June 11

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Things were looking up for Tris. She had a hopeful new spring in her step. Christina had noticed, but Tris hadn't told her about the surrogacy plan. Instead, she got away with blaming her increased confidence on her new job.

Just a day earlier she'd gotten a call offering her the full-time church secretary position she'd interviewed for. Since it felt lucky, Tris wore the same outfit to the surrogacy interview that she'd worn to her job interview - white capri pants, sandals, a watery light teal tank, and a darker teal cardigan with elbow-length sleeves.

She'd been looking for an apartment, too. Sleeping on Will and Christina's couch was getting old, and she couldn't imagine keeping it up while pregnant. Ideally, she'd find an affordable studio or one-bedroom close to her new job and her friends. If she kept her expenses low enough, she could stay up-to-date on the debt payments for the next year, and pay off the Peter nightmare with the surrogacy money.

Things were moving in the right direction, but a lot was riding on this interview.

..

That same morning, Tobias met Max and Veronica for breakfast. They'd been back in the Chicago suburbs for just a few days, and Tobias had spent his evenings helping them unpack and settle in. All three of them felt a new sense of hope and joy as they looked forward to adding a child to their family.

Veronica brought a photo album to breakfast, and for the first time since Lauren's death, the three of them were able to look at the pictures without crying.

"I thought Miss Prior might like to see pictures," Veronica explained. "We're sharing our story and possibly making her part of our family for the next nine months or so. I just thought she might like to put a face with Lauren's name."

Tobias and Max agreed. They were nervous about the meeting, but excited, too. Would Beatrice like them? Would they like her? If it went well, how soon would she be willing to do the implant?

Things were moving in the right direction, but a lot was riding on this interview.

..

The agency counselor, Tori, led Tris to a meeting room and offered her a cup of coffee or a bottle of water. She accepted the water, but left it sitting on the table untouched.

Under the table, her leg bounced anxiously as she waited for her fate.

..

A receptionist greeted Tobias, Max, and Veronica in the agency lobby, and notified Tori of their arrival. She offered coffee or water while they waited. Veronica accepted a coffee while Tobias asked for water.

A minute later, their counselor arrived and led them back to a conference room. At his sides, Tobias' hands shook anxiously as he waited for his fate.

..

Tori opened the door, and Tris leapt to her feet. The counselor held the door for three people - a tall, handsome man with dark hair and stunning blue eyes, a middle-aged man with a dark tan and silver streaks in his dark hair, and a petite woman with an ash-blonde bob. The couple didn't really resemble the younger man, but they looked about the right age to be his parents. The woman clutched a photo album in her hands.

"Tris Prior," she said, reaching out a hand toward the one she assumed was Mr. Eaton.

"Tobias Eaton," he said, confirming her belief, "and this is Max and Veronica Scott, my in-laws."

Tris greeted the older couple warmly, and Tori took control of the meeting once everyone was settled.

"Okay," she said. "We are here today because Tris and Tobias both clicked 'yes' to a potential surrogacy match. The purpose of this meeting is to get to know one another to see if the match will work. If both parties are satisfied, the next step will be more paperwork - always more paperwork. Around here, that's where babies come from."

Everyone chuckled nervously at Tori's joke before she continued. "Tris, I'd like to start out by having you introduce yourself. Just tell us a little about yourself, and why you want to be a surrogate."

Tris took a deep breath, and let it out shakily. "Um, my name is Beatrice Prior, but I prefer to be called Tris. I was born and raised here in the Chicago area. I attended Abnegation High School, then went to Divergent University. During my junior year, my parents and brother were killed in an explosion. That's where things got rather, uh, bad, for me.

"I had a boyfriend at the time, and he did and said all the right things to help me through my grief. I… I thought he loved me, you know? I thought he was looking out for me. We got married and combined everything - bank accounts and all that. Two years into our marriage, after the estate was closed and I won a lawsuit over my family's death, Peter disappeared. One day I came home and he was just gone, along with everything we had that was of any value, and everything I had in the bank.

"It turned out that we were never married, and for the two years that I thought we were, he was basically scamming me. He took out credit cards in my name and put the bills in my name, then racked up huge balances and didn't pay them. There's an open investigation, but no one cares too much about hunting down a jerk that tricked a grieving girl out of her inheritance while stealing her identity.

"I… I don't usually tell people about Peter. I'm ashamed of myself for falling for his lies. I've been working like mad for eight months now to pay off the debts he left me and restore my credit so I can go on with my life. I'm a hard-working person. I have two retail jobs right now, and just yesterday I was hired for a full-time secretary position.

"Peter stole my money, but more than that, he stole my security, and the future I thought I was going to have. My parents were terrific. They raised my brother and I to think of ourselves as part of the community, and to serve others. When I learned about how surrogacy allows parents the chance to build their family, I fell in love with the idea. To me, it's the ultimate justice. I can pay off Peter's debt while helping someone like you regain the future they thought was out of reach.

"Like I said, I don't like to air my dirty laundry. But I thought that if we were going to work together, it would be best for me to be honest about my situation. I promise I'm not normally gullible like that, but I had just lost my entire family, and the grief just made me weak, and blind. I… I'll stop talking now. And I understand if you've changed your mind about me."

"Not at all," Max replied quickly. "The three of us understand how crippling grief can be, trust me."

Veronica slid the photo album across the table, and Tobias told their story.

"My wife, Lauren, was killed by a drunk driver ten months ago. We were high school sweethearts, and she was… she was everything. I've been a zombie since she passed. Max and Veronica are Lauren's parents. So we get it. We know about that grief, and how it shuts off your brain.

"At the time of Lauren's death, she and I were going through fertility treatments. We love kids, and we wanted to be parents, but she didn't have many viable eggs. We did IVF, and we'd just had our first transplant procedure when she died. So I know that hopeless feeling of watching your planned future disappear. For months I wished that Lauren had at least given us a child before she died so part of her could live on.

"It was Veronica who reminded me that we have frozen embryos available. Being a single dad will be hard, but I've found new life and new hope in planning for the future and family I thought I'd lost.

"I have a good career in software development. It pays well, and has the flexibility to allow me to work from home on occasion. Max recently retired, and he and Veronica live less than a mile from me. I have a nice three-bedroom house in a good school district. Lauren and I were both only children, but we love kids. My best friend has two of them, and I've relished being their uncle since they were born.

"I sincerely doubt that I'll ever find someone who could replace my wife - she was the love of my life. But she left me with the possibility of having the family we wanted, even without her. I just need a surrogate to get there." He paused and looked up at Tris, who smiled brightly in spite of the tears filling her grey-blue eyes.

The sight of this stranger, moved to tears over his loss but eagerly offering her time, her body, her life to make his dream come true, touched Tobias deeply. He felt connected to Tris, as if fate had brought them together to make something beautiful that restored some of both of their broken pieces.

"What do you say, Tris," he asked in a husky voice, "will you carry my child?"

Tris dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and looked down at the page Veronica had turned to. It was a wedding photo of Tobias and a beautiful girl with bright blue eyes, a dazzling smile, and long, light brown wavy hair. In the picture Tobias wore the look of a man head-over-heels in love with his bride, and Tris felt her heart lurch for the young widower. She wanted to give him something to smile about again.

"I'm in," she agreed.

Everyone sighed in unison, and Tris giggled at the audible manifestation of the tension being released in the room.

Tori dabbed at her eyes then clapped like an excited toddler. "I'm so happy for all of you," she said. "You both have unique situations, but I think your losses and broken pieces will fit together well and form a great partnership. I encourage you to start communicating with one another. Email, text, whatever works for the four of you. We'll get started on the next round of paperwork today, and we'll get the embryo transfer appointment scheduled. It usually takes a few weeks to get in, so like I said, take that time to get to know each other. If for some reason you find that this partnership isn't going to work, you have until the transfer appointment to back out. Once the embryo is transferred and successfully implants, you're stuck with each other for nine months or so, so if you have any misgivings, figure it out now. Okay?"

Around the table, four heads nodded in agreement. "Awesome," Tori said, opening a thick folder of legal papers, "get ready to sign away the next nine months of your life - or eighteen years, in Tobias' case."

..

To: Tris Prior
From: Tobias Eaton
Saturday, June 12, 11:02pm
Subject: Sharing

Dear Tris,

Per Tori's directions, I'm reaching out to try and get to know you a bit more. I'm not really sure where to start, though. You know about my wife, our fertility struggles, and her death, but I guess you don't really know me. Maybe that's a good place to start.

Like you, I grew up here in the Chicago area. My childhood home life wasn't the best, but I had good friends who helped me along the way. Lauren and I started dating in high school, and her parents picked up the slack where my parents had failed.

Lauren and I went to Dauntless University. She majored in marketing and graphic design. I majored in computer science. After we were married, she worked at an ad agency, and I got a job at Roth Technologies. I've worked at Roth for four years now, and I really like what I do.

I'm into tech stuff - computers, video gaming, that kind of thing. I'm also a big sports fan. I love the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, and Cubs, but I'll watch just about any sports. MMA, boxing, and football are my favorites.

I run for exercise mostly. I'd like to run a marathon some day, but the longest races I've done so far are a couple half marathons. I also box a bit - sparring and punching bags, not actual fights.

I like to eat, but I'm not much of a cook. I live alone in the three-bedroom house that Lauren and I bought when we found out we would need IVF to have a baby. I don't have any pets.

I guess that's all I can think of right now. Maybe you could tell me more about yourself, and ask questions if there are things you want to know about me. I'm not real good at all this small talk and making new friends, but I'm trying.

Tobias Eaton

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To: Tobias Eaton
From: Tris Prior
Sunday, June 13, 8:21am
Subject: Re: Sharing

Tobias,

Happy Father's Day! Just think, next year you'll be celebrating with a child of your own. I'm so excited for you, and for Max and Veronica.

Thank you for getting the ball rolling by telling me more about yourself. For now I guess I'll follow your lead and tell you some things about me.

I live with my best friend Christina and her husband, Will. It's not ideal, but they were so good to me after the whole Peter mess, and they took me in. It probably helps that I work as much as I can, so they get plenty of alone time without their houseguest, lol. Tomorrow I start a new job as a secretary/receptionist at Redemption Church. They want me to answer phones, greet guests, order supplies, and manage their social media accounts - stuff like that. I quit my day job at Macy's, but I kept my second job cashiering at Target nights and weekends. After the transplant I plan to quit there too, don't worry. But for now I might as well make the extra money until my paychecks from the church start coming.

I've been looking for an apartment, too. Ideally I'd like to get a studio or a single bedroom, but it's all about cost, location, and availability. I've found two that might work, but I'm not completely in love with either one, so I'm still looking for now. A new place will require me to buy some things, and that's the other reason I'm still working at Target.

I am also a sports fan, though the KC Chiefs are my football team. You should switch over, it's more fun to cheer for a team that's actually good… OK, that was mean. The Bears are ok, as long as they're not playing my Chiefs. I also like the Cubs and Blackhawks, so we have that in common. I don't care for basketball - the horrible sound of tennis shoes on the wood floor is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

For fun I like to watch movies - mostly comedies, though I do like a good girl-power chick flick. Not sappy ones, but happy, empowering chick flicks. I also like to read. When I was younger I used to write fanfiction and original fiction short stories, but I haven't had time for that in years. I like to cook and bake, and I'm hoping to do more of that once I'm in my own place again. I really like to eat - especially candy and junk food I shouldn't have. Don't worry, though, I know how to curb my appetite. I'll make sure Baby Eaton is fed healthy foods with only the occasional treat. I have a pretty high metabolism, so I've gotten away with my less than stellar eating habits, but I also played volleyball in high school, and I like to do yoga and go for walks.

I took today off work so I could prepare to start my new job tomorrow, but also so I could make a nice dinner for Will and Christina. Tonight I'm telling them about the surrogacy. I'm sure they'll be excited - Chris was the first to suggest it, after all - but I'm pretty nervous, too. They've been my biggest supporters since Peter left, and I really hope they still feel that way when they find out I'm renting out my womb.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Tris

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To: Tris Prior
From: Tobias Eaton
Sunday, June 13, 5:14pm
Subject: Re: Sharing

Tris,

Thank you for the Father's Day wishes. It's a good thing you mentioned it, too, because I'd forgotten, and I had to get something for Max. Inspired by our emails about sports, I ordered tickets to a Cubs game. To be honest, it felt like a little Father's Day gift for myself, too. We'll enjoy doing that together.

I went over there this afternoon, and they were so touched that you sent Max a Father's Day email as well. He showed it to me. I'm sorry you don't have your own dad anymore, and I'm glad that being our surrogate has made you feel connected to your own parents again.

Your email also reminded me that I need to tell my friends about the baby. My best friend Zeke and his wife have two kids, so I'm sure he'll be excited. He'll probably try to rope me into joining the minivan club with him, but I'll pass. One baby should not cost me my man card. No offence to minivan drivers, we just like to give Zeke a hard time. I've actually been shopping for a small SUV that would be good with a car seat and stroller, but still agile. Like your apartment search, I'm still considering my options. I have time.

Good luck with your friends tonight. I'm sure they'll be supportive of the generous gift you're giving me and my family. Let them know that we promise to take good care of you through the whole process.

Tobias

.

To: Tobias Eaton
From: Tris Prior
Sunday, June 13, 9:52pm
Subject: Re: Sharing

Tobias,

Dinner went really well. Chris and Will are happy for me, and especially for you. They said to tell you that they also will take care of me during the pregnancy. Christina is already planning how to spend the maternity clothing allowance and dress me up like a doll for nine months. That girl loves to shop.

I'm excited to start my new job. For a long time I felt like I was going through the motions in life - just trying to survive and pay off the mess that Peter left me. Ever since I looked into surrogacy, I feel new hope. It's encouraging to look forward to something again. Thank you for letting me be a part of that. In all honesty, it's given me some confidence again, and I've started making plans for my life for the first time in far too long.

Sorry to get all sappy on you. I hope you have a good day at work tomorrow!

Tris

.

Tobias stared at the last line of Tris' message. When was the last time someone had sincerely wished him a good day at work? It reminded him of Lauren, and of saying goodbye at the door each morning.

It wasn't the same, but Tobias found he rather liked having someone who cared if he had a good day - someone to remind him of the holiday he needed to shop for and talk about day-to-day stuff. Tris' email reminded him that he needed to talk to Zeke and Shauna, too. He sent his best friend a quick text.

Tobias: Hey man, are you busy tomorrow?

Zeke: Work, then Zoe has toddler dance or whatever. What's up?

Tobias: Just want to talk to you about some stuff. OK if I come over after work Tues?

Zeke: Sure. Zoe has been asking for you.

Tobias: I miss her too. See you around 6?

Zeke: K