"Just relax, Mary," Dr Diaz tells her as she shuffles uncomfortably on the treatment bed. "It will take ten minutes, then you're free to go after a rest."
Mary nods and finally finds a comfortable position. Francis is outside in the waiting room, waiting for her and she wishes she could have him in here with her. It's all quite weird and strange and she's trying so hard to just relax but she can't for some reason. Her mind's running at a hundred miles per hour, she's even considering nursery colours.
"I'm going to talk you through what I'm doing," Dr Diaz says, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Try not to move."
"Okay," she breathes out.
He clears his throat, starting the process. "I am inserting the speculum," he informs her, showing her the object before doing as he said.
Her breath hitches in her throat at the slight discomfort but it's not hurting so she relaxes. "That's an experience to remember," she jokes.
"Hmm," Dr Diaz hums. "Is that okay?"
"Bearable. Cold," she replies.
"Sorry about that."
She chuckles. "It's fine."
"Okay, I'm now passing the catheter through to your uterus," he says. "And I am injecting your uterus with the sperm."
"Wonderful," she says lightly, making them chuckle as she releases a deep breath. She almost gets teary-eyed, closing her eyes and praying that it's a step closer to being a mother. A baby to call her own, a baby for her arms to warm and cuddle.
Before she knows it, the process is all done and she's allowed to get dressed in her jeans and sweater as Dr Diaz leaves to let her have some rest and grab her next appointment details along with 'do's and don't's' and what to do if such things happened or symptoms appeared. It doesn't seem like anything will be amiss or she wouldn't be allowed to do certain things but she'll take their advice and restrict herself to light yoga as opposed to running and not drinking or eating raw food.
"We'll see you in fourteen days to take a pregnancy test," Dr Diaz says. "Refrain from doing one at home as results may be misleading and we will perform a blood test."
"Yeah, okay," Mary says. "Thank you so much."
Dr Diaz smiles, shakes her hand and sends her on her way.
She meets Francis in the waiting room and he stands upon seeing her come in, rubbing his hands on his thighs nervously.
"All good?" He asks.
Grinning, she says, "All good."
...
He goes back home that evening with the promise of returning in two weeks for the pregnancy test, leaving her alone in her home but she decides to go and stay with her mother for the two weeks so the woman can prevent her from doing pregnancy tests presumptively.
"Was it uncomfortable?" Her mother asks as they curl up on the sofa in front of a movie. "Was the doctor nice? Was he attractive and single, even?"
"Mother!" Mary snaps with a roll of her eyes. "No, it wasn't uncomfortable and the doctor was nice. And... he's married with three kids."
Marie tuts. "It's always the doctors that get snagged up quickly," she muses. "Well, I'm glad you're not hurting. I wouldn't want my baby to be groaning and moaning about aches and pains."
Mary smiles fondly, squeezing her mother's forearm. "I know you care about me in your own messed up way," she jokes.
Marie snorts loudly, laughing. "You're my baby, I'll always care about you. But you can't deny your love life is horrible. Would men even want a single mother?"
"Thanks!" Mary says sarcastically, turning her gaze to the movie. "You're insufferable."
"I'm not wrong. Some men feel threatened with the presence of a child in the relationship that isn't theirs. What will you even tell the child when they grow up about why their father is absent? That's why I don't like strangers getting women pregnant. My heart goes out to the children."
"Mum, they're not all bad situations," Mary tells her. "And you don't have to worry about that. I guess I should tell you now that's done."
Marie frowns. "Tell me what, choupette?"
Mary brings the cushion to her chest and hugs it tightly. "Francis Valois."
"Francis Valois?" Her mother questions. "What about him?"
"You know we're really close?"
Marie nods, chuckling. "So close, you insisted on going to university in America together after not seeing each other for three years!"
Mary smiles inwardly to herself. They ended up going to study in Paris of all places with Kenna. His parents surprised them with an apartment he still lives in, to this day. Kenna ended up living with them and sneaking Bash into her bedroom many nights. It is no surprised they're married with two kids now.
"Yeah, uh... He's the sperm donor, Mama," she whispers.
"What?" Marie asks, her voice a high pitch. "Francis Valois?"
Mary nods. "Yes."
"Francis... Valois. Whose mother and I hate each other?"
"Catherine's not that bad..."
"I haven't forgiven her for staining my wedding dress with red wine at the reception," Marie says in disdain. "God, her son's got my daughter pregnant?"
Mary rolls her eyes. "We didn't have sex-"
"Twice, Mary-"
"God, since then!" Mary cries out. "Why won't people forget about that? Anyway, I trust him, he is my best friend and I'm happy he's going to be the father of my child. He's the best choice and he is up for it. He too wants to be a dad and we're doing this together."
Marie sighs heavily and rubs her temples. "At least he's got money."
"Maman!" She rarely uses French but her mother is trying her right now. "Non."
"It's a joke," her mother chides her with a tut. "But I'm serious. I was doubting you could raise a child on a single income but now I'm genuinely assured that you will be okay with Francis helping you. I'm sure he has good qualities that will help you both raise this child."
"Awh, Mum, that's the sweetest thing you've said in an insult," Mary replies, actually touched.
Marie smiles widely. "My grandchild will be adorable! No offence to your hair but I want a golden grandchild."
Mary blushes and deep down, she wants that too. If she can't have Francis, she'll have his likeness. "Same," she whispers, she and her mother sharing a wide grin. "Blonde, blue-eyed or even brown-eyed... I just want them to be a perfect mix of us both. And I will love them with all of my heart."
"Children are wonderful, Mary," her mother says fondly. "I wish I could have more... Before you, I lost four sons via miscarriages."
"Shit, Mum. Really?" Mary asks softly. "I'm so sorry."
Marie glances down, sighing heavily. "It was hard, telling your father to support me with the decision of getting a surrogate to have your brother. I'm really hoping you'll get your baby, sweet girl. It might be difficult but never lose hope."
"I won't," Mary says. "H-How did you have me then?"
Marie smiles widely, cupping Mary's cheek. "You were our miracle. After I gave birth to you, the doctor said I couldn't have any more children. I had to have a hysterectomy but at least I had you and you've turned out to be a wonderful woman, Mary. I couldn't be more proud to be your mother."
"Oh, Mummy..." Mary coos, hugging her mother tightly. "I love you."
"I love you too, sweetheart."
...
"Mary, whatever the test says, I'm here for you," Francis tells her as they wait in the car park of the clinic. They've arrived thirty minutes early because she's too excited.
Mary turns to him, drawing her eyes away from the clinic. "Thank you. Is it weird that I feel lighter?" She places a hand on her tummy to test the waters. "I could be doing this. Feeling our baby in there. They could even be in there right now."
"We'll have to have the test to find out," Francis replies with a smile. He sighs, bowing his head. "There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?" She asks, alarmed. "You're not sick, are you? We're already halfway into the process-"
"I'm back with Olivia."
Mary feels her heart shatter into pieces as she turns away from him. If he's back with her, he can't do this for her. He can't father her child because he will have to choose between them and Olivia. The same Olivia he keeps running back to for what reason?
Is the sex really that good?
"I thought she had a toyboy," Mary says glumly.
Francis sighs. "She did until she found out she was pregnant... with my kid."
"You and Olivia will get married one day and have kids..." Mary remembers herself saying the week before her birthday when he came.
"She's ten weeks pregnant," he says quietly. "And she doesn't want the kid to grow up in a broken family like hers."
Mary blinks back tears, pulling her eyes to look outside the window on her side. "What does that mean for us and..." She rubs her tummy.
"I'll still be your donor if you want me to. I'm not backing out-"
"Our kids will be half-siblings-"
"Your kid will also be my kid, Mary," he says. "Don't forget that."
Mary tuts, rolling her eyes where her tears slide down her cheeks. "I'm talking about Olivia and me. The same Olivia who hates my fucking guts."
"Mary, this doesn't change anything-"
"You will have two kids with two different mothers, Francis. Where I will raise our child on my own, you and Olivia will play 'house'," Mary snaps. "And how will this work with you and your girlfriend and kid in France and me here in England with my baby? We haven't thought this through."
The excitement she's been feeling for the past two weeks has vanished and she just wants to grab her good news and sulk in her bed with ice cream. She doesn't want to think about the kid growing in Olivia. Damn, bottle-blonde Olivia.
"I'll be here regularly. I'll make sure this kid and I have contact. I'm not abandoning our child, Mary. I will love them equally as my other child," Francis replies as Mary opens the door.
"Let's just get the results and go," Mary says tightly, getting out and slamming the door behind her.
He's ruined her day.
And what makes it even worse is that they get a negative result with Dr Diaz's empathetic gaze.
"You can try again next month as we track your ovulation cycle," he says. "Don't be disheartened, IUIs are three times less likely to work than IVF as it requires the body's natural mechanisms to occur. If you have the IUI procedure performed each month, success rates may reach as high as 20% per cycle. You're young and healthy, your rates of success will increase every month. Do you wish to continue?"
"Yes," Mary says quietly, not meeting Francis's eyes. "I'd love to continue."
...
"I just need someone to talk to," Mary says, sliding a cup of decaf tea towards Greer.
Greer stirs her tea, adding one sugar into it. "You look so down. Mary, what's wrong? Is the IUI treatment going okay?"
Mary nods, running her fingers through her hair. "It is," she says. "But I don't know about the donor."
"Can't you pick and choose the best one each time?"
"Yeah, but I felt comfortable with the one I have now," Mary replies. "And he's open to being involved in the baby's life... But now, he's got a pregnant partner and I don't know where that leaves me. Our kids will be half-siblings."
Greer nods in understanding. "You'll look like the other woman, his other family."
"Exactly. And he doesn't see that," Mary says with a heavy sigh. "I just wanted this to be an easy, dramaless process but now he's having another baby and I've got my first failed cycle... I don't know what I'm going to do."
"Does he still want to be a part of this?"
Mary bites her lip, remembering Francis's insistence on raising their child together before her bad but not discouraging news. "Yeah. He still wants to donate his sperm and he... wants to be a part of our child's life."
Greer's eyes widen as she smiles softly. "That's so sweet. Why would a complete stranger want to be so involved? Mary, you'll share a kid with a stranger and get to know him along the way. If he wasn't married with a kid on the way, I'd tell you to date him!"
"He's not a stranger," Mary admits. "Nor is he married but he still has a pregnant girlfriend."
"I'm confused," Greer says.
One down, two to go, Mary thinks before confessing, "It's Francis."
"Shit," Greer curses. "Fr-Francis?! Who is with Olivia? Wait, Olivia's pregnant?!"
"Yeah," Mary says, crossing her arms as she leans back in her seat. "It's fucked up, right? A guy is trying to get his best friend pregnant as his girlfriend ends up pregnant?"
Greer runs her hands down her face, shaking her head a little. "You know how this looks right?"
"I'm not too happy about it either," Mary says. "I knew it was risky asking him to father my child but I trust him. I've known him since we were kids and when we decided to do this, he and Oliva were off again and seemingly for good..."
"Until she found out she was pregnant?"
"Yeah."
"Shit," Greer repeats softly. "Does he know you love him?"
Mary scoffs, shaking her head. "I can't either. He and Olivia were always meant to be. The universe wants them together otherwise, why would she have got pregnant with his kid?"
"Relationships brought together because of unexpected pregnancies don't last at times," Greer states. "Especially if they had a relationship prior to the baby bomb that was toxic and unhealthy for both parties involved. Trust me, he and Olivia may be in their baby bubble right now but it's not lasting."
"What should I do, Greer?"
"Focus on you and your future child," Greer tells her. "Don't worry about Francis. As long as you are happy being a mum, that's all that counts. You will have a baby no matter who the father is and you will love them enough to provide them with a stable, loving home. You always have support in us girls as well."
Mary smiles wryly. "And my mother."
"And your nutcase of a mother," Greer adds with a chuckle as she lifts her mug up to take a sip. "What did you do with the lingerie she bought you, by the way?"
Mary coyly takes a long sip from her tea before replying, "I kept them, of course. Have you seen the prices on those things? A little sexy underwear never hurt anyone."
Greer cackles, slapping Mary's shoulder. "Good girl. You will get a good use out of them one day."