"Well, you don't have to worry about that, right?" she asks, giving Spencer's hand a gently squeeze. "Because you did meet me. You picked me and then I picked you in return."
That is exactly how it had worked and Joel sort of marvels at the idea that it had happened so quickly for them. Given that they first have to pick a surrogate they like and that she then has to agree to help them in return seems like it shouldn't be so easy. He wonders how many couples there are out there who pick a surrogate only to have her decide she doesn't particularly like them for any reason. The thought that it could have happened to them makes him a little sad and he can't really explain why, because it's not as if it matters. They're here already, after all, it didn't happen to them. They had found Erin and she had picked them and everything has worked out perfectly. Thinking about the possible ways in which this could have failed seems completely pointless, especially now that they're right here, in the hospital, waiting for the baby to be born.
He doesn't know how to say any of it, he can only really nod his agreement with Spencer and hope Erin has come to know him well enough to understand that he's not always the best with words. She smiles at him and he smiles back, then looks down at his hand in Spencer's and fidgets slightly. It's going to be a long night, he's aware of that, and he wonders if it might get annoying for Erin, having the two of them and her husband constantly fawning over her. He wonders if he should ask about that, if anyone will be expected to leave the room, because he doesn't think it's fair to ask that of any of them. The baby being born is his and Spencer's, they should certainly be here, but the woman going through all the pain has a husband of her own who clearly loves her very much and he should get to be here as well to help her through. There has been so many papers to sign about this, so many agreements made, but he doesn't think this is something that's ever come up and his brow creased slightly as he thinks about it.
"Jason is going to head home after he comes back with the coffee," Erin says before Joel even has a chance to ask. "We've done this twice before with our kids, so he wants to get back to the boys and make sure everything is as normal as possible for the two of them. He'll be back later, though, when the labour really starts."
And Joel thinks that makes sense. Usually once a baby is born -- as far as he knows from watching TV and movies anyway -- the couple gets to hold their new baby and look at each other like they've never been more in love, and he doesn't know how it's going to feel for Erin. To deliver the baby and then promptly give him away for Joel and Spencer to hold. Having her husband there is important, he thinks, having someone there to be with her in those moments after, because as much as he likes to think he would be thoughtful enough to pay attention to her, he knows himself better than that. He knows he's going to be completely distracted by Spencer and the baby both. At some point over the course of the evening, though, he needs to pull Spencer aside and tell him they need to give Erin some time to see the baby, too. He isn't afraid she's going to get too attached, he isn't afraid it's going to cause any problems. She's been trustworthy from the start and he knows this isn't going to go poorly, and for that reason alone he thinks they need to do this. They can't just rush away with the baby and never see her again for a good number of reason, not the least of which is because Joel already has a feeling they aren't going to want to stop at just one child and she's been a dream surrogate right from the start. But she's more than that, she's their friend, and he wants to make sure she knows she's always welcome to see the baby. He isn't confusing the lines of parenting, he knows Erin will never be the baby's mother, she isn't going to be involved in raising him or her, but children aren't stupid and their child is going to realize fairly early on that two men can't have a baby together. Joel doesn't want there ever to be any confusion as to how they became a family and that means including Erin as best they can.
"That's a good idea," he says to Erin. "I was just going to ask about that."
"You know you don't need to worry about anything, right, Joel?" she asks and her voice always does that to him. It makes him feel as if peace and calm are watching over him, running through his veins and he manages a nod, feeling significantly better than he had only moments before. "Everything is going to work out just fine. Soon you're going to have some much needed coffee and not long after that, you're going to have your much loved baby."
"Sooner than you think," says a voice from the door. "Well, in terms of the coffee, anyway, that's really all I've been tasked with."
no subject
That is exactly how it had worked and Joel sort of marvels at the idea that it had happened so quickly for them. Given that they first have to pick a surrogate they like and that she then has to agree to help them in return seems like it shouldn't be so easy. He wonders how many couples there are out there who pick a surrogate only to have her decide she doesn't particularly like them for any reason. The thought that it could have happened to them makes him a little sad and he can't really explain why, because it's not as if it matters. They're here already, after all, it didn't happen to them. They had found Erin and she had picked them and everything has worked out perfectly. Thinking about the possible ways in which this could have failed seems completely pointless, especially now that they're right here, in the hospital, waiting for the baby to be born.
He doesn't know how to say any of it, he can only really nod his agreement with Spencer and hope Erin has come to know him well enough to understand that he's not always the best with words. She smiles at him and he smiles back, then looks down at his hand in Spencer's and fidgets slightly. It's going to be a long night, he's aware of that, and he wonders if it might get annoying for Erin, having the two of them and her husband constantly fawning over her. He wonders if he should ask about that, if anyone will be expected to leave the room, because he doesn't think it's fair to ask that of any of them. The baby being born is his and Spencer's, they should certainly be here, but the woman going through all the pain has a husband of her own who clearly loves her very much and he should get to be here as well to help her through. There has been so many papers to sign about this, so many agreements made, but he doesn't think this is something that's ever come up and his brow creased slightly as he thinks about it.
"Jason is going to head home after he comes back with the coffee," Erin says before Joel even has a chance to ask. "We've done this twice before with our kids, so he wants to get back to the boys and make sure everything is as normal as possible for the two of them. He'll be back later, though, when the labour really starts."
And Joel thinks that makes sense. Usually once a baby is born -- as far as he knows from watching TV and movies anyway -- the couple gets to hold their new baby and look at each other like they've never been more in love, and he doesn't know how it's going to feel for Erin. To deliver the baby and then promptly give him away for Joel and Spencer to hold. Having her husband there is important, he thinks, having someone there to be with her in those moments after, because as much as he likes to think he would be thoughtful enough to pay attention to her, he knows himself better than that. He knows he's going to be completely distracted by Spencer and the baby both. At some point over the course of the evening, though, he needs to pull Spencer aside and tell him they need to give Erin some time to see the baby, too. He isn't afraid she's going to get too attached, he isn't afraid it's going to cause any problems. She's been trustworthy from the start and he knows this isn't going to go poorly, and for that reason alone he thinks they need to do this. They can't just rush away with the baby and never see her again for a good number of reason, not the least of which is because Joel already has a feeling they aren't going to want to stop at just one child and she's been a dream surrogate right from the start. But she's more than that, she's their friend, and he wants to make sure she knows she's always welcome to see the baby. He isn't confusing the lines of parenting, he knows Erin will never be the baby's mother, she isn't going to be involved in raising him or her, but children aren't stupid and their child is going to realize fairly early on that two men can't have a baby together. Joel doesn't want there ever to be any confusion as to how they became a family and that means including Erin as best they can.
"That's a good idea," he says to Erin. "I was just going to ask about that."
"You know you don't need to worry about anything, right, Joel?" she asks and her voice always does that to him. It makes him feel as if peace and calm are watching over him, running through his veins and he manages a nod, feeling significantly better than he had only moments before. "Everything is going to work out just fine. Soon you're going to have some much needed coffee and not long after that, you're going to have your much loved baby."
"Sooner than you think," says a voice from the door. "Well, in terms of the coffee, anyway, that's really all I've been tasked with."