CHAPTER 3

"Hey," Lily greeted cheerily as she walked into the bakery shop her parents ran. Her father was behind the desk, so she suspected that her mum was in the kitchen. "How are things going on this fine morning?" She added as she walked further inside and her father sighted her and noticed her arrival.

"Great, my honey." They shared a hug and after they retreated, he spoke. "We spoke on the phone this morning, you didn't tell me you were coming." He looked at her, his expression trying to figure if anything was wrong or not.

"I didn't plan on it at first, I only decided later on." She said and paused. She could not help but think about it overnight on what Millie said about telling her parents. She needed to first know what they both thought about it. "There is actually something I want to discuss with you, you and mum. Is she in?"

"Yeah, she went to get something upstairs. You want to talk now? Or are you going to stick around till we close?" Her dad said as he did some other things. He then turned to face her. "Is everything actually okay?"

"Yes, dad, everything is fine. If I stay till you close, it means I have to sleep over, and I have somewhere to be tomorrow morning. So, now will be fine." Lily said to him.

"Ok, I'll tell Cara to watch the shop. You go wait for me upstairs. I'll be there soon." He said to her and she nodded, stopping to greet Cara, the girl that helps her parents in the shop, before she headed up. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"Great." She grinned. Her father had given Cara the job a year ago, she worked only in evenings and during holidays because she still had to attend her school. Lily will sometimes describe her as an adult in the body of a teenager because she knew too much for her age. Some things Cara would say or do sometimes were surprising and mature, and Lily could not help but compare it to things she did when she was her age. "See you later," she said and went to go answer a customer who had just called her over.

"Hey mum." Her mother was just about to step out from the apartment when she had seen her daughter. "It is good I met you up before you came down."

She grinned. "Lily," she said fondly, pulling her close in a tight hug and pulling her on her cheeks. Lily had always had a baby-like face, and once someone has been placed in her 'comfort zone', they wasted no time in playing with her cheeks. "How are you?" She pulled back, holding at her arms length so she could take a good look at her. "You have lost weight, Lily, have you been eating? And not just junk foods, good home cooked meal."

"I am too lazy to cook and Millie... Well, she's trying." She shrugged as she said that. "Yesterday, she boiled eggs and the yoke was firmer this time than the last." She finished her sentence and giggled a bit.

"That is an improvement. Come in, you must be tired." Her mother said as she cleared a space for her to sit.

"I am." Lily said and went to meet her mother where she cleaned for her to sit. She sat on the seat and faced her mother.

Camille giggled, holding her daughter's arm, they sat in the house together, it was not long till her father showed up. "Are you done with the measurement?"

"Not yet. Lily said she had something to tell us." Her father said to her.

"Oh." She turned to her daughter. Lily had not told her that she was here to speak with them. "Is it about that job, did you get it?" She said to her as her face lit up a bit, really hoping it was true.

Lily smiled. "Let's settle down first mum. I'm not running away." Camille rolled her eyes, taking a sit beside her husband on the two sitter couch.

"So Lily, what did you say you want to tell us?" He jiggled his eyebrows with a mischievous smile on his face. "Have you found a husband? No rush though, but if you have, that would be amazing." Lily smiled, she knew her father wasn't serious about that. He only said things like that to piss Camille.

"Don't say that Pablo! Lily is a busy woman, she is looking for a job, not a husband." She turned to her daughter. "Don't mind your father, he just misses holding a child in his arms, he wants grandchildren. Well, not me...not yet at least, I want to enjoy my freedom for awhile." Despite what she was about to tell them, Lily couldn't help but laugh. "Go on dear, let's hear what you have to say."

"Ok, so I have got good news and well...The other isn't a bad news, more on the complicated side."

"Can we hear the complicated one first?" Camille said, while Pablo nodded in agreement.

Why not the good one? Lily had been thinking that if she told them she got a high paying job first, they will be so happy for her, that when she says she is going to be a surrogate, they will be too happy to care. "So, I have a friend. A very good friend of mine...he is gay." She paused and waited for their reaction, but all they did was stare back, waiting for her to continue. "And uh...he and his partner, you know men can't reproduce?"

They held a confused look on their face. It was so comical, if it wasn't for the seriousness in what she was about to say, she would have laughed. "We are not stupid Lily, go on." Pablo urged.

She sighed, looking down at her fingers. It was also a safe place to look when she wanted to come clean to her parents or reveal something she knew they wouldn't like. "I want to be a surrogate for him."

"Eh?" Camille said.

"This is their life wish to have a child of their own and this is one of my closest friend...they don't want an outsider to carry their child."

"Eh?" She repeated. "You want to get pregnant for another man who is not your child? Is that what I hear you say."

She adjusted back. "I-It's not a big deal. After nine months I deliver-"

"Lily keep quiet. What are you saying?" Camille had just realized how serious her daughter was over what she had just said.

"They are going to pay me big money for this. I can use this for me, for the shop-"

Camille stomped her foot angrily, then spat, although no spittle came out. "Is this about money? You are doing this for money? Have we ever asked you for money Lily?"

Lily's shoulder sagged. "No mom, but-"

"Nothing. I don't want you to do it Lily, I won't allow it. I'm happy for your friends, but if they want a child, they should find someone else to carry it for them. It is not going to be my daughter."

"But mom-"

"Don't get me angry Lily!" She shouted. "I'm done here, I have to get back to the store." She stood up and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Lily looked down at her fingers, avoiding her Father's eyes which she knew was on her. "Are you going to shout at me too?"

"No," he said. "Your mother has said it all, I don't need to. Lily you must understand that not everyone will flow in riches, you might think it's not enough, but we are comfortable. We just want the best for you, nothing else. Please don't make any decision you will live to regret. I'll go meet your mother, whenever she's angry, she becomes really clumsy. You coming?"

"I'll be down soon, just need to think." He nodded and then left.

~~~

"Millie I'm home!" She announced when she walked in, but after waiting for awhile, there was no reply. Millie wasn't home. "Great, just great. When you need her, she disappears." She headed to her room, the moment the door closed behind her she began to strip, till she stood in her underwear. She jumped on her bed, getting under the duvet to sleep.

Lily woke up to the feeling of cold water on her face, her eyes fluttered open to find a smiling Millie looking down at her. "Hey."

"Will it kill you if you have woken me up like a normal human." She rubbed her eyes, sitting up. She wasn't surprised by anything Millie did, she wasn't a normal human being after all.

Millie scoffed, sprinkling more water over Lily. "I'm not a normal human. I'm special. Get up, tell me how it went with your parents."

"Exactly how I expected it to go, they were against it."

"Of course they will be. You are lucky, you're still alive. The moment the words left my lips, my mom would use her next words and send me to purgatory." Delphine rolled her eyes. It wouldn't be the first time Millie had imagined cases of her mother sending her to purgatory. "So, what are you going to do? Still going with the idea?"

"I don't know...maybe. I don't know, I just don't see it as that much of a big deal like you guys. I'm just carrying a baby, for nine months and then money, money and more money to come."

"You are too stubborn. Even more stubborn than me."

It was Lily's time to scoff. "Nobody is as stubborn as you." She raised the hem of her shirt, using it to wipe away the wetness on her face.

"Well, when your mother asks me, I will say I did try my best, but you wouldn't listen." Delphine rolled her eyes again at the dramatic tone Millie spoke in. "Since you are going to go ahead with it, I own thirty percent of the money you receive."

"Millie!"

"What? Who is going to be taking care of your pregnant ass? Cooking for you because your feet are probably too swollen that you can't walk and oh, the terrible morning sickness." She shivered, but stopped when she noticed the look on Delphine's face. "What, you didn't think of all that?"

"It can't be that bad."

"Wait till you experience it...So when are you going to get his sperm?"

"Millie!" Lily shouted running away, her index fingers deep inside her ears to block out Millie's words. But her mind was filled with what her mother will say when she finds out she was pregnant and she did went ahead with it. She believed her mother will forgive her though, it may take days, but she will.

~~~

"Good afternoon," Lily greeted the receptionist. "Please is Mr Cross in, I would like to see him."

"See Mr Cross? Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but he asked me to come see him today. Does that count as an appointment?" She asked hopefully.

"No." The lady shook her head. "Wait...I remember you, you are the one that was here for an interview the other day right?"

"Yes, yes. It's me. He asked me to come back today. You could call and ask him."

"Darling, even I can't directly contact Mr Cross, I'll get to Angie, and she gets to him. Hold on," she dialled some digits on the telephone and soon had it to her ears. "Hey, tell Mr Cross that there is a lady here to see him..." She looked to Lily. "What's your name again?"

"Lily Collins."

"Lily Collins," she said to the phone. "Oh, he's expecting her?" Lily frowned when she heard that, she wondered how he knew she was going to return to him. "Ok. You can go in, Mr Cross is expecting you."

"Thank you," she said gracefully and hurried to the elevator. When she got there, Angie told her that she could enter and the door was even opened by Cross himself.

Today he was in casual dressing. A white tee-shirt and baggy trousers, his hair was packed up in a ponytail. Lily held her breathe, she had never been so up-close to him. At that point, his green eyes seemed to glow. She looked up at him timidly, gulping as she folded her hands behind her. "Come in," he said. "You're late," he added as she proceeded, closing the door behind her immediately. "I don't like tardiness." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He may be an asshole, but he was still going to be her boss and if she let out her true emotions, she didn't think he would hesitate to have her kicked out.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Go, have a sit," he said walking back to his desk. She nodded and followed behind. "So? What's your decision?"

"I will be your surrogate," she told him.

He smiled, cocking his head a bit to the side. "You know, now, I don't think I want you as one anymore."

"What?" Lily shouted.

He threw his head back laughing, a deep resounding laugh. "Calm down, I was just messing with you." Lily stared at him like he was a mad person, she has never met anyone like this before. When she heard his name, or saw him on television, this was the last personality she would have expected him to possess. He always came off as disciplined, but good mannered. The person before her was manipulative, evil and handsome. She bit her lips in anger, she strongly disliked him. "You can go home. You resume work next week."

"When do we-"

"Concerning that, I'll let you know when it's time."

"Great, just great."