Page 9 of The Surrogate Nanny
“She gets that from you.”
“Mhm. What else? Strawberry-scented bubbles are her favorite—don’t try to switch it up during bath time because she won’t let it fly. Despite how much she enjoys fruit, she’s not much of a juice drinker. She’s satisfied with water or milk. She loves watchingThe Weather Channelfor some odd reason. She’ll sit on the floor with one hand tightly fisting her curls and the other clutching her sippy cup. She gets that from you. Not the sippy cup part, butThe Weather Channelpart.”
“It’s nice white noise to have in the background. What else?” I asked greedily. Simone spent the next hour feeding me every detail of my daughter. It was evident that Nori was her entire world.
“She fell asleep. She should rest in her crib,” I said. I stole a few kisses from the sleeping toddler before returning her to Simone.
“W-what happens next?”
“I’ll be back for my daughter.” Simone shook her head furiously. “You can comply and release her to me, or we’ll have to let a court decide.”
“I guess I’ll see you in court.” I sighed at her persistence and reached for the bulky manila envelope inside my jacket. “What is that?”
“Sixty thousand dollars. Our original agreement was that you’d receive $30,000.00 after confirmation of pregnancy and another $30,000.00 after the birth. I added an extra $30,000.00 for the inconvenience.”
“Inconvenience?” she shrieked.
“Calm down. It was a poor choice of words. I added a bonus for not being able to settle my debt as agreed upon.” A dark look flashed across Simone’s face. I knew she was seconds away from telling me to shove the stack of money up my ass. “Take the money. You’ll need it for a good lawyer.” I was shocked when she accepted without further provocation. “I’ll see myself out. And Simone?” I said, stopping at the door.
“What?” she gritted out.
“Don’t try to disappear. I’ll find you.”
Chapter Five
Simone
How did this happen?
I crossed my arms in the wake of the turmoil, and my eyes wouldn’t leave the door Anthony Powell limped out of. Like a zombie, he’d risen from the dead and planned on taking my baby away. His stern warning sent a chill down my spine.
“Don’t try to disappear. I’ll find you.
Fuck!
I swallowed roughly and began pacing the nursery. I thought it was a dream, but the scent of his cologne lingered, and the imprints he made on the carpet with his cane remained.
He’s going to take Nori away.
I slid my cell phone out of my pocket and opened my banking app. The balance was depressing. Even with the cash he provided me, there was a slim chance I could win a court battle against the man who had money at his disposal.
“What will I do?” I whispered.
My feet dragged me to the crib, where my child slept soundly. I peered at her with a smile. “You’re the only thing in this world that’s mine, Nori.”
I was being selfish. He was her father, and he’d probably provide a better life for her than??I could. He adored her, even when she was a bundle of cells. I could imagine the two of them walking hand in hand with the same black curls, gray eyes, and crooked smiles. And where would I be in the equation? Would Nori remember me? Would he tell her about me? Would he change her name?
I’d be erased as if I never existed. As if my love for her didn’t matter.
I don’t think I can survive this.
I slid to the floor and pressed my forehead against my knees as I tried to regulate my breathing. How could I go on without my heart? Nori had been a part of me for almost two years. I’d forgotten how to be alone.
My throat dried as I faced the uncomfortable facts. I couldn’t outrun Anthony—that much was clear. He had more resources and money than I did.
I can’t run. I can’t hide. All I can do is fight.
I crawled on my knees to the crib and held onto the wooden bars.