“That’s great, thank you for everything,” Sophie said with a smile before she walked out of the agency completely.

She was surprised at how easy it was, she had read that sometimes things could take a few months, but she felt confident that everything would work out the way it was meant to be. She felt that because the process went so smoothly that it was all meant to be.

She needed someone to talk to because really, who else could she call?

Sophie: If you’re free, call me!

She quickly sent a message to Olivia because even though she didn’t fully agree with everything Sophie still wanted to tell her about it all. Her phone rang almost immediately with Olivia’s name flashing across her screen.

“So, spill the beans,” she said as soon as they had exchanged hellos. Sophie knew her friend was eager to hear about everything even if she couldn’t understand. She loved being involved in a secret.

“I met the guy that wants me to be his surrogate,” Sophie said.

“The guy, so it’s not a couple?” Olivia asked. Sophie smiled to herself when she heard the shock in her friend’s voice.

“It’s not a couple, it’s a man. A man that is desperate to start his own family and doesn’t want to wait any longer. He is only 26 which is the shocking part,” Sophie said.

“You’re joking!” Olivia exclaimed.

“Oh, just wait. It gets better. In my contract he has stated he wants me to live with him, so I am on my way home now to pick up my clothes to move in,” she said.

“What?! That’s insane, what about your house? What about your job?” Olivia asked.

“Well, I don’t know about my job, but I assume I can still work there, and with my house, he said he will pay my rent while I live with him on top of paying me for the surrogacy,” she explained.

“Wow, this is unbelievable. I can’t believe you’re going through with it,” her friend said in disbelief.

“I know it’s crazy, but I have a really good feeling about it. I’ve been so worried about how I’m going to afford rent now that my hours have been cut but I can rest easy now knowing that I don’t have to worry about it right now. I’ll be taken care of,” Sophie said.

“But Soph, this is crazy. I mean you’ll be living with a stranger for 9 months. I hope he doesn’t expect you to sleep in the same bed as him,” she said.

“Of course not. I’ll have my own side of the house that will have nothing to do with him. He just wants to be close by so if anything happens, he can be there,” Sophie explained.

She knew no matter what she said her friend would still not understand it. It was huge news and even just thinking about it she wondered how she would tell her parents because she wouldn’t be able to hide it forever.

“Okay, okay. I suppose it seems like a good plan but it’s just happening so fast,” Olivia said.

“I know but I know what I’m doing, and this feels like a good thing to me. I feel like it’ll work out,” Sophie said.

She really did have a good feeling about it all and even though she didn’t know Andre she could trust that he wouldn’t try anything with her. He seemed genuine about his intention and she could appreciate someone being so strong and determined.

“Well, I guess as long as you know what you’re doing there is nothing I can say that will change your mind. Just be careful with this. If you’re going to be living with the guy who knows what can happen,” her friend said.

She knew what her friend was hinting at, but she also knew that it wasn’t the same as going home with a stranger after a night out. Sophie knew that her friend wasn’t much of a relationship person which meant she didn’t understand the need for a family or even the want for a family. Olivia had said on a few occasions that she may be single for the rest of her life just because it was easier than getting hurt by someone. Of course, Sophie could understand considering she thought she was going to marry the last guy she was with, but she was still open to finding love and open to the idea of having a family of her own one day.

Her friend, although possibly the best person she had in her life, was a bit of a cynical person and as much as Sophie loved her, she knew that there would always be certain things Olivia would never understand.

Sophie was excited to do something for someone else, she was excited to give back, but she was also just pleased to know that she would be worry-free for a while. She could already feel the stress leaving her as she thought about her contract, a contract that not only gave you 120,000.00 dollars but also guaranteed her house would still be there waiting for her afterward.

“I will be careful. I’ve signed a binding contract that literally states everything. I’m not going to do anything that is against what we’ve agreed on. I’m not there to play wife or anything like that,” Sophie said.

She knew that of course, they would be sharing a house together, but she knew that as long as they stayed separated then nothing would happen that shouldn’t happen. She wasn’t looking at it being a possible relationship or something like that, she was getting paid to provide a service and that’s what she intended on doing.

“Okay, well. I’m here if you need me but I have to head back to work now,” Olivia said.

“Of course, and thank you. Chat later and enjoy the rest of your day,” Sophie said.

She hung up the phone and drove to her house. She was a little sad that she would not be living there for a while but if Andre had as much money as it seemed he had, she knew she would be living somewhere great. She could only imagine what kind of house he lived in. She hoped that her side of the house would be comfortable.

She didn’t see the point in rushing as she settled onto her couch, she felt a little tired after all the tests and blood work, so she decided to have a little nap before she started to pack her things. She napped for 30 minutes before she walked to her room, pulled out a luggage bag and started to pack her clothes, toiletries and other things she would need.

She wondered about the next few months, thinking about how they would go considering not only she will be pregnant, but she will also be in a stranger’s house. Sophie didn’t feel as if something bad would happen and as she took one final look around her house before leaving, she felt certain that she had made a good decision.