Accidental Surrogate

Ella

The morning of the moon ceremony finds me, unsurprisingly, in the kitchen. Eating.

Rafe is with me this time, giggling happily as I dance happily around the room with him, singing about how delicious carrots are as I pour some baby carrots out from their bag onto a plate and begin to munch on them..

–

I’m just getting to the part of the song – which I’m making up as I go along about how they’re good for your vision and help you make friends with rabbits when I hear an odd, familiar sound out in the hall.

I gasp, spinning towards the door as the mechanical hum grows louder, and I’m nearly run over when Henry wheels into the room.

“Henry!” I gasp, tears instantly lining my eyes, stumbling in my hurry to hug him close, almost falling into his lap.

“Steady, girl!” Henry laughs, putting out his hands to catch me and help me find my feet, laughing a little. He beams up at me and I’m laughing too, shaking my head at myself as I lean down to give him a proper hug and then a kiss on both cheeks.

“We missed you so much!” I gush, my heart in my throat as I pull away. “I’m so glad you’re home and in time! A miracle!”

“Certainly took some doing,” he says, raising his eyebrows at me. “I rode in a cargo plane to get here – this little man had better impress.” He shifts his gaze, then, to the baby in my arms.

“Oh!” I say, standing up straight and remembering my manners. “Henry, may I please have the pleasure of introducing you to your grandchild?”

“Nothing would give me more joy,” he replies, his own eyes wet now.

grandfather’s arms for the first time, trying hard no to be overwhelmed by the beauty of the moment. “This

overwhelmed by

and look towards the door, smiling when I see

1. it.

huge smile on his face. I step back as Henry turns his chair, raising one arm towards his son, the baby still held in the other. Sinclair bends down low to give his father a long, warm hug and I bite my lip to see it. Sinclair never admitted it, but he worried about his father, and missed him. He’s glad, I know, to

noise for the next few minutes as we all buzz around each other,

1/3

minute, raising my hands and calling for

declare. “You two “I say, pointing between Henry and Sinclair, “go into the living room, take the baby,

silver tray heaped with coffee

really is wonderful, Ella,” Henry says fondly, looking down at his grandchild when I enter the

room.

casually, putting the tray down on the coffee table and sitting close next to Sinclair. “Would you

mean if it’s all the same to you, I’ll hold him a little longer.”

touched deeply to see the

little bowling ball when you were born. With the same shock of black hair.”

“Do you have pictures?” I ask, curious. Henry nods eagerly and promises to show them to me next time I’m over. We spend a pleasant half hour catching up, with Henry telling us all about the harrows of his travel back to us, how much he wanted to get here in time for the ceremony. He also catches us up on the lives of our friends who we unfortunately had to left behind, and surprises us by telling us that Isabel, James, and Sadie came along with him so that they, too,

gasp,

Henry says, looking between us. “It

says, smiling at me. “I didn’t want you to be

wonderful,” I say, my eyes filling with tears again

wanting to spend time with his dad and the duties I know are pressing on him to finish up before

him a nudge and a smile. “We’re perfectly

asks, glancing at me first and

his son. Then he smiles and pats the arm chair next to