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I rise out of my chair with a force that pushes it into his big oak desk with a loud bang, and he stops, arms folded.
“You’re unbelievable, Dad.” My cheeks and ears grow hotter, and I want to be anywhere but here. “Did you actually bring me here for my niece at all? Or just this again?”
Why is he so obsessed with my love life? Or my lack of one, which is how I prefer it.
I storm out without looking back, for my own safety more than anything else. The last thing I need is to spend a night in a Solvarian jail for punching His Royal Highness.
As much as I want to.
2
ELLIE
In the massive conference hall, I’m greeted by a sea of faces in all directions. A few people I recognize wave as I walk through the main atrium of Coronation Hall, but most are smiling strangers.
Funnily enough, in college, I worked as a banquet server in halls like these to make up for what my scholarship couldn’t cover. And now I’m here myself. Not clearing tables but speaking to the luminaries sitting at them.
I take my seat on the stage, and the President of the World Reproductive Medicine Consortium, Dr. Drake Von Stewart, begins talking over the sounds of silverware.
“I’m pleased to present our plenary speaker, whom you’ve no doubt heard of.”
I can’t see the audience through the bright lights, but I hear a vociferous applause that makes me nervous. I hope I don’t disappoint them. I take advantage of the noise and clear my throat just in case.
“She deserves all of your applause and more.”
I smile and shake my head, my face getting hotter than the stage lights.
“Her research on reproductive medicine has been groundbreaking,” Dr. Stewart continues. “The discoveries she’s making in the processes of conception and gene-editing research are helping more people all over the world live healthy, full lives. I’m thrilled to have her. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Eleanora Lawson.”
I’m not used to big crowds, so when I’m in their sights, it’s an out-of-body experience. I chose reproductive medicine and research to hide away in my lab and only interact with patients one-on-one. But it seems life had other plans.
Since I published my gene-editing findings, the medical community, the press, and hopeful parents have been calling nonstop. I'm not used to it, but as a Black woman, I appreciate the positive recognition even if the attention is a bit more than I'm used to.
“Thank you.” The sound of my voice booming in the room startles me. I look out and feel a surge of breath go in. “I know this room very well. As a child, I came here with my mother, Mathilde, who for decades served King Francis as a secretary. This hall…”
I stretch my arms outward at the podium. “...Hosted so many parties and ceremonies. There were Coronations. Investitures. State dinners. Even an ice-skating rink for the princes at one time. But shhh…” I hold a finger to my mouth. “That’s classified.”
The audience laughs.
“But the most special affairs were reserved for the babies. Baptisms, christenings, adoptions. Children represent the best among us. They’re a new beginning. A chance to start the world over. So, to speak about reproductive medicine here, where I saw so many children pass through and spent time with my beloved mother, is a distinct honor.”
I inch back from the microphone to collect my thoughts. I wish she were here. But I know she’s proud.
“I can hear her advice now. ‘Ellie, it’s important to choose a career that makes you happy. But also one that leaves the world a happier place.’ And that’s the work that we do every day.”
I look around the room, seeing bright, attentive faces. “She was a single mother, but that was her most important job. And the most important job for me every day, and for all of us, is to make people happier, whether it’s keeping them healthy or helping them build families.”
Eventually, I’ll be one of those families. Sooner rather than later. Whether I have a husband yet or not, I’m about to get started. That’s part of the reason I’m here in Solvaria, I think to myself. To start the process with the best specialists in the field.
Sure, love would be nice. But I don’t have the time for it.
I talk about the profession and my research, along with the case studies of women who became capable of carrying pregnancies.
I had no idea when I was first invited how I would fill the forty minutes. But when I feel like I’m finally getting into the groove, after what I suspect is five minutes, I realize we’re nearing the end of the session. It’s time for questions and answers, and my speech comes to a close.
A few people at the foot of the stairs down the stage try to talk to me, and I thumb the business cards in my suit pocket. I doubt I’ll be able to talk to them all without missing the afternoon sessions.
“Dr. Lawson, your talk was phenomenal.” It’s Stella Weiss, the Dean of the University of Solvaria School of Medicine, one of my heroes.
