35
You Want Me to Do What?
You want me to do what?” Stacy hadn’t had a touch of alcohol, but she could have sworn she was drunk.
“I know it sounds crazy.”
“You think?”
“But I’ve given this a lot of thought. Darius loves DJ, loves kids. Just recently we had a conversation about it, and he admitted that he’d love to expand our family.”
“And he said he wanted to expand it with me as surrogate?”
“No, the conversation didn’t get that far. But you know how private Darius is, and with his public profile, you know how untrusting he is of people.”
“Yeah, but famous people use surrogates, and others adopt.”
“Darius wouldn’t do that,” Bo quickly retorted, shaking his head. “He wouldn’t want to go through that process. Plus, he loves the fact that he can look into DJ’s face and see himself. Stacy, he would love to have another biological baby.”
Stacy met Bo’s intense stare. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, Bo. I don’t know what to say, except . . . are you fricking crazy?! Have you forgotten that I’m married? And even if I weren’t, I don’t know that I could carry a child for nine months, give birth, and then turn the baby over to y’all without a backward glance. Actually, even just saying that out loud lets me know that I couldn’t. I couldn’t have a child out there somewhere with my DNA and not have anything to do with it.”
“That’s just it, Stacy. It wouldn’t have to be that way. This child would be DJ’s biological sister, and you’d be Aunt Stacy. We could handle it as an open adoption, with you seeing the child as often as you’d like. The only difference is that he or she would grow up in our home, instead of yours.”
Stacy looked at Bo with creased brow. “You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you?”
“I’ve thought about saving my marriage, Stacy. I’ve thought about keeping my man.”
“Bo, stop drinking. Alcohol is clouding your judgment. Darius is not going to leave you.”
Bo threw back the last of his drink. “He’d better not,” he said, his tone low, his eyes narrowed. “Because Bo Jenkins Crenshaw wouldn’t take that shit lightly. He wouldn’t like that move at all.”
Hours after Bo left, Stacy was still reeling from their conversation. He wants me to have a baby? For him and Darius? True, we’ve learned how to coexist, but . . . did he actually let those words come out of his mouth? Shaking her head, she walked to the computer, decided to check her e-mails as a way to get her mind off the madness. Aside from the normal spam, there were e-mails from two potential employers that she’d sent resumes. One was from Globally Green, a company that served as an online networking community between environmentally friendly companies and consumers. This marketing position appealed to Stacy because she’d work from home. Tony didn’t even need to know she had a job!
She opened the e-mail. Her heart sank. It was a “thanks but no thanks” rejection letter that she deleted without finishing. She clicked on the other job-related e-mail and deleted it too. They’d requested an interview, but the job was in Phoenix. Stacy hoped that by the end of the week it would be confirmed that Tony was a Sea Lion and she’d be relocating back to LA.
Her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she said to herself, “Maybe this is my answer now.” She placed the call on speaker. “Hey, baby!”
“Hey, baby girl! You found our house yet?” The enthusiasm in his voice jumped through the phone and almost slapped her in the face.
“I’ve got a couple serious contenders.” Stacy tried to rein in her joy. She didn’t want to celebrate prematurely. “Why, should I step up my search?”
“Damn right! You’re talking to an official Sea Lion, baby!” Tony whooped for emphasis. “I just signed the contract.”
“Yes!” Stacy joined in the celebration, dancing around the room. “Congratulations, baby.”
DJ came running into the room. “What is it, Mommy?”
“Daddy got a job, baby. He’s going to play football in Los Angeles !”
“Sea Lions!” DJ exclaimed. He too joined in the dance.
“Tony, I’m so happy for you. So happy for us!”
“Me too, baby. I know the stress and pressure of this whole situation has made me less than an ideal husband lately. I want you to know that I’m sorry, Stace. For everything. I love you, baby. Thanks for always believing in me.”
His words caused tears, happy ones. With one phone call, and one announcement, Stacy’s world had gotten brighter and all of her problems had gone away. Even a one-year contract would be enough for them to pay down their debts and allow for a bit of a savings account. Maybe Tony would even take her advice and hire a financial planner. Mismanaging finances was a common mistake among professional athletes. Maybe it wasn’t too late to turn their finances around and secure their future!
She and Tony talked for half an hour and it was by far the best, least stressful, most upbeat conversation that they’d had in months. She got off the phone and immediately called the realtor, followed by her travel agent. In two weeks, Tony would be playing in a preseason game. If all went the way she’d hoped, the family would be relocated by the time that happened and the Johnsons could be ready for a new, more peaceful chapter in their lives.