Page 52 of The Billionaire's Paradise

“And then?” Cal asked.

“Once all parties have reviewed and signed the agreement—with independent legal counsel—we proceed to the embryo transfer phase.”

I took a breath. “Which means… we have to choose the egg donor.”

Tessa nodded. “Yes. That’s the next big milestone. You’re still working through the database?”

I cringed. “This part makes me anxious all over again. I feel like we got so lucky with Leilani. Now we have to make more choices, and this is all about the genetics. What if we choose a donor who’s completely wrong for us? What if we end up with an eight-foot-tall basketball player for a child? The extent of my hoop-shooting knowledge begins and ends withAir Bud.”

“Don’t panic,” Tessa said without missing a beat. “We’ll refine the profiles this week. I’ve curated a short list based on your preferences. I’ll send them to you after this call.”

“Thank you,” Cal said.

Tessa checked her screen. “We’ll also need updated sperm samples from both of you, unless you’ve already decided whose we’ll be using.”

“Still deciding,” I said quickly. “We may do a mocha blend.”

“A mocha blend?” Tessa blinked.

“He means fertilize half the eggs with each of us,” Cal clarified. “Mocha’s a metaphor. Apparently, I’m strong like coffee and he’s sweet like chocolate. In all fairness, he came up with it when he’d had one too many espresso martinis one night.”

“Got it,” Tessa said. “Either way, we’ll collect fresh samples when you return. I’ll book the appointments.”

Cal hesitated. “Ah, actually. Is that something we can do at the Honolulu clinic? There’s a chance we won’t be back in New York for a while.”

“There is?” I asked, surprised.

Cal nodded. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it. We’ll take it offline.”

Take it offline? Cal had just slipped into business mode. Something told me this had nothing to do about the baby and everything to do with Hal.

“That’s absolutely doable,” Tessa answered. “You must be enjoying paradise.”

“Something like that,” I mumbled.

Tessa didn’t seem to pick up on my sudden stiffness at all, but Cal did. His hand found my knee.

“After that,” Tessa continued. “We fertilize the eggs, monitor embryo development, and if all goes well… we’ll transfer one embryo to Leilani in the coming months.”

“And then we wait,” I whispered.

“And then you wait,” she echoed. “And hope. And show up for each other.”

The screen went quiet for a beat. Just us, and her, and the magnitude of what was beginning.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

I looked at Cal.

He looked at me.

We nodded.

“Yes,” I said. “We’re ready.”

“Then welcome to the next chapter,” Tessa said. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

The second the Zoom call ended, I closed the laptop, pushed back from the counter, and said, “Since when was it okay to change our living plans without telling me, then drop the news in the middle of a conversation about embryo transfer?”