Surrogate Pregnancy

Chapter Two Part 3

Leon was standing outside the hospital, waiting for his dad to come and pick him up. The sun warmed him, right into his very soul, the air smelled of gum leaves, and flowering wattles, and he took a deep breath....Finally... he felt alive again. It had been a battle but he had won, now he just wanted to get on with his life.

His thoughts wandered to Lydia again, could he find her? Should he ? Why had she left so abruptly, was the family she went home to, as he had been told when he asked about her, a husband and children?.....No he had not had the feeling she was married, so why did she leave without a word? They were getting so close? He sighed, he was so confused, maybe he should recover a little more before he started to look for her?

Soon they were on their way home; the flight from Darwin to Binna Burra, would take a couple of hours, so Leon made himself comfortable, he was still recuperating. He soon fell asleep and woke first, when his dad was slowing down for landing, and steered the plane onto the landing strip. The Cessna's hanger was further away from the homestead, leaving room for the hanger with the four helicopters. They were used all the time, for mustering and small trips. Dogs, men on horses, and choppers were necessary with large herds and big distances. When they got out an enormous, red cloud of dust was fast moving towards them. Their foreman, Ben, was coming in the Land Rover to pick them up. He dropped them off, next to the house. Walking the last little bit to the homestead Leon saw his dog Homer, come galloping towards him. Homer was a Great Dane, and had been his dog, since he was a teenager. Homer was getting on, but he did not know...And no one, was going to tell him. Leon's face lit up, and he ruffled Homer's ears thoroughly.

NOW... He was home.......!

By the beginning of November, Lydia could no longer comfortably fit her uniforms. She was slender though, so she just bought a bigger uniform size hiding her little bulge. She was afraid her colleagues would notice she had filled out in the middle. At home it was easier; she just wore a bulgy sweater, her sister was so preoccupied with her own recovery and walking, that she noticed nothing. Lydia was grateful for that, she was having her own problems, thinking about what she was doing............?

Her mind once again wandered to the unknown father, how sick was he? Was he young or older? How did he look? Was he thinking about the baby? Looking forward to having it with him? She shook her head, stop thinking that way Lydia. In her heart she realised, she could never give it away. She was actually enjoying being pregnant, knowing a little person was growing inside her. It was a miracle.

Her miracle.

That was where the problem was, she was not supposed to feel that way, not allowed to feel that way. It was not her baby.......and still; she so much felt it WAS her baby. She was thinking it so much that when she felt the first butterfly wings flutter in her stomach, she was jubilant, and found it difficult to hide her feelings. Her baby was moving ......and she could feel it......

Nicole was back at her work part-time and felt good about it. She had moved back to her own place, and was slowly getting her life back on track. Lydia was still working, but alone at home, so she had all the time and privacy in the world, to contemplate her situation. She was not at all sure, about handing over her baby, and getting away was becoming more and more urgent for her. She was almost squeezing into her uniforms... So she needed to go far away .......but where? Thinking long and hard about it, she remembered she had always been fascinated with the outback. As a little girl she had heard about kangaroos, and camels. Dust storms and sandy deserts, The Red Heart and Alice Springs suddenly came to mind.

She sent her nursing papers away, and a letter came back very quickly. She had told the Director of Nursing, at Alice Springs' Hospital, about her experience in emergency and ICU, the children's ward and with neonates. They welcomed her with open arms. Happy for her to work in any of those areas, and asked when could she come? Lydia felt good, about being so much wanted. Some things were still going her way.