Accidental Surrogate

Home with Baby Ella

I hear Sinclair sigh heavily next to me, murmuring “Ella…”

But I ignore him, my eyes fasted on Hank, who blushes a deep red at the door and looks down at his shoes. I don’t say a word, though, or make this any easier on him. Instead, I wait patiently for an answer.

“Cora is,” he murmurs, awkward, “very special to me…

“I would imagine so,” I reply, my voice harder than I think I expected it to be. “She’s a very special person.”

Hank sighs and raises his eyes seriously to mine. I hold his gaze steadily.

“I’m very serious about Cora,” he says evenly. “I want to build a life with her. But we are moving…slowly. We both want to make sure that this is right.”

My heart warms when I hear him say that he wants to build a life with her, but still – what does that mean? I hold my baby closer to me and shift in my seat.

“And do you want to have childre-”

“Ella!” Sinclair bursts in, his voice angry, a hand on my arm.

“What!” I cry, turning to him with a frown. “It’s a legitimate question!”

“It’s none of your business!” He hisses back to me, his eyes wide and appalled.

–

my sister’s business is

My frown deepens as I open my mouth to object to my mate business, after all – but Hank clears his throat, bringing my attention back to him.

he says, his eyes flicking between Sinclair and I

is at an end. I

finality, letting Sinclair know he’s free from my interrogation. “We’ll look forward to seeing you

as Hank leaves the room,

look

they can’t have. If Hank also isn’t on the same page with her about kids, then what’s the

information. “And what’s Cora’s page

bristling that he didn’t let

it. “Actually, I don’t know…” He brings his eyes back to me, though. “Either way, that’s a conversation between Cora and Roger. Or Cora and Hank.

murmur, settling back onto the pillows. “If they’re all too stupid enough to

is as trouble does,” Sinclair sighs, leaning back on the chair. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected any different.”

I murmur in response, smiling down at my baby. Then, I kiss him on his little head. “Don’t worry, baby,” I whisper to him. “I’ll teach you my troublesome ways. And then we’ll torture daddy together.”

but doesn’t bother to counter me. He knows it

time we finally get home, all three of us exhausted by the activities of the day. But Cora finally gave us the go–ahead when Rafe’s final set of tests came back clean

of gift baskets and flowers waiting for us. “Oh,” I say, fascinated, moving forward to look at them all. Then I look up at my mate. “Did you do all this?” I ask,

tags on a few of them. “ They look to be presents from friends and well–wishers. See?” He points to one filled with hand–drawn cards set neatly around a fluffy teddy bear. “This one’s

sudden rush of feelings, overwhelmed by all the love in the room when I’ve been so distracted – I haven’t even

the baby and I towards the stairs. “We’re way too

my shoulder at it as Sinclair guides me up the stairs, a steady hand on my back. “Rafe’s first teddy – we have to get

in the morning,” Sinclair

upstairs. When we reach the door to our bedroom, though, my eyes fill with tears again as

exhausted but wanting to

I say, my voice trembling a little, looking between him and the baby. “Just…we’re bringing him home for the first time, Dominic. Putting him to sleep in his own little bed. It’s just…” I shrug, not really

he confirms this. I know, he says, simply. And so I rest my body against him – against the

dream to me. And that every moment of it – even one as