Authors: Aisha Brooks
Chapter 5: The Truth
The Dunkirk Cryobank was much more sterile than Albie recalled it being on his first visit. Truth be told however, Albie didn’t recall all that much about his first visit, money had always been a powerful motivator for him.
“Mr. Johnson?” A young petite blonde woman smiled over the front desk. Albie nodded, his ability to speak obviously having sunk to the bottom of his stomach along with everything else. “We’ve been expecting you. Dr. Goldstein is in his office waiting to speak to you. If you wouldn’t mind following me?” She stood up and slipped through a small gap behind the desk. “It’s just this way.”
Normally, her swaying hips would have captured Albie’s attention but since his fascination with Tami, he had been less preoccupied with his philandering ways.
Dr. Goldstein sat at his desk, he looked noticeably nervous as he stood to greet Albie with a handshake.
“Mr. Johnson, please have a seat.” Albie sat.
“I think it only fair to tell you that in lieu of my attorney’s inability to make this meeting at such short notice, I will be recording everything that is said.” Albie pulled a small Dictaphone out of his pocket and set it on the desk in front of him, pressing the record button.
“That is perfectly find, Mr. Johnson. Please understand that we are absolutely devastated about what has happened.” Albie watched as Dr. Goldstein nervously wrung his hands.
“In the entire history of Dunkirk Cryobank we have never had anything like this happen before.” Albie sat in silence.
“Due to the fact that this has never happened before, we don’t exactly have a protocol in place to manage this type of incident. Please do be reassured however, that we want to ensure the best outcome for everyone involved.” Albie’s brow furrowed.
“And what exactly does that mean?” Dr. Goldstein looked down at a piece of paper in front of him and then back up at Albie.
“Well, we have the young lady who purchased your specimen here at the clinic right now and if it’s okay with you we’d like to bring her in to discuss what can be done to rectify this situation.” Albie shook his head.
“Wait…wait a minute. Has my sample been used?” Albie suddenly felt even more nauseous than he had before. Dr. Goldstein paused for a moment.
“Mr. Johnson, I’m afraid I can’t divulge what has or has not been done with your sample once it has left our premises. That is why I had hoped you would allow for the young lady to join us so that perhaps she could shed a little light on those answers.” Albie sighed loudly.
“You’re telling me you can’t tell me what has been done with my sperm when you sold it without my consent?” Dr. Goldstein nodded apologetically.
“I’m afraid so.” Albie pinched the bridge of his nose.
“This is so fucked up.” Dr. Goldstein nodded again.
“We are so very sorry, Mr. Johnson. We do understand what an awful position this has put you in and please be assured that we will do everything we can to rectify this.” Albie didn’t see how it could be rectified. He could see a huge bill from his attorney and a court case that dragged on for far too long, but aside from that he saw little else.
“Mr. Johnson, why don’t we bring the young lady in and see if perhaps she can help to answer some of your questions?” Albie didn’t want to ‘bring the young lady in,’ in fact it was the very last thing he wanted to do. He shrugged.
“What choice do I have?” Dr. Goldstein shook his head solemnly.
“It is our hope that after speaking with the young lady we can find out whether she has utilized your specimen. In the best case scenario she has not and the clinic will offer her the original sample she had selected to be her baby’s father.” Dr. Goldstein purposefully left out the other scenario.
“And what if she has already ‘utilized my specimen’?” Albie asked angrily. Dr. Goldstein paused for a moment, his tongue nervously darting over his lips.
“Well, in that case things are going to be much more complicated.”
“You can bet your ass they will be. If I wanted to be a father I have a hundred girls I could knock up, but I haven’t, you know why? Because I don’t want to be a father. I’m not ready to be a father. You’d better hope to God that she’s not used my sample because you’re going to be the one convincing her to get rid of the baby if she has.” Albie was shaking with anger.
Tami followed the nurse down the sterile hallway. Her hands were shaking nervously as though she had committed some kind of crime.
“Don’t worry honey, it wasn’t your fault at all. Not one can be angry with you for this.” The nurse shook her head in disgust. Tami did her best to choke back her tears. She was a strong woman and she wasn’t about to let anyone tell her what she could or could not do with her own body.
“They’re right in here.” The nurse knocked on the wooden office door.
“Come in!” Dr. Goldstein called out and the nurse opened the door.
Chapter 6: A Meeting
Albie didn’t want to turn around as the door opened; he remained facing forward as Dr. Goldstein stood up with his hand out.
“Miss. Jones, please have a seat. Mr. Johnson this is Miss Jones. Miss Jones, this is Mr. Johnson.” Tami was already standing staring open mouthed at Albie when he turned around to face her. As he saw her face the corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile.
“Hey!” He chirped, momentarily forgetting the reason for their meeting.
“Hey!” Tami smiled at him and sat down.
“Do you two know each other?” Dr. Goldstein asked as he sat back down in his seat. Tami nodded.
“Yes, just a little.” Dr. Goldstein smiled, sure that their acquaintance would ease the situation for him.
“Well, Mr. Johnson, Miss Jones is the young lady who purchased your sample. She believed at the time that she was purchasing a sample from another of our donors however. Then, due to the mix up on our end, she wound up getting your sample instead.” Tami blinked slowly. She knew the facts but now that she was face to face with Mr. X who ultimately turned out to be Albie, things seemed so much more real.
“Miss. Jones, would you mind sharing with us whether or not you have utilized Mr. Johnson’s sample?” Tami had already explained everything to the doctor once already, but having to do it for a second time with Albie in the room was more than even a strong woman could take. Tears began to slide down her cheeks as she nodded.
“So you affirm that you have utilized the sample?” Dr. Goldstein pressed. Albie stood up and wrapped his arms around Tami.
“For Christ’s sake give the girl a moment would you? Can’t you see that she’s upset?” Dr. Goldstein’s eyes widened.
“Of course, I’m sorry.” Albie rubbed his hand up and down Tami’s back before crouching down beside her.
“Hey…” he tried to see under her long curly hair to get a glimpse of her face. “Hey beautiful, don’t cry, okay? We can figure this out.” Tami shook her head.
“I thought I could do this on my own, I was sure I could but then THIS happened and now I just…I can’t. It’s only going to get harder from here and I…” she hiccupped between sobs, “I just can’t.” Albie pulled her to him.
“Listen, you can do anything, that’s why I like you.” Albie smiled at her, a large forced smile that made her laugh.
“But….what are we going to do?” She sniffled loudly as she lifted her head and brushed her hair from her face. “If I’m pregnant I mean…what are we going to do?” Her breath still came in jumpy starts as she stared at Albie hoping for a miracle answer. He shrugged.
“What can we do?” Tami wiped her eyes on the sleeves of her shirt leaving traces of mascara.
“I can’t…get rid of it.” She started to cry again and Albie leaned in and kissed her forehead. He felt guilty for even suggesting to Dr. Goldstein that he convince Tami to get rid of the baby.
“I would never ask you to.” Albie said as he sat down in his chair and turned it to face her. “What would you like to do? I know that this is about both of us, but right now, if this was just about you, what would you do?” Tami was silent for a moment as Albie reached down and took her hands between his.
“I would have the baby. I would do what I planned to do to begin with and be a single mom and I would have the baby.” She lifted her eyes to Albie who nodded.
“Then that’s what we do.” He felt his heart sink as he forced a smile for her. Sure, he hadn’t wanted just any woman to have his baby, but when that woman turned out to be Tami, things changed. Tami was so unlike anyone he had ever met and suddenly his daydreams of the possibility of a normal life were something within reach. At least they had been until she mentioned the words ‘single mom.’
“Miss Jones, I can assure you that we do have excellent doctors who can assist you should you rethink a termination.” Albie snapped his head around and glared at the doctor.
“She will NOT be terminating this pregnancy.” Dr. Goldstein shrank back in to his chair, a look of bewilderment on his face.
“I was simply stating that…” Albie glared at him again and he went silent.
“How about we get you home?” Albie rubbed Tami’s hands in his own and she nodded slowly. Getting to his feel he pulled Tami up and wrapped his arm around her waist. “And you?” He glared back to Dr. Goldstein, “you will be hearing from my attorney in the morning.”
Chapter 7: Positivity
Albie had been preoccupied with Tami for the past week. He had called her every day to check whether she had needed anything in hopes that she would fill him in on her pregnancy status. She had shared nothing so far and Albie was left wondering if she didn’t know anything yet or whether she simply wasn’t telling him. She had made it perfectly clear when he drove her home from the cryobank that she expected nothing from him. She had told him that she had been prepared to be a single mother and that is what she would do.
When Albie brought up her mini-meltdown in the doctor’s office she put it down to nothing more than frustration with the situation. Albie could see that it was more than that. As strong and hardheaded as Tami could be, he could see the fear in her eyes. He hadn’t pushed her though, rather tried to reassure her with a daily phone call that if she needed anything, he was there.
Albie had failed incredibly at being a successful business man over the last seven days, but he had – as Holmes said – ‘by the grace of God’ turned over a new leaf. The playboy was no longer bringing home his twentysomethings every night and it had been more than a week since he had hit the clubs.
At first, Holmes was sure that his young master was up to something, but after Albie’s numerous mentions of Tami, Holmes realized that perhaps something else was at work.
“Hey,” Albie smiled at the phone.
“Hey.” Tami answered.
“I was just calling to see how you were feeling?”
“Good, I’m…umm…I’m glad you called actually. I think we need to talk.” Albie could feel his stomach drop, as if the words weren’t bad enough, the tone of her voice made them worse.
“Okay…when?” There was a few moments of silence.
“Maybe tonight? Can you come to my place about seven? Do you remember how to get here?” Albie laughed nervously.
“Yeah, if I don’t then Holmes will.” Tami sighed in to the phone.
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
“Wait…is everything okay?” Albie couldn’t help himself from asking, he knew from her voice that it wasn’t, but he wanted the reassurance from her that it was.
“We’ll talk later, okay?” Albie nodded.
“Okay.” Tami hung up the phone.
Tami sat on the toilet seat lid staring at the wand of the pregnancy test. There was still another week to go before her doctor had said that she could expect to see a result, but there it was, a digital “Pregnant”. She had double and triple checked it using all three tests from the pack and they had all said the same thing. She looked down at her slender flat belly and rubbed it with her hand.
Sure, this had been what she had wanted, but now that it was actually happening she couldn’t help but think that she had made a terrible mistake. Every part of her that had hoped that she would be pregnant had suddenly been replaced by every part of her that had hoped that she wouldn’t be. She was terrified and for the first time in her life, she felt powerless.
“Hey.” Albie stood at the front door with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. “I know I’m early but I just couldn’t stand not knowing anymore.” Tami frowned.
“Not knowing what?” She stood back and invited him inside.
“What you wanted to talk to me about. I’ve been worrying about it all day.” If she hadn’t felt so nervous, Tami would have thought it was sweet.
“Why were you worried?” She led him through to the living room and offered him a seat.
“Because, you just sounded very…ominous on the phone…” He sat down on the sofa for a moment before popping back up suddenly.
“Is everything okay?” Tami looked at the sofa with a frown. Albie shook his head.
“I’m too nervous to sit. Just tell me, is everything okay?” Tami walked over to him and sat down on the sofa, pulling his arm until he sat down beside her.
“I’m pregnant.” Albie’s eyes widened and he leaned forward.
“What?” Tami spoke again, her nerves causing her voice to shake.
“I’m pregnant.” Albie’s face illuminated with a wide smile.
“That’s…incredible!” He beamed as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Tami. She pulled away.
“No, no it’s not.” Albie pulled back, his brow furrowed.
“Why? I thought that’s what you wanted?” Tami shook her head, tears brimming over her eyelids.
“I thought so too, but now that it’s happening I just, I don’t think that I can do it. I’m not ready.” She burst in to tears suddenly and fell against Albie’s solid body. Gently he grabbed the back of her head in one hand and rubbed her back with the other as he pulled her to him.
“I’ve made a horrible mistake!” She sniffled in to his shirt. Albie shook his head.
“That’s not true. You know that’s not true. You’re just scared and it’s okay to be scared, but you’re not alone.” He rubbed her back while she sobbed against him.
“You’ll never be alone. In fact tonight, you’re coming back to my place, no ifs, ands or buts about it.” Tami started crying louder and Albie just held her in silence.
Tami sobbed until she passed out in the back of Albie’s car from complete exhaustion. As they headed back to Albie’s home, he held her head gently in his lap and watched her sleeping. He couldn’t begin to imagine how terrified Tami must have felt to go from being so sure about something to being so unsure.
What he could imagine, however, was spending the rest of his life with her and their child. He brushed his fingers against her perfect brown cheek and glanced at her perfectly flat belly with a smile.