I smiled, knowing that this would all be mine soon. After a bit of negotiating, Mr. Bailey and I came up with a number we were both comfortable with. He was going to sell it to me for $50,000. That price seemed unattainable until I became a surrogate. And now it felt close enough to touch. I ran my hand down my stomach, and my smile grew wider. I was creating life for someone while they were funding mine.
Chapter 3
When I informed the surrogacy agency that I was pregnant, I was asked to come to their home office in Manhattan. I hadn’t been in this office since the legal side of the surrogacy process, so I was confused as to why I was here today. I thought when I let them know I had gotten a positive test, they would have me back in their clinic with my feet in stirrups, confirming it. I watched as Kate Samson walked into the room. She was the lawyer for the Bloom agencies. “Hello, Ms. White.” She smiled.
“Hi,” I said as I shook her extended hand.
“How are you feeling?” She asked.
“Tired, but good.”
“Ok, well that’s expected.” She said as she gave me a half smile. “Anyhow, there’s something important I need to discuss with you today.”
“Um, ok,” I said as I sat up in the chair. Her tone had me a little concerned.
“As you know, here at Bloom, we provide an array of services to turn dreams of parenthood into a reality. From surrogacy to fertility treatment. We provide it all.”
“Yes. I know.” I said.
“We strive to be efficient and precise in all procedures done here, because these are lives we are creating, but sometimes mistakes are made.”
“Well, what mistakes are you talking about?” I asked.
“I’m getting to it,” she said. She took a deep breath before she spoke again. Her discomfort started making me feel anxious. “As you know, you were supposed to go through the IVF process.”
