– Hazel-
It was odd how sleep had turned into my only escape. When I finally opened my eyes, a dull ache throbbed in my lower abdomen—a quiet reminder of what I had just gone through. I blinked and rubbed my eyes the ceiling of the hospital room was too bright. Everything felt eerily still. Too still.
A nurse entered, clipboard in hand, her shoes squeaking softly against the floor.
"You're awake. That's good," she said, offering a warm smile. "Just take it easy for now. The procedure went well."
Well?
I had traded my body for a sliver of hope. My mother's life.
I nodded, too exhausted to say anything. My throat felt raw, as if I had swallowed unspoken truths that would never see the light of day.
About an hour later, just as I was starting to drift off again, another nurse walked in. This one seemed more anxious, glancing nervously at her tablet.
"Miss Hazel," she started, "you're set to be moved to a private residence this afternoon. Your… benefactor has arranged for your recovery at his second estate."
"What?" I sat up a bit straighter, wincing at the movement. "I didn't agree to that."
She blinked in surprise. "I was informed it's part of the arrangement. It's a private home with full medical care and—"
"I don't care if it comes with angels and a harp quartet," I interrupted, my voice sharper than I intended. "I want to go home. To my own house."
"I'll let him know," she replied softly, tapping her tablet before leaving the room.
I sank back against the pillows, my heart racing. I didn't want to feel trapped, not in a mansion or a gilded cage. This was already too much—my body didn't even feel like mine anymore. At the very least, let me keep my space. My air.
About twenty minutes later, the head nurse returned.
"You'll be discharged tomorrow morning and can go back home," she said. "Mr. Ace approved it."
I exhaled slowly, the tension in my shoulders beginning to lift. "Thank you."
He didn't push the issue. That caught me off guard. I was bracing myself for some sort of backlash, a controlling reaction. But maybe I was just another piece on his chessboard. Moveable. Disposable.
yes. I knew I was making the right choice, no matter how heavy it felt.
I curled up and let the tears flow quietly. Not out of regret—but because I was scared of how much of myself would be left when this was all over.
Later that afternoon, a knock at the door broke my reverie.It was Mabel.
She swung the door open, her eyes taking me in from head to toe. "Okay, first off, you look like you've been run over by a truck full of emotions. And second—" She hurried over and plopped down next to me. "You okay?"
I tried to chuckle, but it came out more like a broken sigh. "I just had a medical procedure to carry someone else's child for a year. What do you think?"
"Oof. Ten points for brutal honesty," she replied. "You hungry? I brought snacks. And I may have smuggled in a mini bottle of wine, but shh—don't tell the nurse."
I snorted. "Mabel."
She paused, her gaze softening. "Hazel… how are you really holding up?"
I focused on the blanket draped over my legs. "I don't know. Everything happened so fast. One minute I'm fighting to keep my mom alive, and the next—I'm a surrogate for a guy I haven't even met."
"You're not just a surrogate," she said gently. "You're a daughter saving her mother's life."
I swallowed hard.
"And," she added, "from what you told me, this guy is loaded. Like, ridiculously loaded. Maybe his estate has a chocolate fountain or a personal masseuse who looks like Jason Momoa."
I let out a weak laugh. "I turned down staying at his mansion."
She blinked, taken aback. "Wait, his mansion?"
"Yeah. Apparently, I was supposed to go there to recover. I said no."
"Girl, what?! Why would you turn down a billionaire's private villa?"
"Because I want my own bed. And my own air. I've already signed my body away. I need to hold onto something that's still mine."
Mabel fell silent, her smile fading.
"I get it," she said softly. "You're scared."
"I'm exhausted," I whispered. "And yeah, I'm scared."
She reached over and took my hand. "You're not alone."
There was a long pause before she added, "But I swear, if this baby gives you any weird cravings, I am not driving across the city for fried pickles dipped in chocolate."
I laughed again, really laughed this time. "Noted."
Mabel stayed with me until visiting hours were over. We chatted about everything and nothing at all. She made me laugh so hard that I ended up in tears again. For the first time in ages, I didn't feel like I was plummeting into a decision I couldn't take back.
As the sky turned dark outside and the hospital lights dimmed for the night, I leaned back against my pillows and stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, I'd be going home.
But nothing about my life would ever feel normal again.