(no subject)
Title: Surrogate - Chapter 1
Author: Christine Collins
Genere: Supernatural Romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1565
Comments: Unedited
Chapter 1
Marie huffed up the stairs lugging the overfull laundry basket. Reaching her bedroom she balance the basket on one knee as she fumbled the door open almost falling as the door swung in abruptly. Walking the few steps toward the bed she plopped the basket on the floor alongside three others. I really need to fold this stuff soon, she thought, it's not like I do anything else useful. She her wreck of a bedroom.
Retreating downstairs didn't improve anything as the other parts of her living space were just as bad. Not filthy enough to be condemned but if this were another persons house she wouldn't let her kids eat here. But that was the problem. She didn't have kids to eat here anymore. Marie didn't have anyone anymore.
There was a knock at the door. Marie frowned as she walked towards the door. She opened it to find her friend Spencer grinning at her from the porch.
“Hey Mar!” she bellowed, grabbing Marie in a crushing bear hug, “Ready to go? You're not wearing that are you?”
“What's wrong with what I'm wearing and where are we going?” she asked picking at her old Green Day t-shirt.
“What you are wearing needs to be put in the dumpster. It looks like you been wearing it for a week, “ she leaned in and sniffed cautiously adding, “Eew Mar, smells like it too! As for where we are going, we are going with Kim to meet the couple she's considering. Tim's still overseas and she wants a second opinion.”
“Oh, yah, right. Well sorry Spencer, I forgot all about it. I don't want to make you guys late so let me know how it goes, ok?”
Spencer laughed as she took Marie by the arm and let herself into the room.
“Nice try sweet cheeks. I had a feeling you were going to flake so I am here an hour early. Into the shower with you Missy. I'll rustle you up some clothes.”
All the grumbling in the world was not enough to dislodge Spencer Peterson-Reyes once she decided to accomplish something. She wasn't a woman - she was a force of nature.
40 minutes later Marie was washed, dressed and in Spencer's minivan speeding to meet Alexis.
Marie hung on as Spencer hurtled down the twisty lanes out of her neighborhood. Spencer was a terror to ride with. She talked nonstop and was always reaching and poking around for things instead of keeping her hands on the wheel.
As they approached the 67 - 78 split at Tenth Street and Main, Marie was so busy hanging on for dear life she almost didn't notice when Spencer turned right on the 78 towards Julian instead of left onto the 67 towards San Diego.
“Where are we going? I thought we needed to pick up Kim”
“Nope, we're going to meet her there. They met at Shared Blessings for their secondary meet and greet and now their counselor is going to the home visit with them. We're going to bring her home with us.”
“Ah. I can't believe she's going through with this. Who's got her kids?”
“Her mother-in-law is still in town. She wants to be here when Tim gets back. It's only another month or so.”
“Tim came round?”
“Yup, $35,000 is a lot of money. Timberly is 10 now, Teddy is 7, and baby Gus is already 5. He figures they're old enough to understand what a surrogate mother is. I wish I wasn't pushing 40. I'd do it too. Tristan is talking about getting married and Louis is starting college next year. I could us the dough.”
“Pushing 40? You've beaten it into the ground!
“Hey,” protested Spencer, “I thought we'd agreed I'd be 39 eternally.”
“Yah, 39 with 4 years experience.”
“Whatever, you traitor,” Spencer laughed smacking her friend in the arm.
Soon all of the horseplay ended as even Spencer had to pay attention to all of the turns and twists as they ascended the mountain towards Julian.
“Where do they live anyway,” asked Marie, “I thought I lived in the back of beyond.”
“They have some type of 'country estate' just outside of Julian. Keep an eye out for the turn for me.”
They made their turn and left what little civilization the small tourist town of Julian had behind. After making several more turns each more twisted and hidden than the last the pulled up to an honest to goodness log cabin nestled in the woods.
“Man were really out here.” muttered Marie, “Nothing out here but rattlesnakes and coyotes.”
“Quit griping Mar. I think it's adorable.”
“Yah adorable, in a The Hills Have Eyes kind of way.”
Giggling like school girls they ascended the short steps up to the porch and knocked.
After a moment the door was opened by a middle aged man. He was short but broad. Although his face didn't seem overly old (he looked as if he could be helping Spencer push 40) his full head of head was completely silver.
“Welcome ladies, “ he greeted them warmly, “You mus be Mrs. Lenenmeyer's friend. How kind of you to support her while her husband is away. Come in, come in. Let me show you to the parlor.”
Following him in the women snuck a grin at each other, no doubt about the use of the word “parlor.”
They entered what could only be described as the “parlor.” It was lined with waist high wood paneling topped with creamy wallpaper with faint golden lines racing each other to the ceiling. Two delicate armchairs faced an equally petite sofa across a filigreed coffee table. Perched anxiously at the edge of the sofa sat their friend Kimberly Lenenmeyer. Tiny and blond she started at the reappearance of their host almost tumbling off her perch. Seated next to her was a Erma Price, the counselor from Shared Blessings.
“You guys made it,” squealed Kim in relief.
“Of course Kim, we said we'd be here, right Marie.”
“Yah K, wouldn't miss it,” Marie mumbled looking down. Suddenly she has to choke back a rush of emotions. Seeing Erma sitting there and remembering the last conversation she had with the woman. Telling her how sorry she was for the loss of her husband and children and how proud she was that Marie still wanted to participate in the Shared Blessing program but of course the right thing to do would be to take a break and get her life in order after her terrible tragedy. No need to insist. She was no longer eligible for the program.
Marie blinked into a room full of people staring at her. She realized belatedly that someone had spoken to her.
“I'm sorry, what was that?”
Spencer giggled apologetically, her jolly soul always trying to smooth things over and put people at ease and said, “Mr. Ryker was just introducing his wife.”
“Please call me Will. And this is my wife Allison.”
Marie looked over at the woman she had missed noticing before in her plunge into instant melancholia, “Pleased to meet you.”
“Hello, Marie,” the stately woman replied, “I am so pleased to finally meet you both. Kimberly speaks so highly of you. How nice of you to help her when her husband is away.”
Allison beamed at the newcomers and then looked around at the dwindling seating.
“It seems we have a lack of seating. I apologize. We were actually going to take Kim on a tour of our home. Obviously we'll not come to terms until her husband returns but we wanted her to meet us and get a feeling for our lifestyle before we went any further.”
“ A tour would be lovely,” piped up Spencer, game for anything as usual, “I need to stretch my legs after that car ride.”
As they all filed out of the room Allison looked over at Marie frowning slightly.
“Are you alright dear?” she asked solicitously, “you look pale. Why don't we let these guys get started. I'll take you into the kitchen for some peppermint tea.”
Marie thought franticly how to get out of this situation. Get out of this house. Maybe she could plead illness and go wait in the car. Looking at Allison she opened her mouth to make her excuses but froze when Allison caught her eye. The intense look in her hostesses eyes brought her up short and her apology died on her lips. Suddenly she wanted nothing more that a hot cup of peppermint tea.
“Thank you,” she said, “That would be lovely.”
Allison turned to whisper something into her husbands ear. Will glanced surreptitiously at Marie and then turning to the others he said, “of course my dear. Don't hurry. The weather is so warm today I'm going to show the others the gardens first. Ms. Maher looks like she needs to stay near the fire however,” he turned to the others and said, “Let's go ladies. Wait until you see the back garden. We still have some pointsettias blooming out there - one is as tall as our shed!”
Marie hardly noticed the others as they made their way outside, her gaze still locked in Allison's. Finally the other woman broke the spell saying,
“Shall we go into the kitchen?”
Marie spoke the words that would change her life forever,
“Sure, why not?”