My 2017 Prompts - 2. Prompt 563

“What did you promise this time?” Jon asked

Adam looked around, but he knew he needed to answer before Jon got really mad instead of the simple irritation he showed at the moment.

“I simply told Jen I would ask you if you would consider being a donor for her and Julie so they could have a chance at having a biological child of their own.

She said they thought of going to a donor bank, but they would rather use someone they knew instead of having to trust doctors about some stranger.”

Jon shook his head. He understood where Jen was coming from because they had used someone they knew as their surrogate a couple of years ago. “I can’t promise I will do it, but I will think about it.”

“That’s all she’s asking. She knows it is a lot to ask and she asked how I would feel about it if you agreed. She promised she wouldn’t pressure you.”

“Alright, Adam. Let her know I’ll think about it. Out of curiosity what did you tell her?”

“Jon, you know I love you. I simply want Jen and Julie to have the chance to have what we have.” He walked over to Jon and wrapped his arms around him. “Sweetheart, I know this will probably be a hard decision for you, so take all the time you need before you decide.”

“I think I’m gonna go for a walk and clear my head. I don’t blame them for wanting a biological child, but I don’t know how comfortable I would be seeing the child running around and not have an active role in their life.”

“Go for your walk. I’ll be here when you get home. Whatever you decide I will be behind you all the way.”

Jon left the house and walked away. He ambled along with nowhere in particular in mind for him to go. He wandered around for an hour and ended up at the local park. He sat on a bench and looked out over the sandboxes and swing sets. He watched as the children played, running around without a care in the world as their parents stood close by keeping a close eye on them.

All he could think about was that if he agreed to do what Jen was asking of him he had a hard time being around a child that shared his DNA and not have a say in their life. Being there as an”Uncle” or friend of the family would be so hard, but then he thought about how he and Adam had used a surrogate to be able to have their daughter. The only difference would be that he knew the person who would be carrying the child and he wasn’t being paid for his services. It made him feel like he would be used as a stud and then thrown away when he wasn’t needed anymore. That’s not to say that was how Jen thought about it, but that was what he felt like.

He knew Adam was simply trying to help a friend out and he couldn’t fault him for it. If she had gone to him to have him ask Adam to do it, he would have told her the same thing; that he would ask him. He sighed and shook his head as if to clear it. He knew what he was going to do, he just hoped he didn’t come to regret his decision. He decided to head home so he could tell Adam before he called Jen and Julie to come over.

***

Adam sat on the couch and sighed. He knew Jon wouldn’t necessarily be happy with him telling Jen that he would talk to him about the donation. However, he thought once Jon had a chance to think about what Jen and Julie were asking, but he felt like it was something worth considering. He decided he should at least call Jen and let her know Jon was at least considering it.

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contact list until he reached Jen’s name. He clicked on her name and waited for her to answer.

“Adam? Is everything alright?” she asked.

“Hey, Jen. I wanted to let you know I talked to Jon and he said he would think about it. He left to go for a walk. I don’t know what he will say, but he understands why you would prefer him over a stranger.”

“Thanks, Adam. I could think of no one better than Jon to help with this. Julie is scared he will say no and she wants a child of her own so badly. We found out I would not be a candidate to carry the baby because of medical reasons.”

“As soon as Jon reaches a decision I am sure he will let you guys know.”

“Thank you. I know he will look at all possible angles before making a decision and that is what we love about him.”

“Ok, Jen I will talk to you later. Jason woke up from his nap and is wanting to get up.”

“Bye Adam.”

He heard the dial tone in his ear. He clicked his phone off and grabbed the tv remote. He flipped through the channels to try and find something to watch, but he couldn’t focus on what he saw. His mind kept going to back to what Jon could possibly be thinking.

He finally turned off the tv and tossed the remote onto the coffee table. He paced back and forth in front of the living room window. Every few seconds Adam would look out the window to see if Jon was coming down the street.

***

Jon walked home without really paying attention, he was on autopilot when he walked in the front door of his and Adam’s home.

He found Adam in the front hall as soon as he walked in the door.

“Adam, I hate to say it but if I do this for Jen, I’m not going to want to be around the baby once it’s born. It will just be too hard to be in their lives on an everyday basis.”

“Jon, I’m willing to follow your lead in whatever you decide to do. If it means only communicating with Jen and Julie with email and phone calls, I am fine with that. I want you to be happy with whatever you decide to do.”

“Go ahead and call Jen. I will do it, but it may take awhile for me to want to be around the baby once it’s born.”

“Alright, Jon, I’ll call her.”