Co-Parenting

One: Unexpected Offers

"I'm not sure. I haven't figured it all out yet, but I've still got my inheritance from Aunt Sarah, so I guess I've got options?" My voice didn't even sound convincing to me.

"Like, buying donor options or paying for companionship options?" My eyes widened as his mouth dropped open.

"Gross. I'm not paying for a male hooker to impregnate me. What is wrong with you?" I hissed and watched his face relax a little.

He let out a nervous laugh and ran his palms down his suit pants. "I don't know how this all works; I mean, do they have Tinder for baby daddies?"

I couldn't help the eye roll. I may not have planned out the logistics, but I knew I wasn't the only single woman in their thirties that wanted to have a baby but didn't have any prospects.

"I was thinking more along the lines of looking at a sperm bank and a fertility specialist." His eyes squinted at my tone, but I felt like he was judging me for all of this. I knew it wasn't conventional, but I needed his support.

"You're seriously giving up on the whole white picket fence scenario?"

I'd always been the one with more romantic notions about the future, but that path had been a bust. I was no closer to finding a life partner now than I was ten years ago.

"I mean, not completely. If I happen to meet someone I want to settle down with in the future, it's not completely out of the picture," I shrugged. "I just don't want to look back on my life in ten years and regret never having a child."

Logically, I knew that I was young and still had a few years left before my biological clock stopped ticking. I just couldn't shake the feeling that if I didn't do this, I would never stop wondering.

"And what's going to happen when this future mystery guy wants to know why dad isn't in the picture? Are you going to tell them you picked someone out of a catalog because you were tired of waiting? That's a lot of pressure to put on someone."

"What if I'm fifty when I meet this guy and kids are no longer an option?"

We sat in a charged silence for a few minutes before either one of us said anything.

"Fine. I'm in," he nodded, looking equally resolved and nauseous.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

......

To say I was shell shocked as I sat there and looked at Hank didn't cover it. I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that statement. He was in...

Did that mean he supported my decision, or was he offering his services? That last thought made heat blossom in my cheeks as I felt his hand slip into mine.

"You still in there?"

I shook my head to release the fog and squeezed back. "I'm here. Just lost. What exactly do you mean?"

He was quiet for a few moments as his eyes searched my face for something. I tried not to squirm under his scrutiny, but I was sure I failed. Eventually, he released my hand and looked down at his watch.

"We need to get out of here if you're planning on having another copy sent up before our meeting."

Knowing that I couldn't push him, I chalked his silence up to being a little shell-shocked. Talk about an intense lunchtime conversation.

"Yeah. Um. Ok." I cleared my throat and slid my chair back to stand up. Running my hands down the back of my skirt, I reached down to grab my handbag from under the table. Hank was quietly waiting next to my chair, hovering just outside my personal space.