I
There was a couple who lived happily, but they didn't have much time for each other. Their love, however, could not be measured, though it seemed threatened by their pursuit of ambition. Would their love endure?
It all began the day this beautiful couple, Mr. and Mrs. John Grace, decided to have a child. They were both workaholics and didn't really have time for procreation. Mrs. Grace feared that if she became pregnant, she wouldn't be able to work, and she didn't want anything interfere with her career.
However, her family and in-laws were already pressuring her, and she felt confused and tired of making excuses. So, one day, Mrs. Grace confronted her husband.
"Hello, baby, are you busy?" Mrs. Grace asked.
"Absolutely not," Mr. John replied with a smile. "Actually, you're the one who's always busy."
Mrs. Grace sat on the bed. Mr. John's face turned sour with uncertainty; he was always the one initiating important conversations in their life, not the other way around, and it wounded him.
They both sat for a few minutes. Then Mr. John asked his wife, "Baby, you wanted to talk, right?"
"Yes," Mrs. Grace answered, "but I don't know how to start."
"Start from anywhere," Mr. John encouraged her. "Well, it's been a long time coming."
"Yes, because it's easy to read you, so I always know what you want," Mrs. Grace said, smiling. "Okay, read me then."
"It's about us having kids," Mrs. Grace began.
Mr. John was surprised. "How did you know? I loved hearing you and my mom talk over the phone."
Mrs. Grace burst into tears. "Oh, I know I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but I can't balance a baby and work."
"It's all going to be fine," he said. "We just have to find a way. I know how much I love your work, and how much you love our marriage. We will get through this. Don't worry."
Mrs. Grace nestled into his arms like a baby, and they stayed there for hours.
Suddenly, Mrs. Grace jumped up. "I have an idea!" She turned to Mr. John with a smile. "I don't know if you're going to like it, but if you don't, just tell me. It... it's... surrogacy."
"What?!" Mr. John exclaimed. "Totally!"
"I knew you wouldn't like the idea," she said.
"No! I didn't mean I didn't like it; I was just surprised."
"So you love it?" Mrs. Grace held his hand. He hugged her and said, "Yes."
But Mr. John didn't truly love the idea. However, he couldn't tell her no because it would hurt her feelings. So he said, "Maybe my family won't be okay with the idea."
Mrs. Grace then said, "They don't have to know, unless you tell them. But no, okay. Our agreement has been agreed upon. What could possibly go wrong?" she concluded.
Over the next few days, they decided they would have a child. They would have one first and then the other one later on.
They went to the hospital where Mr. John's ex-friend, Mrs. Dan, worked. Everyone knew her as Doc; she was a good doctor and a good friend to the couple. She was the best person to work with.
After a few weeks passed, they went to see the surrogate. She was going to carry Mrs. Grace's egg and Mr. John's sperm. It was a big job, so she was paid handsomely by the couple. They offered to pay her six million and during the pregnancy, she would stay with them. They would also give her two hundred thousand every two weeks, not including her medical bills. And she would be free to take more if needed.
The name of the surrogate was also Grace. She was beautiful, healthy, and had the "full package," but she wasn't married.
During the few days she lived with the couple, she was well-behaved, nice, and a very religious woman. Although her name changed from Grace to Surrogate (as it was also Mr. John's wife's name), she didn't mind.
Most of the time, Mr. John was the one to care for her when her pregnancy became difficult, as it was hard for her to do anything.
But as soon as the child was born, Mrs. Grace spent most of her time with him. The surrogate couldn't get used to the family and was eventually hired to be the child's nanny.
They named the child Omar. As Omar grew, he referred to the nanny as "Mom" because Mrs. Grace didn't give enough attention to her child. And Omar was three years old.
Mr. John started telling his wife again that it was time they had their second child. He wanted to start a family. So Mrs. Grace decided to get a new job.
Her family was not spending time with each other. She wasn't coming home to spend time with them. Her husband knew she was talking to her nanny, and her son didn't know her as "Mom," but "Aunt."
So she once again joined her husband. Maybe this time she could carry the child and pay more attention to her family, because her job had driven her away from her family.
But in the end, her husband turned her down because of the idea of having children stopping their love and involving them in focusing on her desires. He challenged her agreement by saying she was using her intentions against him.
Mrs. Grace always told him that she wouldn't stop working and be a housewife. She loved earning her own money. And this also made Mr. John love her more.
A few years passed, and Mr. John fell sick, and his company went bankrupt. He tried looking for a fresh start, but it was nearly impossible. He decided to get a new job; he relied on his savings and the salaries owed to him, which were a substantial amount compared to his usual earnings.
He started spending time with his kids and began to bond with them.
All the love and happiness they shared, Mrs. Grace missed out on everything.
One day, she came home tired, but she couldn't find her husband or kids. She couldn't even find the nanny.
She called them up and found out they had gone out for ice cream. As soon as she hung up, she broke down into tears, as all her dreams for her family had been consumed by their work. So that night, she decided to spend more time with her family, and no matter what, her job couldn't be affected because right now, she was the boss, and she could work from anywhere – a comfortable setup.
She turned to go inside, where she heard the doorbell ring. It was her husband and son with the housemaid, the nanny.
They all came in late, smiling. Mrs. Grace smiled back. She tried to carry Omar, but he refused.
Mr. John rubbed her back and told her not to worry; he was just still a child.
When Mrs. Grace, with her talent, took off her clothes and threw them about, she came out a little tired to her chest. She cupped his head and tried to get her husband's attention, but he was lost in his thoughts. She took off her towel and wrapped it around her husband. He looked at her and told her to put some clothes on. Mrs. Grace was surprised. "I'm not in the mood," she answered.
"Oh, I get it. You don't think I'm faithful anymore, is that right?" She got up and put on her nightgown. "And by the way, I think I'm pregnant! What?!"
Mr. John exclaimed, "Hold on!"
Mrs. Grace did not stop. She walked into the dressing room and came out in her nightgown. She took the pillow on her side of the bed and left.
Mr. John did not go after her, allowing her to cool off by morning, and then they could talk.