chapter 2

I had three more work days left. They all felt like a blur, I spent all day on the couch and every call was pretty much the same. On Friday when I hung up my last call ever for that company I felt relieved. On the other hand I knew I had to find another job unless I wanted to go through all my small savings.

I spent the weekend inside watching Netflix and pretty much snacking all day. And then I did the same for pretty much the next week. I was finally free from this job I hated but now I had no purpose. On Friday morning I decided to take a walk to the park to leave my small apartment. I put my shoes and coat on, but I almost didn't manage to close my new black coat. My belly had definitely more girth to it than before.

I started my walk and then sat on a bench. I started thinking about my options and then that's when it clicked. A pregnant woman had sat down on the bench in front of me. She was watching her kid play with a ball. She was so big, she could give birth at any time now.

I then walked back to my apartment, turned on my computer and googled surrogates clinics in the area, trying to find the one I had seen the commercial of. A few clicks later, there it was. It was a 10 minutes walk from my place. I didn't want to end up backing up, so I decided to call right away.

"Nove Clinic, Jessica speaking how may I help you?" asked a woman's voice.

"I'd like to make an appointment to become a surrogate." I answered, feeling nervous.

"Great, could you come in tomorrow at 10 a.m.?" said the receptionist.

"I'll be there" I said, hanging up.

I felt my pulse quicken. I had no idea about anything about being a surrogate.

I spent the night snacking, eating chocolate and chips to calm my nerves as I watched TV.

// The next day //

I dressed myself in a cardigan and black leggings. That's pretty much all that fit me in my closet at the moment. I brushed my blond hair and then walked out the door, not wanting to be late.

I walked to the clinic, it was in a nice area but it also felt discreet. The clinic was much bigger than what I had expected. I walked in and walked to the receptionist's desk. A middle aged lady that was definitely overweight was sat behind the desk.

"Hello, welcome to Nove, how may I help you?" asked the lady warmly.

"I'm Sasha, I have an appointment at 10" I answered her smiling.

"Of course, here I have a form for you to complete about your health and doctor Henley will be with you in a moment." said the receptionist.

I walked to one of the leather couches and started filling out the form to the best of my knowledge. When I got to the weight section I realized I wasn't sure how much I weighted now so I put down 165 as an estimate.

A few minutes later an attractive man in his later forties walked in.

"Hello Sasha, I'm doctor Henley, if you could follow me to my office." said the man as he shook my hand.

I followed him down all the way down a hallway to a beautiful office. It had floor to ceiling windows and had a great view.

"We'll start with a basic exam and then we'll go from there." announced the doctor.

I nodded and he then picked up his stethoscope to listen to my heartbeat. After, he walked me over to the scale but I couldn't see the number. He also measured me and did a few other tests.

"Ok Sasha, come sit down so we can talk" said doctor Henley.

He sat on a chair and I picked the couch opposite of him.

"Let's get to it. After my evaluation I think you would be a great candidate for the surrogacy program. We already have some clients who I'm sure would be interested in you." said the doctor smiling at me

"Oh wow, I didn't know I'd get an answer right away." I answered surprised.

"I must tell you, I saw on your form you wrote down 160 pounds. Today you weighted in at 217 pounds." said the doctor calmly.

"Oh I haven't weighted myself in a bit. I had a sedentary job the past few years and I guess it took a toll on my waistline." I answered honestly and shocked.

"You don't have to worry, it's actually a great thing as I wouldn't want you underweight to carry children." smiled the doctor at me.

I felt relieved as I realized that I actually really wanted this job. On the spot I decided to sign the contract, reading it in diagonal. I saw that the pay was 90 000$ and that was it.

"Great Sasha, welcome to the Nove family and well we'll see you Monday to start then. As as I saw on your application you live near so it's great. We have surrogates who live at their own places and then some on site surrogates. We'll start with you staying at your own home, but in the future it could always change if there's a need". said doctor Henley giving her a brochure.

I walked out of the clinic feeling butterflies in my stomach. I decided I was excited for what was to come