Chapter 9 - Marni
“You have to do this for me, Marni. You can’t back out now. You promised to be a surrogate.”
“I promised to carry yours and Ben’s child, not mine and Ben’s child.”
“I’m infertile. My eggs are of no use to anyone. Don’t you think I want to be the mother of my own child? Do you think I come to you easily with this request?”
“I can’t do it and I don’t like lying to Ben. What will you do when he finds out?”
“He won’t find out and even if he does, he’ll be so in love with his baby, he won’t care. As long as I’m all right with this situation, he’ll eventually give me what I want.”
“Why, Melody? Why me? You yourself said that there are plenty of younger, healthier women out there who will help if you pay them. It can’t be an issue of money. Why me?”
“Because I want someone I can trust. I’ve known you all my life. I know you’re not reckless and I know you’ll do your best to bring a healthy baby into this world. I also know you love my husband enough to do this for him, if not for me.”
“I don’t love your husband, Melody. Those days are long gone. If anything, you’re both making me sick with all your selfish requests.”
“What I’m asking is really not any different than being a surrogate. I would think it might be easier for you to carry your own child than to carry mine. After the fights you’ve had with Noah, and the cautious victory you earned, don’t you want to be done? See this one last thing through for us, Marni. After this, I’ll never ask you for another favor.”
“I really can’t do this, Melody.”
“You truly are still in love with my husband, aren’t you? Shame on you for living with one man but desiring another. How could you covet your sister’s husband?”
“Damn you to hell, Melody. I don’t love your husband, and I sure as hell don’t love you. Go back to LA and tell your entire family I quit. I won’t be your surrogate.”
“Please, Marni. Please! You’re my only hope. I don’t want Ben’s seed mixing with another woman’s egg. You’re the only woman I can bear to carry my husband’s child. Can’t you understand how hard this is for me? Help me just once. I promise you I’ll never cause an issue for you, ever again.”
“Why would Melody ask you to have my baby, Marni? This makes no sense at all.”
Ben was still yelling. Noah and his family had left. Ben’s parents sat, slack jawed. I didn’t know which fire to extinguish first.
“Give me a minute, Ben.”
“No, dammit,” was all I heard as I ran out to chase after Noah.
Only his parents were in the hallway. “Please help me,” I begged. “It’s not what Noah thinks. I just need him to listen to me. I promise, we’ll work this out.”
With sympathetic eyes, Noah’s mom said, “Come by the apartment tomorrow morning. I’ll make sure he’s home.”
“Thank you, Cecily. Thank you. I didn’t mean to hurt Noah. I love him.”
“We know you do, Marni. We’ll talk to you tomorrow.” The Admiral patted me on the shoulder and walked away.
I went back in the room completely defeated.
“Marni. I swear, you will turn me into a madman if you don’t give me an explanation right now. How did Ali become yours and my child?”
“Do you remember when you came and begged me to help you and Melody?”
“Yes. That was after you rescinded your offer to be our surrogate. Melody was crushed. She cried day and night. She hardly left her bed.”
“I rescinded my offer because when your wife first asked me to be a surrogate, she forgot to inform me that I would be offering my own eggs. When she finally wore me down and convinced me to carry a child for you, I never thought to ask whose eggs we’d be fertilizing.”
“Are you trying to tell me that my wife fooled all of us? She knew she could never have kids but she didn’t tell any of us, including me?”
“Yes.”
“Bullshit. You’re lying. I’d more believe that you tricked your sister, than that she tricked me.”
“Why the hell would I lie to you? Why would I want a child with my brother-in-law? What kind of grotesque thought is that? Who is the victim here?”
“Maybe my wife was right about you all along. She always said you were jealous of her and secretly, you never liked her. This was your way of getting back at her.”
“Stop that now, Ben.” I thought it was Mom coming to my rescue, but it was actually Shea. “You know you’re being ridiculous. Think before you say anything else to Marni.”
“Ben,” Mom spoke, “I was there when Melody asked Marni to help her. This wasn’t an easy decision for my daughter. She only agreed after you came and begged her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me why you refused my wife? I would have agreed and supported you.”
“Melody didn’t want you to know of her shortcoming. She asked me to take this to my grave. I never thought it’d be her taking the secret to her grave.”
“I can’t take this. I can’t think right now. Just leave me, Marni.”
I walked into the hallway and wanted to collapse. With my hands on my head, I wondered what my sister had done to me. Even in her grave, she was taking away the people I loved.
“Let’s get to our room, Marni.”
“What do I do now, Mom?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you change into something more comfortable? I’ll send for some food and we’ll sort out this mess.”
In the midst of this ugly situation, though, I was happy I could finally call Ali my own. She was no longer a secret, no longer my niece. Loud and proud—she was my daughter!