His accidental surrogate

The waiting game

**Kyra**

My small apartment was both my sanctuary and my office. Working as a virtual assistant gave me freedom, but the hours were long and the pay tight. Today, like every day for the past two weeks, my laptop sat open on the dining table, notifications buzzing as I managed schedules and emails for clients scattered across time zones.

My fingers moved quickly, but my mind was tangled in a different kind of work, the endless mental checklist of the unknown.

Every slight ache, every mood swing was magnified.

Was this the sign?

The calendar on my wall was marked in red, counting down to the day I could take the pregnancy test. I avoided looking at the date too often, afraid of the anxiety that followed.

Sometimes I allowed myself to daydream, a tiny baby with my eyes, my laugh, maybe even Zaire's strong jawline. But those moments were fleeting, chased away by the cold weight of reality.

I was alone in this.

At night, I curled into my worn-out couch, scrolling through online forums filled with women like me, women ready to be mothers on their own terms. Some were hopeful, others broken, but all shared the same fierce determination.

Two weeks.

Two weeks of waiting.

**Zaire**

My world was a palace of glass and steel, a high-rise penthouse office overlooking the city's glittering skyline. As the founder and CEO of one of the fastest-growing tech empires in the country, I was used to commanding rooms, closing deals, and making decisions with the world watching.

My tailored suit was crisp, my every movement calculated. My life was meticulously organized, except for this.

The phone on my sleek mahogany desk sat silent, the screen dark except for a single calendar alert: "Kyra Taylor – Meeting Scheduled."

My assistant had set it up without telling me.

I ran a hand through my locs, the weight of the past two weeks settling like a storm inside me.

The man who controlled millions of dollars and thousands of employees couldn't control this one thing, an unexpected potential fatherhood.

I poured myself a glass of whiskey but didn't touch it.

Every time my phone buzzed, I flinched, wondering if it was news from the clinic or from Kyra.

We weren't connected beyond that sterile doctor's office and a shared biological link I hadn't consented to.

But that link was about to change everything.

Two weeks.

Two weeks of waiting.

**Kyra**

The clock struck 6:42 p.m. when I finally shut my laptop and shoved it aside.

My eyes burned from staring at screens all day. My back ached. But it wasn't just work that wore me down, it was the wait. The uncertainty. The what-ifs stacking up like unpaid bills.

I needed a break.

Actually, I needed my girls.

I grabbed my phone and opened the group chat labeled "Bad B*tches Only 💅🏽" and typed:

"Y'all got time for a FaceTime? I need to talk."

Within seconds, my best friend Bri responded:

"Say less. I'm pouring wine."

Another came through from Nia:

"Already in my bonnet, don't judge me."

And finally, Lex chimed in:

"Give me five, I'm putting my kids in bed now. But I'm nosy so don't start without me."

Minutes later, their familiar faces popped up on my screen, Bri in a silk robe with a glass of red wine, Nia wrapped in a leopard print headscarf, and Lex half-whispering from the hallway.

"Alright, spill," Bri said, eyes narrowed. "You look like you got hit by a plot twist."

I let out a breath and flopped back against the couch. "Y'all aren't ready."

"Oh, we ready," Nia said, adjusting her camera. "Is this about a man? A bill? Or your uterus?"

I gave them a look. "Unfortunately... all of the above."

I told them everything.

From the clinic visit.

To the insemination.

To the moment Dr. Quinn said the donor wasn't who I picked.

To Zaire Cruz, fine, tall, and completely not supposed to be part of my story.

The line went silent for a second after I finished.

Then Lex, whisper-yelling:

"Girl... what in the Lifetime movie hell is this?!"

Nia screamed, "Wait so you might be pregnant by a real man who didn't even donate?!"

"Who freezes their sperm for personal use?" Bri added. "Is he like... famous?"

"He's rich," I muttered. "Owns a tech company. Drives something that looked like it cost more than my degree."

"Oh, he rich rich," Bri said, sipping dramatically. "So you might be carrying a tech heir?"

"This isn't funny," I snapped, though a laugh escaped anyway. "Y'all, I'm freaking out. I wanted this baby on my terms. I didn't sign up for this drama."

Lex leaned in, voice softer now. "You still want it?"

I paused.

My hand touched my stomach unconsciously.

"I don't know," I whispered. "I think so. I think I still want the baby. But everything feels... hijacked."

"Has he reached out?" Nia asked.

"No. And I haven't either."

The line went quiet again.

Then Bri leaned forward. "Well, until you know for sure, don't drive yourself crazy. Take the test when it's time. And if it's positive? We ride at dawn."

"For real," Lex said. "Baby or no baby, you're not alone."

"We got you," Nia added.

I blinked fast as my chest tightened.

They always knew how to pull me back from the edge.

"Thanks," I said, smiling for the first time all day. "Y'all are crazy, but I love you."

"Love you more, mama," Bri grinned. "Now go pour yourself a drink. And if Zaire turns out to be a problem..."

"I got bail money," Nia said without hesitation.

I laughed, really laughed.

For the first time in two weeks, the weight felt a little lighter.