Wanted: Baby Daddy

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Claire

People are milling about in the lobby of a tall building downtown. Many rush on their way wanting to go home or go to their hang out. It’s Friday, after all.

And Claire Walker is one of them. She felt so ragged working Mondays to Fridays, every week, every month and all the year round. With no one to go home to, she felt so alone. Though she has friends, it’s different when you come home to a loved one.

Claire grew up in the foster system. She was orphaned at a young age when her mother died of cancer. Her father left her mother long before she was born. She envied her friends and workmates who had a whole, happy family. A family she never had.

Tired of just looking inside out of families she’s not a part of, she longed to have someone with her. Someone who she can love and love her back. She wanted a baby of her own.

Don’t get Claire wrong, she doesn’t want a family with daddy, mommy and baby. No. No. She only wanted a baby, no hubby. She doesn’t want the extra dead weight of a useless and abusive husband.

She remembered snippets of her mother when she was young. Her mother suffered so much raising her without her father. The men her mother introduced to her as her boyfriends were always hurting her mom. She doesn’t want that to happen to her. Uh Uhmm. No way, sir.

Claire hurried on her way out. Her friend, Shay, invited her for dinner at her house. She can already smell and taste the homemade lasagna Shay makes so deliciously. She immediately flagged a taxi. Yey, wait for me yummy food!

When she arrived at her friend’s house, her stomach grumbled loudly. At that time, Shay opened the door. Shay heard her loud stomach and laughed at me. She motioned to come in and trotted back to her kitchen where a beeping was heard go.

I went inside and followed Shay to the kitchen. Sniffing the delicious smell, my stomach’s more in a riot from hunger. Watching Shay getting the lasagna out of the oven and laid it on the table, had me salivating. Wow, everything looks delicious!

I heard Shay giggle at my side. She then poked my side and told me to set the table. I quickly get plates, cutlery and napkin and set the table. I went back to the stool I occupied and got a portion of the yummy goodness.

While eating, they talked about their work, and life in general. Claire then decided to share her wish with Shay and fervently hoped that her friend would support her in her endeavor to make it happen.

Claire had finished eating and wiped her mouth with the napkin and put it beside her plate. She is ready now to tell Shay of her plan to have a baby.

“Shay, you know that I wanted to have a child of my own, right?”

Shay lifted her head and looked me straight into my eyes. She smiled at me and nodded her head, encouraging me to continue my speech.

“I believe now is the time. I’m ready, Shay.” Claire stated.

Shay jumped up from her seat and hugged me hard.

“Oh my god! I didn’t know you had a boyfriend! You and your boyfriend must be serious now about planning this. This is huge, Claire bear!”, exclaimed Shay excitedly.

“You know that I don’t have a boyfriend, Shay. I’ll look for a viable man who will volunteer for my cause.”

“Are you out of your mind?! You are still young, Claire. In due time, you’ll have a boyfriend-soon-to-be-husband-father-of-your-child if you wait, who will be excited to share this journey with you. Also, you can ask for help from a fertility clinic who can assist you if you go for artificial insemination. Only a crazy, good-for-nothing man, out for a good time with you in bed will agree to this outlandish idea of yours!”, Shay ranted.

Claire looked down the floor, patiently waiting for Shay to finish her ranting. Shay is supportive of her baby idea but against how the idea will come to fruition. When Shay slowed down and realized that she'd decided already, she hugged her friend and asked for her understanding.

“Shay, I don’t have enough savings to go to a fertility clinic and the procedure may take many tries to work. What I have saved, I’ll set aside for the future of my child. I’m, also, not looking for a boyfriend or husband, for that matter. I want to raise my child alone. All I need is the sperm of a man to impregnate me.”, I calmly explained to Shay.

“So, you’re saying that you’ll hop from bed to bed of any man until you get pregnant? You’re out of your mind!”, Shay slapped the table so hard the plates, knives and forks rattled.

“Of course not! I’m not a loose woman, Shay. I do have a set of criteria for the sperm donor. He must be intelligent, street smart, handsome and does not want to have a wife and child to be shacked with. There are many men who do not want commitment and responsibility but are quite good in other areas like their work ethics and having good manners. I’ll find one soon, Shay. I just know it. Soon.”

Shay is dead set against my plan, but she can’t change my mind.

“You might get what you wished for and more. I just hope that everything will work out the way you wanted. Wish you the best, Claire! Only a man who wants something in return will agree to what you planned.” Shay scoffed at me.

Claire smiled at her friend. She knows that, although Shay is against her plan, she’ll support her no matter what. She’s the best friend I could ask for.