Chapter 45

Two weeks later, Emma found herself in Katie’s living room, surrounded by children’s toys and family photos. What had begun as a formal surrogacy consideration had evolved into something more personal—a genuine connection between two women with different life experiences but shared understanding.

“Tim took the kids to his mother’s so we could talk,” Katie explained, serving tea in mismatched mugs. “Though I apologize for the dinosaur invasion in the living room.”

Emma smiled at the plastic triceratops on the coffee table. “It’s nice, actually. Seeing a real family home.”

“As opposed to a magazine-perfect one?” Katie laughed. “Definitely real here. Complete with crayon on the walls and mysterious sticky spots on every surface.”

The casual warmth of Katie’s home contrasted sharply with the formal meeting rooms and medical offices that had dominated Emma’s fertility journey so far. Here, surrounded by evidence of family life, the possibility of parenthood felt t