The Offering by Angela Hunt Read Free Book Online Page B

risk your health, I don’t want to do it.”
    â€œSweetie, you know I’m healthy.” I pressed my hand to his stubbled cheek. “Don’t you remember what the doctor said when Marilee was born? She said all the other mothers should be jealous of my easy pregnancy. I told her I wanted a huge family, so maybe that’s why I’d been built for having kids.”
    Gideon grunted. “I don’t remember that.”
    â€œBecause you were too busy passing out cigars. But the doctor said it, and she was right.”
    â€œOkay, I’ll take your word for it. And the second thing—”
    I rose on tiptoe and gave him a kiss. “What?”
    â€œI want a son.” An eager, hopeful glint flashed in his eyes. “I will always love daughters, but as long as you stay healthy, I want a son or two to carry on the family name. It’s important to me.”
    I tipped my head back and studied my handsome, intelligent, kind, and undeniably macho husband. “Of course you want a son, and I want to give you one. We’ll have another baby—or two orthree or four. Once I finish school, I’ll get a better job so we’ll be able to afford as many kids as we want.” I squeezed his arm. “You won’t be sorry. This will go as smoothly as any pregnancy on record, then we’ll give the baby to its parents and get busy living our dream. But for the first time in a long time, we won’t have to worry about money.”
    â€œIf you say so,” Gideon answered. “But you can’t take risks with your health. Promise me.”
    â€œI promise. But I’m sure everything’s going to go perfectly.”
    I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed tight, determined that he should see how confident I was.
----
    Somehow I kept my mouth shut over the weekend, swallowing my eagerness and offering vague replies when family members asked “¿Qué pasa?” at Mama Isa’s weekly dinner. We sat around the table passing rice and corn and roasted pork, and every time my eyes met Gideon’s I lifted a brow and silently asked if I could share our news. He moved his head sideways and held up a restraining hand, quelling my enthusiasm and urging me to hold off.
    But why were we waiting? Now that he’d agreed that I should try surrogacy, all I had to do was find an agency, a couple, and a doctor. And the family should know of our decision beforehand. They would never forgive us if we progressed without telling them, and heaven help us if I became pregnant without forewarning them that we couldn’t keep the baby. Gideon’s parents might never get over the disappointment.
    On Sunday evening I finally convinced my husband that we should tell la familia as soon as possible. I stressed all the practical considerations, but truthfully, I wanted to share because I was thrilled about the future stretching out before us. If all went as planned with the surrogacy, in two years Gideon and I would be in a house, with another baby of our own on the way.
    I couldn’t wait.
    No one expected me to arrive at the grocery on Monday until after I’d dropped Marilee at school, but like a kid with a secret she can’t wait to share, I let Gideon and Marilee sleep and slipped out of the house before sunrise. Since Mama Isa and Tumelo always arrived at the grocery early on Mondays, I thought I’d get everyone together and make my big announcement.
    The approaching dawn spread gray light over the silent highway as I turned into the lot behind the grocery and parked the car. The November morning was cool, not cold, and I barely needed the sweater I’d tossed over my shoulders. I walked through the morning stillness, then opened the back door used only by employees.
    Mama Isa’s voice and Jorge’s laugh rang in the hallway, followed by Amelia’s musical murmur as she asked them something in Spanish. She and Mario seemed to be with her parents