Undeniable Love • Simon Brown

8. Surrogate

I stumble back, tears running down my face. My breaths becoming shorter and shorter. My hands shaking.

"Harri? Harri! What's wrong?" Simon says trying to keep me still but I can't stop.

"P-p-pan-ic a-t-t-a-ck." I stammer shakily.

"Panic attack?!" He asks again.

I nodd, well try to.

"Okay, ummm. Focus on my voice and take deep slow breaths."

"I-I-I can't." I breathe before everything goes black.

♧

I shakily open my eyes to find I'm in the Brown's lounge with a wet cloth over my forehead. I hear voices nearby so I decide to be a nosey parker and to listen to their conversation. Much to my annoyance Miss Cambridge is still here.

"She must come back. She was in the wrong lot."

"It's too bad Miss Cambridge. We've already bought her as a maid and she's a brilliant one." I hear Evangeline say.

"No! You need to return her at once. We'll give you your money back!"

"We don't want our money back. She's not going with you, we bought her for being a maid not a surrogate and that's final!"

A surrogate. That's what she's here for. I mean I want children but I want my own not someone else's. I'm actually glad Evangeline is protecting me but I know it's only going to get worse if she interferes. So I quickly get up off the couch and rush past the squabbling two, holding a hand over my mouth and the other over my stomach. Pretending I need to vomit. Rushing up the stairs and into the nearest bathroom.

"Hey Harriet. It's me Simon, are you alright?"
I quickly pull him into the bathroom and lock the door behind him.

"Yeah, fine. Get Tora to tell Evangeline to shut up. I'll do the rest." And push him out the door again.

"What is she doing in there?" Miss Cambridge asks Simon as she approches the door.

"Vomiting. What else?" He says carrying on walking down the hall. I sigh thanking to god he didn't say anything stupid.

"Harriet? Are you alright in there?" Miss Cambridge asks knocking on the door.

I flush the toliet and open the door, wiping my mouth with my sleeve then wiping it on my dress for the extra effect. "Yes miss. Just the usual symptoms." I answer giving her a small smile.

"You mean, your pregnant?" She questions.

"That was what I was raised to do, was it not."

"Then why was Mrs Brown saying that you were their maid?"

"I'm a maid for her, surrogate for her daughter Tora." Thankfully Tora, Simon and Evangeline came down the hall not making it even more awkward for me.

"Oh! You must be so happy child!" Miss Cambridge squeals with excitement, hugging Tora.

"Yes, very." She replies glaring at me as if she were saying 'why did you put me in this situation.'

"Oh, and you must be the father." She squeals again talking to Simon.

"Ah, no actually, I'm her-"

"You must be very proud. I'm sorry for bothering you Mrs Brown. I guess Harriet here knew what she was doing." She says before rushing down the hall and put of the house.

"What did you do?" Tora asks, eyes like saucers.