Love and Morals

Chapter Four

Marcus

"GUESS WHO'S GONNA HAVE A BABY?!"

Althea and I stared at Olivia blankly, not sure what was going on after she had burst through our door unexpectedly. Althea tightened her robe around her body and Olivia didn't miss the action. "Oh snap, did I interrupt something?" My wife blushed and I couldn't help the smile that took over my face. As soon as I'd gotten home the day before, I spent the entire day trying to make it up to her somehow. I cooked dinner, rented a movie and we sat for hours in each others arms. It was a great feeling but it wasn't as great as the lovemaking session we had afterwards.

"Olivia, what do you mean? Are you pregnant?" Althea asked, approaching Olivia and dragging her further inside our home. Suddenly her face turned into a scowl. "Is it by Kyle? He already has one child that he can't look after, he doesn't need another one, Olive!" She hissed, as Olivia helped herself to our breakfast spread. Althea slapped her arm. "And why haven't you been using protection?! I thought you didn't even want kids, what's going on?" She grasped the piece of bacon that Olivia was about to place into her mouth, finally catching her attention.

"HEY!"

"Would you answer my questions?!" I watched curiously, also awaiting her answer.

"Girl please, I'm not pregnant... yet. I don't want kids. I'm not gonna have a baby-."

It dawned on me what she was talking about and I sighed. "I thought I told you that that's too much!"

"This is the third time I will say this, Marcus! Nothing is too much for my best friends, now..." She snatched the bacon back and chewed on it. Althea looked extremely confused at this point, not understanding what was going on.

She looked back and forth between us. "Can someone please tell me what's going on? Who is going to have a baby?"

"You are."

"I am?" Althea repeated, her eyebrows creasing.

"Yep. You see I am going to be your surrogate." I stood beside Althea as we both stared hard at Olivia. I appreciated every single thing that she had done for us in the past but this would be way too much. For nine months, she would have to house a baby that wouldn't even be hers. She grinned at us brightly as neither of us had answered.

"What?"

She adjusted her maxi skirt and continued to smile at us. "I said.. I am going to be your surrogate. You know what that is, right?"

Althea waved her off. "Of course I know what that is but what I'm wondering is... why?"

"Why? Because I love you guys and I hate seeing you constantly heartbroken over failed attempts." Althea looked down and winced. Witnessing this, I slid my arm around her and pulled her close to myself. "I want to do this for you." She looked up at me with her big brown eyes as her voice softened. "Please let me do this for you."

I wanted to look away. Over the years, Althea and Olivia had mastered the art of getting me to submit to anything.

"I don't know, Olive. That's asking for a whole lot from you, I don't want you to regret it along the way."

She grabbed Althea's hand. "Look, as long as you give the baby my name for a middle name, then I'm fine. If it's a boy, Oliver, girl, Olivia." she winked at us and we chuckled. "And trust me, just putting a smile on your face will be more than enough for me." She reached for my hand and squeezed it. "Please you guys, let me do this for you."

I looked at Althea and when I saw the hopeful look in her eyes, I knew that I couldn't deny her this. "Okay."

"Okay?" Olivia asked, just to be sure. Althea and I nodded and I watched as the two jumped up and down in excitement.

"We're going to have a baby!" She turned to me and softened her eyes. "We're going to have a baby." She reached behind me and pulled me down for a loving kiss. I felt something wet hit my thumb and I realised it was her tears.

Pulling away, we grinned at each other. No words were said but we both knew just how excited we both were.