It started with one of those tense “family meetings”—the kind that always meant someone wanted something. Jessica sat in the passenger seat next to her husband, James, rolling her eyes as they drove to his mother Diane’s house. James’s family was no stranger to drama, and she braced herself for another round of it.
But what awaited her that evening went far beyond the usual family squabbles.
Diane welcomed Jessica with her usual chilly politeness, and James’s younger brother, Matt, offered a quiet wave from across the living room. They got to the point quickly.
“I’m engaged,” Matt announced, voice trembling slightly. Jessica smiled, offering her congratulations—until she noticed the exchanged glances between Matt and Diane.
Matt explained that his fiancée was a wildlife photographer working in a remote region of the Ethiopian Highlands, where communication was sparse. Diane quickly added that the woman had a medical condition that prevented her from carrying a pregnancy. Then came the request: would Jessica consider being a surrogate?
Jessica was stunned. She turned to James, expecting him to be just as surprised. But he sat silently, eyes lowered. He already knew.
“You want me to carry your baby?” she asked, trying to process the moment.
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