Chapter 1: A hard decision to make
In an ever-evolving world, where everything is fast paced, and everything is in an instant. Managing a career and a marriage at the same time seems like old fashioned to some, but not to this woman.
Rayla Porter, Human Resource consultant at Information Technology giant; Gigabyte International. Her husband, a registered nurse at the city's largest hospital in the western hemisphere. He came from a long blood line of medical service personnel, his mother, being a nurse, his grandfather, a military captain who served in Vietnam in the 60's. His grandmother a tailor. Rayla was not able to produce children, as she suffered from a benign condition which required surgery to remove her uterus and cervix, called a "Hysterectomy". She had wanted to get this procedure done for a long time, even before she ever met her husband 12 years ago, on a fateful day. She didn't want children and they somewhat discussed this before they had gotten married, thinking that perhaps she would change her mind, her husband had thought, however he thought otherwise, and to much of his disappointment, was grieved to come to the realization in his marriage with Rayla that she was serious about not having children.
Rayla's husband, Brad Porter, decided that, in the inevitable that his wife could not and would not produce children, decided to become a sperm donor, and request a surrogate to produce his children.
With this in mind, so begins our story:
A week prior to Rayla starting her new career, "If you won't have my children, then I will donate my sperm to a sperm bank through surrogacy. You won't have my children, so I need your support in this… I know you must have this hysterectomy procedure to save your life, however, I don't want my blood line to end, not like this. I hope you understand that…" He told her in a stern yet somewhat cold manner, almost demanding that she complies with his decision. She went quiet for a moment looking away, almost not knowing how to answer that. He got up from the bed to go for a shower, and as he was showering, she looked on her phone for information regarding surrogacy and looked at the legalities of things. When her husband came out the shower, he noticed her looking on her phone as she lay there on the bed looking intensely at her phone. He smirked as he walked slowly back into the bedroom, "Looks like you are researching surrogacy huh?" He snickered in light-hearted humor. "Yeah, well do you know your rights and legalities of this stuff?" Rayla responded as she wanted to support her husband in his decision, however, deep inside, she knew it was going to cause problems later. She didn't have the courage to voice her feelings on the matter because she did not want to lose him. They had only been married a couple of years at this stage. "Give me that!" Brad said taking the phone out of her hand and put it on the charge for her. "I know what I am doing, I just need your support…" He told her in a saddened husky tone of voice. Rayla looked at him with an emotionless expression, "Ok…" She said calmly then going to bed, turning her back on him, knowing if she disagreed, it would cause a world war three type argument, so to save the drama and to get a night's sleep for her meeting tomorrow, she simply went to bed. Both take a deep breath, knowing it was going to be challenging for them both.
Brad took a deep breath as he stared at the ceiling, "I've made my decision…" he said. "Yeah, and that is?" Rayla asked him.
"I will become a sperm doner, and I will choose a surrogate tomorrow at the hospital I work at… I asked her the other day if she would…. I've known her for years and knows my family… she accepted my proposal to carry my child…." He said swallowing a breath. When Rayla heard this, she held in her tears as this news felt like betrayal to her. Although she consented to him to become a sperm doner, but the fact that he spoke to someone other that her about it, hurt her feelings and did not even consult her about it, is what she thought. Where was the open communication, she thought to herself. "That was quick, you already found someone to become the mother of your child already, you must be more of a woman than I am to want a child that badly" she snickered at him with disgust.
"Rayla!" Brad said in anger. Rayla got up from the bed in anger not to cause an argument as she walked towards the door of the room and turned around and glanced at him, "you're right, this is your decision, not mine" she said coldly and walked out the bedroom to go to the kitchen to get a coffee.
Brad just got up and sat there not saying a word, just thinking to himself as a man does as he sighed crossing his arms with this decision. To be honest, the pressure was coming from his family, especially his mother to produce a child, as he was an only child in his own family, his family were pressuring him to bear one to keep the bloodline going, but this is something that he kept from his wife, as he thought, he would handle this on his own. He kept this 'battle' if you'd call it that, to himself.
"As a man, I want a legacy and I don't want to end up alone if Rayla dies… who will look after me and carry on my bloodline after I am gone? Who will look after me when I am old? I don't have any family other than my parents and grandparents, no one else is here in this country other than them. Doesn't she understand me? She is selfish and doesn't want to produce my children…. Doesn't she want to have children with me? Does she hate me that much? The moment she told me she didn't want children, my dreams died of having a family with her… I could leave her, but I still love her…. I don't want to let her go… it's like, my heart is telling me one thing, but my head is saying another….I know it is difficult for my wife to understand these things, although she does try, but she doesn't understand me as a man why I want a child to carry on my linage. I will look into this surrogacy agency and with the help of my mother as she is a district head nurse in my hospital, she will assist me to surrogate my child with the legal proceedings… I am sorry Rayla….this is something I have to do…" Brad thought to himself, sitting there on the bed thinking to himself.
Meanwhile, Rayla is in the kitchen thinking deep in thought about Brad's decision to surrogate.
"I understand this is important to him, but all I want is him, him alone… doesn't he understand how I feel?" Rayla thought to herself as she made her coffee as tears streamed down her face. "I will hold these feelings to myself... what's the point in venting them if he will not listen to me..." she thought to herself.
"If Brad does go ahead with this decision of his, I will just continue my work and let him do as he pleases…. This has nothing to do with me…. like our marriage vows said, "for better or for worse, right?" is what I thought, well, how worse can things get if a child comes on to the scene?" Rayla thought, as she embraced her empty tummy. "Many cultures would kill to have a child, but I am different, I don't want children at all, and with my medical condition, doesn't help either…" she thought to herself as she sighed, as she made her coffee, she sat on the couch and opened the window and looked outside to the thunder storm outside. "How worse… can things get?" Rayla questioned within herself.
With that, Brad comes out of the bed room, "Rayla!" he called out to her, "Yeah?" Rayla responded as he held the papers in his hands, "Rayla… I've decided…. I am going to surrogate… I know you don't want this, this is on me… ok…. Because… I don't want to end up alone if you're gone…. And my linage dies with me…. I want to continue my blood line…." He said to her. Rayla walked towards him as she embraced his face with both of his hands, "I understand, this is a decision you have to make on your own on this one…. And I am sorry I can't produce your child… but I just want you to know, you have my full support in this… I will accept your child as my own…. Understand?" she said as he pulled her close and embraced her firmly in his arms. "Rayla…. Thank you…." he whispered. She never said a word, but deep down, she knew there were going to be problems later, but this was something out of her control now. "We will get through this together, Brad…" Rayla said as a supportive wife. "Rayla…" Brad said as he kissed her neck tenderly. "I love you...." he said. "I love you too, Brad..." she said as they hugged tightly, as if they would not let each other go.