7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Greg

I stare out the window at the bare boughs of the trees in the yard and take a deep breath. It’s a dull and gloomy day that seems to suit my mood perfectly. Cam and I have been throwing around the idea of starting a family for over a year, and now we’re finally ready. But it seems like one obstacle after another keeps blocking our path to parenthood. Occasionally—like now—it all seems so impossible, but the longing in my heart refuses to fade. I take a deep breath. I know we’ll find a way, somehow.

With my glass of water in hand, I rejoin Cam at the dining room table where his laptop sits open, the glow of the screen illuminating the worry in his eyes. We’ve been researching surrogacy options here in Wyoming for hours, poring over the websites of different agencies.

“Look at this one, babe,” Cam says, angling his screen towards me as I sit down. “They have pretty high success rates.”

I scan the information and try to maintain a positive outlook, but my attention falls to the printout in front of me. The list of costs is depressing as all hell. “They look good,” I say, aiming for some positivity, but I’m a realist. After all, financial planning is my forte. “But those agency fees, plus all the medical expenses… I don’t know how we’ll swing it financially right now.”

Cam reaches over and squeezes my hand. “I know it’s expensive, but this is important to us so we can’t give up. We’ll figure something out. Maybe I can open the coffee shop for longer hours, cut back spending at home… Whatever it takes.”

I nod, swallowing against the lump of emotion in my throat. “You’re right. I just… I want this so badly, Cam. To raise a child together. Especially with Christmas coming up, I keep imagining the holidays with our son or daughter.”

“I want that too, more than anything.” Cam’s eyes shine as he grips my hand. “We’re going to make it happen, one way or another. This is only the beginning of our research. Let’s keep looking into all our options, okay?”

“Okay,” I agree, mustering a smile. God, I’ll do whatever it takes to make our dream come true.

He pulls me into a hug. “It’s going to work out. I promise.”

I hold on to him tightly, praying he’s right.

Eventually we pull apart, and he returns to scrolling through websites. I slide my own laptop in front of me, my gaze darting between the astronomical figures on my printout and the spreadsheet where I’ve been tallying up the potential costs. The numbers swim before my eyes, mocking our modest savings account. Surrogacy agency fees, legal contracts, medical expenses, compensation for the surrogate herself… it all adds up to a small fortune we simply don’t have.

I rake a hand through my hair as frustration simmers in my gut. “This is insane, Cam. We’d need to take out a second mortgage just to afford the initial fees, let alone everything else. I want to be positive, but we can’t ignore the reality either.”

Cam sighs, some of the light leaving his eyes. “I know, babe. It’s a lot more than I expected too.” He taps at his keyboard, opening another tab. “But don’t lose heart yet. There have to be other paths to parenthood that won’t break the bank.”

“Like what? Adoption? Fostering?” I can’t keep the defeated edge from my voice. “Those come with their own sets of challenges and expenses.”

“True, but they’re worth exploring.” Cam grabs a fresh sheet of paper and uncaps a pen. “Here, let’s make a list of all our options. We can research the details of each one later.”

I stare at the blank page. “I guess we could start with fostering.”

“Yep. We could also look into fostering to adopt. And then there’s still the surrogacy path.” Cam jots them all down before looking up. “We could even see if any friends or family might be open to surrogacy.”

Friends. Family. We’ve spoken about this before, but it all seems so complicated and emotionally fraught.

“You know, Georgia did offer to help us out however she could when we last talked. I wonder…”

The words kindle a tiny ember of hope in my chest. “You think she’d be willing to be our surrogate?”

Cam shrugs. “To be honest, I’m not sure that’s exactly what she meant. I mean, she hinted… Fuck, I don’t know.”

“Hey,” I say, taking his hand. “It’s okay. Maybe it’s something we could look at as a last resort. We don’t have to raise it with her now.”

He nods. “Have… have you given any more thought to approaching Madi?”

I sit back with a sigh. “It’s a huge thing to ask. Donating an egg, carrying the baby…”

“She’d be ideal,” Cam says. “Can you imagine? A baby that’s a perfect blend of your genes and mine? But we could use a donor and maybe she could carry the baby?”

I allow myself a small, wistful smile as I reach for Cam’s hand, lacing our fingers together. “It would be a dream come true. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves—we still need to research the legalities and logistics of family surrogacy, not to mention all the psychological stuff. Maybe then we can have a long, serious talk with Madi.”

Cam bobs his head. “You’re right. One step at a time.” He focuses back on our list and his scrawled notes about additional research before looking back up. “Looks like we have our work cut out for us, huh?”

“We sure do.” I lift our joined hands to my lips, brushing a kiss across his knuckles. “But you know what? Bring it on. We’ve weathered tougher storms than this, you and me. We’ll find our way to fatherhood, no matter what it takes.”

I squeeze his hand once more before pulling away. “I’d better get some coffee brewing if we’re going to power through all this research.”

“Good call. I’ll keep plugging away here.” Cam turns back to his laptop as I pad into the kitchen.

Although the kitchen is a mess and I’m working on a job site, I move through the familiar routine—filling the pot, measuring out scoops of dark roast grounds, the rich scent filling my nostrils. As I wait for the coffee to percolate, I look back to the dining room table where Cam sits, his hair a disheveled mess as he rakes a hand through the wavy strands. He’s sucking on the end of the pen, totally absorbed in something on his screen. Even with the weight of the world on his shoulders, he’s gorgeous, and his determination makes him even more so. Damn, I’m lucky to have this man.

The gurgle of the coffee pot draws me from my reverie. I pour two steaming mugs and doctor Cam’s with a splash of creamer, just the way he likes it. Warmth seeps into my palms as I carry our drinks back to the dining room.

“One coffee for my husband,” I say, setting the mug at his elbow.

“My hero.” He takes a sip, and moans, the sound doing strange things to my belly. “Have I mentioned lately how lost I’d be without you?”

“Once or twice.” I slide into the chair beside him and grin. “But I never get tired of hearing it.”

Cam shifts to face me, one hand coming up to cup my cheek. “I mean it, babe. You’re my rock. I know all of this is daunting as hell. But we’re going to be amazing dads. I feel it in my bones.”

I turn my head to press a kiss to his palm. “I do too. And there’s no one else I’d want by my side every step of the way.”

Cam leans in until our foreheads touch. “We’ve got this,” he murmurs. “You and me against the world, remember?”

“Always.”

And just like that, I’m back on an even keel and return to my spreadsheet with renewed energy.

Later that day, as we head to the hardware store, my determination is still strong.

“I was thinking,” I say, watching the picturesque storefronts of Main Street scroll past the window. “What if we reached out to our families about all this? Not just for emotional support, but…” I hesitate, hating the necessity of what I’m about to say. “Financially too. If they’re able.”

Cam’s fingers flex on the steering wheel. “It’s worth a shot, I guess. I just hate the thought of asking for money, especially since they don’t have a ton to spare themselves.”

“I get that, believe me.” I lay a hand on his thigh, giving a gentle squeeze. “But we did say we’d investigate all options.”

He covers my hand with his own. “I suppose it can’t hurt to have the conversation at least.”

As Cam navigates the familiar streets, my phone rings. I fish it out of my pocket to see my sister’s name flashing on the screen. “Hey, Madi. What’s up?”

“Just touching base about Christmas plans,” she says, her voice bright. “Wanted to see if you and Cam were good to spend it with us this year.”

“Yeah, we discussed it and we’ll spend Thanksgiving with Cam’s folks and Christmas with you guys.”

“That’s awesome. The kids will be thrilled.”

“We’re looking forward to it too.” I swallow hard. I catch Cam’s gaze, his eyes crinkling with a smile as he nods. “Actually, Cam and I have some pretty big news to share.”

“Oh?” Madi’s tone sharpens with interest. “Do tell, little brother.”

“We’re… we’re going to start a family.” The words leave me in a rush.

There’s a moment of silence, then an earsplitting shriek that has me wincing. “Gregory James Freeman, are you serious?! Oh my God!”

Cam chuckles beside me, shaking his head. I can’t contain my own grin. Madi’s enthusiasm is infectious, even secondhand. “Dead serious. We’re looking into our options now. You never know, maybe by next Christmas…”

“This is amazing. Oh, just you wait. Seeing your children’s faces light up on Christmas morning, watching them experience the magic of it all. Greg, it’s everything.”

I can picture it—our little one in Christmas-themed pajamas, their excitement at the sparkling tree and the gifts stacked beneath. Cam beaming at my side, his arm around my waist as we watch their joy. Unexpected tears sting my eyes as my heart swells.

“I can’t wait, Madi. Truly. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“And you’ll have it. Your kids are going to be so blessed to call you their dad.” She laughs. “Especially with how much you’re going to spoil them rotten. Uncle Greg’s already bad enough!”

I chuckle. “What can I say? It’s my job as the best uncle ever!”

We continue to chat, my heart light as she talks about my two nieces and my nephew, and I end the call with a smile on my face.

Cam glances over from the driver’s seat, one eyebrow raised. “Good chat?”

“The best,” I confirm, placing my hand back on his thigh. “She’s already counting down the days ’til Christmas. Apparently, the kids are chomping at the bit to see their favorite uncles.”

Cam snorts, shaking his head. “I don’t doubt it. But hey, one holiday at a time, babe. We’ve still got to survive Thanksgiving first!”

“True,” I concede with a grin. “Speaking of which, what time are we supposed to be at your parents’ again?”

“Noon sharp. Mom’s got the whole feast planned down to the minute.” He shoots me a wry look. “And you know how she gets if we’re late.”

I shudder in mock horror. “Perish the thought! The last thing I want is to invoke the wrath of Mama Walker on Turkey Day.”

We’re still laughing as we pull into the parking lot of the hardware store and my spirits are high as we wander the aisles. I’m eager and excited by the time Cam pulls into our driveway, tires crunching over the gravel. He kills the engine, turning to me and waggling his brows. “Ready to get this renovation party started?”

“Born ready,” I quip, unbuckling my seat belt with a grin.

Together, we haul the paint samples and equipment out of the trunk. As we make our way up the front steps, I envision this same porch decked out in twinkling lights and evergreen swags come December.

“Just think,” I murmur as Cam fiddles with the lock. “By the time we’re ringing in the New Year, this place will be looking better than ever. Fresh paint, new window treatments…”

“And maybe a nursery to decorate?” Cam meets my eyes, his own shining.

Throat suddenly tight, I nod. “That’s the plan, babe. A fresh start in every sense.”

He leans in, brushing a soft kiss to my temple. “I like the sound of that.”