Caught In between

CHAPTER 22: Change of plans

"We don't need Levi. Viva will be fine," Marlise repeated as she and her sister walked back into the hospital.
"What do you mean?" Cherish asked.
That was the moment she told her everything about Elad's proposal for her to be a surrogate.
By the time she was done, Cherish's mouth was hanging open with shock written all over her face.
"Sis, do you know what your saying? You just had a baby and you almost died. You cannot carry another baby now," Cherish almost cried.
"I have no choice," Marlise said, her hand pausing on the handle of the door. She had not stopped to consider the health risk of taking in but honestly, she didn't want to.
"We can wait for the doctor in three months," Cherish said.
"I'm not sure we have up to three months sis. If there's a chance of me saving my child, I will take it, even if I risk my own life," Marlise said.
They walked into the hospital room and met their mother carrying Viva. The baby looked okay, bright eyes, babbling and breathing well. Marlise's mood brightened.
"Mama, how is she?" She asked anxiously.
"They brought her back from ICU an hour ago. She's a fighter. She's going to be okay," Mado said, kissing the baby's cheeks.
That evening they were discharged so they went home. Sleep was far from Marlise as she lay dry eyed, touching the baby's chest every few minutes, fearing she'll have another crisis. At this young age, her child already had a whole shelf of medicines from which she could start her own pharmacy. As she thought of pharmacy, she remembered that she'd not given Elad a response so she looked at her phone, it was 9pm. It was probably 3pm for them, she thought.
Her phone started ringing at that moment. She recognized the foreign number.
"Hello Marlise, how have you been?" Elad said.
"Hello," She replied hesitantly then went ahead to tell him everything that had happened.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Elad said. She could sense his sincerity. Up till now, she could not reconcile this kind and soft spoken man to the person who connived to steal her baby. One day she would ask him but today, she needed his help.
"I'm ready to accept your proposal," she said.
"About that, I don't think we will be needing your service anymore," Elad dropped the bomb.
"What do you mean?" Marlise was panicking.
"Its...its just that Christy doesn't want you in particular," He said. She could hear the uncertainty in his voice.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because she thinks I like you, like have feelings for you," He said. At first Marlise was silent then she let out a dry laugh.
"But...but just go ahead and tell her the truth," Marlise said, feeling a bit relieved.
"The truth...the truth is...I do," he said.
"Do what?" Marlise asked.
"Do have feelings for you Marlise," he said. She would have laughed had he not sounded so serious.
Her mouth fell open and her heart started racing. She could not believe what he was saying.
"Part of the reason why I was helping and couldn't pull through with..." He started.

"With stealing my baby, Marlise finished for him,"

"Its because I feel something for you. I know I can't act on it because I am married to Christy. I can't help you cross over to America. I can support you financially but Christy thinks that if you come here, I would be distracted,"
A silence fell between them where she didn't know what to say.
"My marriage is on the rocks since we can't conceive. We were hoping that a child would bring us together but it's instead causing a rift between us," Elad seemed to be pouring out his marital issues and she didn’t want to hear. All what was playing in her head was how to convince him to change his mind.

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Yikes, Marlise life is complicated