Baby Business

“You are if you’re going to rely on a written contract to get what you want.”

“That might be true.” Thad massaged his temples. Another thought had flitted through his mind while he’d been working on the contract, but he’d resisted it. It returned to haunt him now. It wasn’t a guarantee exactly, but was probably the closest he was going to get.

“There is another way,” he said slowly, the idea taking more definite shape in his mind. “It comes with its own share of risks, but…”

Kevin shifted his weight. “You’re making me nervous, friend. You’re already in this thing over your head.”

“Then I’d better start swimming.” Thad gave Kevin a rueful smile and snapped off his computer. “And I think I just figured out how.”

Kevin groaned. “God, Thad, tell me it’s the backstroke.”

“Not even close.”

MACY WAS EXHAUSTED. She’d originally planned to finish out the block so she didn’t fall behind in her classes, but finals were only three weeks away and she didn’t dare take the time away from Haley to study.

Neither could she fail, not if she wanted to become a pediatrician someday.

Setting her keys on a side table in her living room, she punched the Play button on her recorder and listened to Lisa tell her, in no uncertain terms, to eat the Chinese food she’d dropped off earlier. The next call was from her mother. Where was she? Why didn’t she keep in closer touch?

Her mother knew she couldn’t afford the long-distance bills.

The last message was from Dr. Biden’s office. The lab results were in. Everything had come back normal.

Well, she wasn’t going to die of AIDS, at least.

Macy kicked off her shoes and sagged onto the couch, too tired to even consider heating up something from the refrigerator. She hoped Dr. Biden’s vitamins were as good as the doctor claimed, because she’d given her body little else in the past twenty-four hours. What she needed more than food was sleep, but she was too keyed up. They hadn’t been able to find a bone marrow donor yet, and they had to have a near-perfect match or Haley’s body would reject the new stem cells. And she’d be worse off than before.

The telephone rang, but Macy just looked at it, too tired to haul herself up to answer.

The recorder came on, and Thad’s voice carried into the room. “Macy? I haven’t heard from you for the past two days. Is everything okay? Call me when you get a chance.”

He hung up just as Macy threw a pillow at the machine and nearly knocked over the lamp. She and Thad needed to talk, but she didn’t want to talk to him tonight. She could take only so much in a single day.

Climbing to her feet, she traipsed into the bedroom and brushed her teeth before pulling on her nightgown and climbing into bed.

At least when Richard ran off, he left her with the few pieces of furniture they’d acquired during their marriage. She still had the oak dining set, the sofa and an old recliner in the living room, Haley’s white bedroom set, a pull-out couch in the den and a queen-size water bed for herself. They were all garage-sale items, but the house she was renting made up for the style and elegance its furnishings lacked. She lived in the Avenues, near the university, where the houses were all unique, old and charming. Some dated back to the 1800s. Tall, shady trees lined the streets, and a mansion that had once belonged to Brigham Young or another of the city’s founding fathers sat on almost every corner. Macy longed for the day when she could buy one of the large Victorians she liked best and remodel it to suit her tastes.

Someday, when she was a doctor and Haley was well…

For now she liked her old-fashioned little house.

The phone rang again, and Macy picked it up without thinking. “Hello?”

“There you are. You had me worried. Is Haley okay?”

Thad again. Macy bit back a sigh and cursed the brain synapse that had shot her hand out for the receiver. “She’d be better if we could find a bone marrow donor, but she’s hanging on while we look.”

“Can anyone do it?”

“It’s not like giving blood. It’s painful, and it’s difficult to find a perfect match.”

“Can I be tested?”

“Sure, but you’ll have to fill out a questionnaire. Have you had unprotected sex in the past ten years?”

“God, you love turning the tables on me, don’t you?”

“I’m sorry. I’m tired.”

“I can hear it in your voice. How’s school?”

“I missed another one of my classes today but at least I made it to pharmacology. I’m not sure I’ll remember anything about the lecture, but I took enough notes to give my hand a permanent cramp.” She stretched her right fingers, remembering her frenetic pace.

“What about the class you missed?”

“I bummed the notes off a fellow student.”

“That’s good.”

“It’s better than nothing. Finals are coming up.”

“I bet you’re excited about that.”

“I would be if I thought I was going to pass,” she said, but she didn’t want to talk about school. “Will you really come in and be tested as a donor for Haley?” She knew the chances of Thad’s being a match were one in a million. All of Haley’s friends and family had been tested, with no luck. But it felt good to know he was willing to do what he could.

“Of course. Maybe if I go through a little pain and suffering of my own, you’ll feel better compensated for childbirth.”

Macy smiled, and climbed out of bed to open the window. A cool spring breeze stirred the curtains and ruffled her hair. “A woman would be untrue to her kind if she didn’t point out that there is nothing as bad as childbirth, but I’m grateful, so I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“I appreciate that, though I’d argue for circumcision as a close second.”

The scent of lilac filtered in from the bushes in back, and Macy relaxed on her bed, letting the down comforter swallow her. “You’d have a hard time getting any support for that argument. Newborn boys don’t have much of an advocacy group, while we woman are a vocal and determined lot. We’re not about to lose any praise for our high pain threshold.”

He chuckled. “Then I won’t upset the balance by disagreeing. When can we get together? There are some things we need to talk about.”

Macy yawned. “I know.”

“Tomorrow?”

Fighting the increasing weight of her eyelids, she struggled to vocalize a reply. Sleep beckoned and she sank into it, despite Thad’s voice in her ear. “Macy?”

“Tomorrow’s…fine.”

“Go ahead and get some sleep then,” he said, and strangely enough the sound of his voice was like a kiss on the forehead, soothing her into unconsciousness.

MACY AWOKE to the sound of sizzling bacon and the mouthwatering aroma of potatoes and onions. Oh good. Richard’s making breakfast for Haley. I can sleep a little later.

Richard! What was she thinking?