THE SUN shone brightly today as if giving Madison signs that her plans for this day are just right. She heaved a sigh as she looked at the signage of Demitasse Café, where she and Jacob often meet since he became their family psychologist. On her hand was the crumpled medical records of the doctor that she picked up on the trash bin of her office.

“Should I really have to do this?” She felt a lump in her throat that she quickly swallowed. “Am I doing the right thing?”

Madison went inside the café and occupied the same table on the farthest corner of the dining area. The café owner nodded at her as soon as she sat on the chair. She couldn’t help but feel the heavy burden inside her chest and felt nervous every second that passed as she waited for Jacob to arrive.

“Hi, Ma’am, would you like to try our new treats?” The coffee shop owner approached her. She was holding her tummy and smiling brightly at her. “It’s a nice day today, isn’t it?”

Madison looked out the window and stared at the clear sky. “It is…” she replied and returned her gaze at her tummy. “Your baby bump is noticeable now.”

The woman smiled. “It’s already four months,” she said, caressing her belly. “Tomorrow is my checkup.”

“Congratulations,” she said and smiled bitterly. “I wanted to get pregnant too.”

“We waited for this baby for almost a year,” she said. “It’s a good thing that my husband and I matched the gene’s structure.”

Madison didn’t reply. Instead, she looked at the menu book that she gave her. “I’ll try blueberry cookies.”

“Good choice,” she chirped. “That was also my daughter’s favorite.”

When the woman left, Madison fell into the darkness of her thoughts again. She looked at her phone and saw that Jacob sent her a message saying that he’s on his way to the café. Her chest hammered, and she thought about her decision over again. Then she remembered how William hurt himself last night. How he drowned himself in alcohol and acted hysterically on the road. Her husband is in terrible condition now. And the only solution to their problem is to have a baby.

A few moments later, the cookies that she ordered were brought by a cute teenage girl. Her name was written on her waist apron. “Enjoy the cookies that my twin sister and I made with love.”

Madison smiled at her. “Thanks, Kylie.”

She was about to say more to the girl when she saw Jacob entered the café. The doctor looked around the café and Madison noticed the other women on the tables gawked at him and followed him with their impressed gazes. The women’s eyes met hers as Jacob sat in front of her. Madison can’t blame them. The doctor is definitely gorgeous with his looks that reminded her of school heartthrobs, a smile of campus crushes, and an athlete’s body. Dr. Jacob is the desired man of every woman, just like her husband when they’re dating back in college.

“I’m sorry, I’ve got clients when you called me,” he said with a smile. “So, how do you feel?”

This is one of the things that she liked about the doctor. He always asked about her feelings, her current emotions, and if she’s having a bad day. Madison knew that it’s just because he’s a doctor and she’s his client, but nevertheless, it was still felt good in her chest to be askad about how’s she’s feeling.

“I-I’m fine…” she lied. When Jacob’s brows slightly furrowed, she lowered her head. “I’m not okay.”

“Just what I thought,” Jacob said with a sigh. He leaned on the table and looked at her worriedly. “Did you have an argument with him again?”

Madison shook her head. “He did something unexpected…” she said, chest started to tighten in so much pain. “I bailed him out from prison last night.”

“What? What happened to him? Why you didn’t call me?” Jacob reached for her hand and gave it a massage to calm her emotions.

“He was drunk, and the police stopped him on the road due to over speeding. But he refused and acted hysterically.” Tears fell from her eyes. “He even hurt himself…”

“Madison, calm down…” Jacob comforted her and offered his handkerchief to her. “Where’s William now? Does he know that you continued the counseling with me?”

“William went to work. Like the other days, he stopped talking to me and acted as if I didn’t exist. Still, he texted me and told me that he’ll be home early,” she said, wiping her tears using Jacob’s handkerchief. “I told him that I’ll continue to seek professional advice from you, and he said nothing.”

Jacob nodded. “I wasn’t surprise that he’ll reach this point. William’s case is fast-paced because he refused communication with you. And, he even refused to seek medical help…” He sighed. “It’s hard for me to see you like this, Madison. As a doctor, I don’t want to see my clients suffer from a problem that can be solved if the other side will cooperate. And, in your case, William is that other side.”

Madison shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She took out Jacob’s medical record from her bag and showed it to him. “I thought about your offer overnight.”

Jacob’s expression changed. His eyes focused on her as she hesitated to continue. “Then, what’s your decision?”

She clenched her fist in her lap and ignored the loud thumps on her chest. “I decided to accept your offer.” She looked straight into his eyes. “I’ll accept your sperm. Just tell me the name of the clinic we’ll do the harvesting and insemination—”

“Wait for a second, Madison,” Jacob cut off. “I don’t remember telling you that we’ll do it in a clinic.”

Madison’s brows furrowed. “W-what do you mean? There’s no other place that could perform the artificial insemination—” She paused, then looked at him in disbelief. “Unless…”

“You’re right,” Jacob said. “I preferred to do it in a natural process.” He smiled sweetly at her. “You and me.”

***