A Child for His Best Friend 09

My fiancé, Eric Fletcher, decided to have a child for his best female friend, Laurie Stephens. Though Laurie was committed to staying single, she longed for a descendant to pass on her genes—and Eric chose to help her, even if it meant putting our engagement on hold to honor their friendship. One day, he tossed a "Sperm Donation and Joint Custody Agreement" in front of me, his tone cold and weary. "It’s just your insecurity talking, right? I added your name—all our property goes to you. Satisfied now? Sign it quick. Laurie’s body can’t wait for the optimal fertility window." I signed the agreement calmly, then began packing my sketchbooks without a word. Eric let out a sigh of relief, his face softening into pure ease. He stepped forward to hug me, but I dodged his embrace. "Once the child is born and on the birth certificate, we’ll marry right away," he hurried to explain. "If you want, we can raise them together later. I’ll tell them you’re their mom too." I tucked the thin agreement into my bag and watched him indifferently as he started rambling excitedly about planning the nursery—paint colors, crib styles, even tiny onesies. He was so caught up in fulfilling his "friendship promise" that he didn’t notice the calm in my eyes, or the secret I’d kept hidden. What he didn’t know was that I’d already made arrangements with his closest buddy to get our marriage license next week. While he was busy prioritizing Laurie’s wish for a child over our engagement, I was moving forward with the life we’d once planned—just not in the way he expected.