Chapter 2 Phoenix

• PHOENIX
• I smiled as he handed me the money, taking a moment to savor the scent of the cash before passing over the phone.
• Who says money can't buy happiness? It certainly can buy mine.
• "You can add some extra cash," I suggested, prompting him to roll his eyes.
• "Get more phones, that's all," he retorted before walking away. What a loner.
• I tucked the money into my pocket, but first, I decided to pick up some food staples and maybe a new shirt. I could count my wardrobe's contents on one hand, but as long as I had something to wear, I didn't mind.
• But first, I wondered if Darcy might have a job for me today. I quickly dialed her number.
• "Any jobs?" I inquired as soon as she answered.
• "Yes, by 4," she replied before abruptly ending the call. I couldn't help but smile at her efficiency before slipping my phone back into my pocket.
• Stealing was an easy gig for me. It's not that I enjoyed it - well, maybe I did - but I had to do it. After my dad lost his job and my mom left amid the chaos, we struggled to afford rent and often went hungry. With school fees out of reach, I had to find a solution - something that could cover all our expenses.
• I tried to find legitimate work, but no one wanted an inexperienced kid like me. Restaurant jobs barely kept us fed, so I turned to stealing, and it's been putting food on the table ever since.
• With my ill-gotten gains, I managed to grab some essentials for home and even picked up shirts for my sister and dad. They'd appreciate the gesture.
• ~~
• 4 pm arrived, and I prepared for the job. Summoning a cab, I headed to the designated location, where I found Darcy already waiting for me.
• "You're late," she chided, barely concealing her irritation.
• "Just 30 minutes," I retorted, smirking.
• "Whatever," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
• "What's the job about?" I inquired, moving closer to her.
• She sighed and retrieved her phone. "We're after a piece of jewelry from a woman's house. It's very valuable," she explained.
• "The pay?" I asked eagerly.
• "$5000," she stated, causing me to gasp in disbelief.
• "Seriously?" I questioned, surprised by the unusually high payout for a jewelry theft.
• "In or out?" she pressed.
• "Hell yes," I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement.
• "You and two others will enter the house. Supposedly, the woman and her husband are on vacation, so don't mess this up," Darcy warned.
• "Do I ever mess things up?" I replied with a smirk, earning another eye roll from her.
• "Just do the job well; that jewelry is worth a fortune," she reminded me sternly. With $5000 on the line, I was determined to succeed, no matter what.
• My two accomplices and I positioned ourselves at the corner of the expansive and Beautiful house. It was a sight to behold, but I knew that stealing a mere piece of jewelry wouldn't dent the owner's wealth.
• "You go through that area and ensure nobody's coming. If you spot anyone, just click this button, and I'll be notified," I instructed one of the guys, receiving a nod in response.
• "You follow me," I directed the other.
• Sneaking into the house with my partner, we meticulously searched each room for the coveted jewelry. Despite our thorough efforts, it remained the couldn't find it until a glimmer of gold caught my eye. Swiftly grabbing it, I prepared to make our escape.
• As I glanced around the luxurious interior, I realized I'd never live in such a big house. Stealing seemed to offer the quickest path to such wealth.
• Tapping the button to signal our departure, panic ensued when the elderly woman unexpectedly appeared, attempting to wrest the jewelry from my grasp. Engulfed in a struggle, my mask slipped, amplifying my anxiety. Nonetheless, I clung to the jewelry tightly and managed to break free, heart pounding as I fled.
• It was a narrow escape, and I offered a silent prayer of gratitude as I made my getaway.
• Handing over the jewelry to Darcy, she rewarded me with $5000 in cash. I couldn't contain my joy. But the old lady's desperate attempt to reclaim the jewelry left me puzzled. Was it truly special to her, or was there more to the story? I couldn't help but wonder.
• ROME
• Rome felt paralyzed as he stared at the white sack before him. He wanted to deny the inevitable truth, to proclaim that it couldn't possibly be his Georgia, but words failed him.
• If only he had insisted on driving her himself, if only she had heeded his advice for once. But he couldn't blame her; he blamed himself for allowing his pregnant wife to travel alone. Perhaps he should have followed her, and they could have faced whatever awaited them together.
• Breathing became a struggle, and he found himself holding his breath more often than not. He wished desperately for this to be a nightmare, for someone to shake him awake and assure him that Georgia was safe with her mother in Russia. But the reality was too cruel to comprehend.
• Georgia, who had kissed him goodbye just moments ago. How was he supposed to carry on? They had plans to start a family and build a future together. And what about their baby? Losing two precious lives in a single day seemed unbearable.
• Was God punishing him? But for what?
• "Thank you, sir," the doctor's voice cut through Rome's thoughts, but he remained silent, his gaze fixed on the wall.
• "We are sorry about your wife," the doctor continued, his tone heavy with sympathy, but Rome offered no response.
• "But thank God we live in a more advanced world now," the doctor added, perplexing Rome. Why express gratitude in such circumstances?
• "We were able to save your child," the doctor revealed, prompting Rome to snap to attention. How? He was no expert in science, and the concept was foreign to him.
• "How... how?" he stammered, his eagerness palpable.
• "Since your wife was pregnant before she passed away, we had the option to freeze the embryo," the doctor explained.
• "Freeze the embryo? What does that mean?" Rome asked, his confusion mounting.
• "It means we can preserve the embryo for potential future use," the doctor explained gently.
• "How does that work?" Rome inquired, his curiosity piqued.
• "We would carefully extract the embryo and store it in a frozen state. Later, if you decide, we can attempt to implant it into a surrogate mother," the doctor elaborated.
• "A surrogate mother?" Rome repeated, the concept still sinking in.
• "Yes, someone who would carry the embryo to term for you," the doctor confirmed. Rome had never imagined someone else carrying his child besides Georgia. He looked at the doctor before posing another question.
• "I see. Is that a common thing to do?"
• "It's becoming more common in situations like yours, where there's a desire to preserve the chance for biological children," the doctor explained.
• "I never imagined... Thank you for explaining," Rome murmured, overwhelmed by the unexpected possibilities.
• "Of course, Mr. Rome. Take your time to consider your options. I'm here to support you through this process," the doctor reassured him kindly.
• Rome nodded and exited the office, where he found his best friend Neo and sister Camilla waiting for him.
• "How was it?" Camilla inquired eagerly.
• "They were able to save my child," Rome announced.
• "Wait, what?" Neo asked, clearly perplexed.
• "Oh, the embryo was frozen?" Camilla guessed, showing she was already familiar with the concept.
• "Yes," Rome confirmed with a sigh.
• "I'm still confused," Neo admitted, but his comment was brushed aside.
• "How are we going to find the suitable mother for your child?" Camilla pondered aloud.
• "I don't know," Rome replied, feeling the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders.
• "I want the best for the baby, the best mother. Can we even find the perfect one?" he wondered aloud, already consumed by worry. This child was the only connection he had left to Georgia, and he would protect it at all costs.
• "I have an idea," Camilla interjected, capturing Rome's full attention.
• "What if we hold something like an audition? We could thoroughly vet each potential surrogate, checking their background, habits like drinking or smoking, and we might just find the perfect candidate," Camilla suggested. Rome nodded, intrigued by the notion.
• "I'm still confused," Neo reiterated, earning a sharp retort from Camilla.
• "Just shut up," she snapped, prompting Neo to scoff in response.
• "Okay then, you can handle the audition. I trust you to find the perfect woman for my child," Rome declared, placing his faith in his sister's capable hands.
• With determination in their hearts, they knew the search for the ideal surrogate mother would be challenging, but they were prepared to go to any lengths to find her - even if it meant traveling to the moon.
• TBC