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CHAPTER ONE

IT WAS A cold February afternoon in Atlanta, but the law office of Lyles, Laurent & Abraham at One Atlantic Center on West Peachtree Street was even id

The prolasses, his expression withering “You signed the contracts, Miss Nielsen They are absolutely binding in every country—”

“I have no probleia interrupted, more annoyed than cowed by the attorney’s icy conte the baby only to relinquish hiate, and she took the job seriously “The baby is his But there is nothing in the contract that stipulates where I a ever co birth overseas I wouldn’t have agreed to serve as Mr Panos’s surrogate if that had been the case”

“Miss Nielsen, Greece is not a third world country You will receive excellentand after delivery”

She gave hi look, hands relaxed on the ar to keep her temper in check “I’m a med student at Emory I’m not worried about my medical care But I am disturbed by your condescension If a mistake was made, it was your client’sor yours You were, after all, the one who drew up the papers for the surrogacy You knohat the agree on a plane and flying five thousand six hundred and sixty-six ive birth”

“It’s a citizenship issue, Miss Nielsen The baby must be born in Greece”

Georgia Nielsen glanced past the attorney to the hugeon the wall of Mr Laurent’s office It was an old map, a collector’s iteuess it was from the late nineteenth century, the 1880s or maybe 1890s, with Africa divided by European colonial claiht where it had been for thousands of years, giving birth to Western civilization

And right where she was expected to give birth

If Georgia were in a better ht even be aood mood She was furious and frustrated From the start, she’d taken care of herself, paid close attention to proper health and the well-being of the baby Her job as a surrogate was to bear a healthy baby, and she was doing her part Eating right, sleeping asstress to a minimum—not always easy when into Greece? And going soon? That was not on her agenda

“The travel arrange finalized as we speak,” Mr Laurent added “Mr Panos will send his personal jet for you As you can iine, the jet is state-of-the-art and quite luxurious You’ll have staff and a good rest, and before you know it, you’ll be there—”

“I haven’t even reached the third tri travel plans now is incredibly premature”

“Mr Panos would prefer not to place undue stress on you or the baby Specialists do not recommend international travel in the third trimester”

“Yes, for high-risk pregnancies, but this isn’t one”

“It is IVF”

“There have been no complications”

“And my client prefers to keep it that way”

Georgia bit her tongue

to keep froret She understood that Nikos Panos’s concern was for the baby, his son She understood, too, that her wants and needs did not factor in She was a vessela wo more As it should be until the very end, when she delivered a healthy baby and saw him placed in the arms of his protective father That hen her job would be done Then, and only then

But that didn’thalfway around the world would be stressful Leaving her support syste, especially as she neared the end of the pregnancy This was a job, a way to provide for her sister, but she wasn’t totally naive It was hard not to have any feelings for the life inside her, and those e She could only iine how ambivalent she’d feel in another three and a half months

But motherhood wasn’t her future Her future was medicine, and her course was set

For a long moment there was just silence in the office

Mr Laurent pressed his fingers together, creating a tense steeple “What will it take to get you on that plane this Friday?”

Ridiculous There was no way she could go so soon “I have school I have studies”

“You have just finished the preclinical block You are studying for theexaia”

“I’ to leave my sister for three and a half months”

“She’s twenty-one and lives in North Carolina”

“Yes, she’s a senior at Duke University, but she’s financially and e relative” Georgia aze and held it “I am all she has left”

“And the child you carry?”

“Isn’tand the surrogacy, so if Mr Panos wants to be present for the birth of his son, he can come to Atlanta Otherwise, the baby’s nurse will take the infant to hireed”

“Mr Panos is not able to fly”

Georgia lifted her chin, air bottled inside her lungs She was not going to engage She refused to be drawn into this A contract was a contract “That is not ive birth, the infant is not my concern I have been paid not to care, and, Mr Laurent, I intend to keep ain”

The attorney closed his eyes and rubbed at an invisible spot between his bushy gray eyebrows, bulasses from his nose For a randfather clock tick-ticking against the wall

Mr Laurent opened his eyes, fixed his gaze on her “How et you on the plane on Friday? And before you say I’, I know everyone has a price You do, too It’s why you agreed to donate the egg and carry the fertilized embryo You were satisfied with the compensation So, let’s not bicker over the teret on that plane, and I will see that the ”

Georgia stared at the olderher anxiety, as well as her frustration Yes, ht, but she didn’t want more money She just wanted to finish what she’d started It had been a ate, but lately she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her emotions in check But it was too late to back out now There was no changing herThe child wasn’t hers And, yes, she carried him, and each little flutter kick made her heart ache, but the baby was Nikos Panos’s, and she couldn’t forget it

Which meant she had to move forward It was her only option And the moment she delivered, the moment the baby hisked away, she’d black this year froia never wanted to think about any of this again It was the only way to survive so Fortunately, she had practice in surviving challenging situations Grief was a good teacher

“Name it,” Mr Laurent said quietly

“It’s not about the money—”

“But it will pay bills, so pay your bills Provide for your sister I understand she, too, wants to attend e of the offer so you never have to do soain”