Early June
All Sara got was a short text from Sofia asking the brunette to meet her at five at her place. It surprised Sara because she and Greg were due to come over to Sofia's place anyway that evening to celebrate Felix's birthday. Not at five, at eight because Felix wanted to celebrate into his birthday. Well, it wasn't his real birthday, it was the day Sofia made up for him as his birthday and he wanted to celebrate this day and not the one his foster parents told him.
"Here you are." Sara found the blonde in her bedroom, sitting on the desk.
"You're on time, thanks."
"Of course. Anything happened? We were due to arrive at eight. Did Felix decide to celebrate earlier?"
"No, his party starts at eight, he's still out. I told him not to go singing today, it's his birthday, he's entitled to have a day off but he insisted on going to the mall for a few hours."
"He loves singing, he loves playing the guitar, it's not work for him."
"Looks like. Did you take Greg with you?"
"No, he worked longer and needs some sleep otherwise he won't make it until midnight. He came home after two."
"Ouch. Okay, you can tell him later."
"Tell him what?"
Sofia got up, pulled Sara in her arms. "I thought of a lot of ways how to tell you but I think the easiest way is the best: you'll be a mom in eight months."
"What?" Sara knew Sofia had a new IV treatment last month, she had insisted on trying it as soon as possible again. This time they tried not to be too exciting, told themselves there was a high possibility it wouldn't work out again. Usually Sofia's appointment at her doctor was next week.
"I went to see my doctor today. The home pregnancy test was positive, it drove me crazy to think it's false positive and I'm feeling the whole time for no reason. So I went there, let him check and because I didn't want to give you any hope I might not fulfill I didn't tell you. Now that I'm sure I can tell you: you'll be a mother in eight months, I'm positive pregnant and it's real. He told me to consider that the first three months are dangerous, it's not seldom to lose your baby in this time so I've to make very sure that I keep it and we'll be in labor early next year."
Sara pulled Sofia closer and kissed her cheek. Sofia was pregnant, Sara was about to be a mother early next year. It worked out this time and she and Greg were about to become a real family.
"I hope these tears are tears of joy."
"Absolutely." Sara sobbed. Sofia was pregnant. She would be a mother. It had worked out.
"Good. No more swear words, your baby can hear you."
"Not yet."
"This is a smart baby , it can hear you, understand you and will remember everything you say. A very smart one. And the ears have started to form." Sofia softly stroke her belly. There was a baby inside.
"It has no other choice with these parents."
"Exactly." Sofia took Sara's hand and placed it under her shirt on her skin. "I will hurt everybody who'll dare to touch my belly later. In contrast to most people I don't believe that a baby belly is public property and if somebody dares to touch me I'll arrest this person after I defended myself. You as a the baby's mother are allowed to touch my belly because it's important that you stay in close contact to your baby, same with Greg. Anybody else isn't."
"Good to know. We'll be a mother soon."
"You will."
"In a few weeks there'll be evidence that you're a mother too. The guys at work won't like it when your sexy swagger disappears."
"Do you think my swagger is sexy?"
"Not as sexy as mine is."
"Honey, you will so get a Vanity smurf next Christmas."
"Will I? That's fine with me. How do you feel? Do you feel that you're pregnant?"
"No, I feel like every day. Sorry. It's too early. Baby is oh point two inches tall…small."
"It will grow fast. Shall we name it until we know if it's a boy or girl, it's rude to call the baby an 'it'."
"Right."
"Jessie?"
"Sounds good. Hello Jessie, I hope you're fine and feel comfortable inside me. I try to give you everything you need to stay for forty weeks and come out as a beautiful healthy baby. And I hope you wait with your first moves for the moment when your mom and dad are around so they can feel them too."
"That would be nice."
"And now I've to prepare some dinner for tonight or we'll be hungry."
"How many people will be here?"
"Felix said four of his friends will come, you, Greg, me and – believe it or not – my parents are invited too."
"Wow."
"Yes. He likes them and they like him."
"Do you know his friends?"
"I've seen them when I met him at the shopping malls. But they've never been here, I told him to bring them around but he never did."
"He wants you for himself when he's here. Every guest means sharing you. No man wants to share you."
"Do you want to share me?"
"I do share you and that's fine. You've a big heart, big enough for more than one person."
"Exactly." Sofia kissed Sara's cheek. And right now there were two hearts beating inside her. Hers and the one of the baby, Jessie.
"Sorry I slept in." Greg kissed Sara. "Hi Sofia, where's the birthday boy?"
"In the living room with his friends."
"A full house."
"Finally. I love it when this place is crowed with people, It reminds me of my childhood when I had here huge parties while my parents are away. You can't imagine what we…I won't tell you, you never know when they arrive and for some things they'll still give me a very hard kick in the ass."
"Sounds interesting." Greg grinned.
"Not as interesting as Sofia's news are." Sara got her arm around her boyfriend. "Tell him."
"Tell me what?"
"You'll be a daddy in eight months."
"Really?" He stared at her. Of course he knew she had another try but like Sara he believed Sofia had her appointment with her doctor next week.
"Yes."
"Wow! Cool! Grand! Thanks!" He hugged her just to let go of her immediately. "Sorry, I didn't mean to crush you."
"Greg, I'm pregnant and not a fragile china."
"You're allowed to touch her belly, it's a special because beside you and me everybody will get arrested for harassment."
"I'm special? Good to know. Which week are you in?"
"Sixth."
"So far I can't feel anything but there might be a spiritual connection." He put his hand on Sofia's belly. "Hello baby, how are you? Oh I can't wait until you're here and I can hold you in my arms."
"We named it Jessie so we don't have to call him or her baby all the time."
"Jessie? Okay, hello Jessie. You're a very special baby, you have two moms. They are both great. Shall I join you during all the course you do? Breathing and these things."
"Of course you can join me."
"Thanks." He kissed her and pulled her in his right arm while he had Sara in his left. "Am I not a lucky man? Two beautiful women in my arms and a baby."
"A baby?" Felix came into the kitchen.
"Yes." Greg kissed both women. "I'll be a daddy soon."
"Wow, congratulation. That was why you were at your doctor's place this afternoon."
"Are you following me?"
"No, I cleaned your bathroom, that includes your trash can. When I emptied it your positive pregnancy test was on top. When you mumbled something about an important appointment I was quite sure it was about this test. I didn't mean to spy on you, it just…fell in front of me."
"That's okay. So yes, I'm pregnant." Sofia said. "Sixth week."
"Cool." He kissed her. "And congratulation to you, Sara. You'll have a baby in your house soon."
"Yes. Time for us to finish the room."
"Why don't you kiss Greg?" Sofia chuckled. "He'll be a dad, doesn't that count too?"
"Sure it does but I'm not sure what Greg will do if I kiss him on the cheek."
"I'm not homophobic."
"Okay." Felix kissed Greg on his cheek. "Congratulation for being a daddy soon."
"Thanks. You make sure the mother of my baby is fine at home."
"Of course I will."
"Sara, your boyfriend, the father of your child, was kissed by another man and he didn't complain."
"Sofia, I won't get crazy about this. You kiss me on my cheeks all the time, I do the same with you, it's fine with him. So why should I care when he gets a kiss on the cheeks from Felix? I'd worry if he had a problem with this. The father of my child is supposed to be an open minded man and that's what Greg is. He's perfect."
"They are a cute couple." Felix took the baking tray with pizza from Sofia. "You're not supposed to cater the guests, you are a guest. Get in the living room, sit down and relax."
"Ditto."
"Don't argue with me. Out!"
"Somehow I've the feeling I don't own this place anymore." Sofia took her juice and left with Sara and Greg the kitchen.
In her living room were five young people, three men, two woman. All friends of Felix who were like him playing music or doing other things for their living in shopping malls. Also Erin, the woman Greg and Sofia thought were Felix's girlfriend, was there. Instead of Felix did she hold hands with another man, who introduced himself as Fred.
Cal, a tall man with long black hair and a few tattoos played his guitar while the second woman, Marian, sang. Her long red hair hid her face. It reminded Sofia a bit of her youth. The other two men, Aaron a young man, who was not as tall as Sofia was, sat on the couch and next to him Andrew, the oldest one. Sofia guessed him in his early thirties.
"Guys, that's Greg, the lucky man who got this beautiful woman to my right."
"Hi."
"Hey." He was greeted and everybody said their name.
"Sofia, I've reserved a place for you on my lap." Cal said.
"I didn't ask for this reservation, did I? So I stay here next to my best friend Sara."
"You have no idea what you're missing out."
"I take that chance. Why does everybody try to hit on me?"
"Sexy blonde."
"I know."
"You're much more than a sexy blonde." Felix smiled, bent over so that his lips almost touched Sofia's ear. "Am I allowed to tell them that we'll have a baby soon?"
"It's your evening, Felix, they're here because of you."
"I don't mind sharing the spotlight with you."
"Okay."
"Everybody, when I went into the kitchen to get you some pizza I was told a really wonderful news: Sofia is pregnant."
"You'll be a father?" Marian asked.
"No, I won't. Greg will."
"I thought he's Sara's boyfriend."
"He is."
"I can't have children and Sofia offered us to be the surrogate mother. It's Greg's and my child but she'll give birth to it so it's her baby too." Sara was surprised how easily she could say these words. Maybe it was because she didn't know these five people and there likely not ask why she couldn't get pregnant. Plus she knew she had to learn to live with this, there would be more situations when she had to explain why she had a baby without being pregnant. So far she hadn't told her colleagues and she planed to stay at home the first week after the birth of the baby to be there for Sofia.
"That's a nice thing to do." Aaron said.
"That's what real friends are for. So please, no alcohol for me. Even when I looked forward to a beer with the birthday child. Next year."
"Deal. Shall I make you some salad? Pizza isn't that healthy."
"I think we shouldn't overdo it." Sofia took a slice of pizza. "Pizza isn't bad for me. Sara?"
"Pizza is fine. You know what's good for you and the baby, I won't tell you what to do."
"Thanks." Sofia put her head on Sara's shoulder. She was pregnant, she had a party in her house and the next two nights off. Life was good. Finally again.
