[The teasing tone is probably obvious, even through texts.]
Meet in the lobby. I may not have a car and we may live in the same apartment building, but it's still a date. I should still do some version of picking you up, shouldn't I?
[ He's not entirely sure why he's telling her, since she's not living here anymore. Maybe part of it is because he knows she's living with one of Vanya's brothers, but mostly maybe it's because he's suddenly feeling kind of lonely when he wishes he was feeling more relieved to not be enveloped in Vanya's anxiety in the absence of Laura's cheer to balance it.
In short, Caleb doesn't know how to feel, he just knows he's not loving how it feels to have to feel his own emotions for a change because they're strangely harder to read than everyone else's at this point. ]
[Laura's stomach sinks as she reads the words from Caleb - and she's almost positive that that feeling comes from both the fact that this leaves the teenager alone in that apartment....and because of the fact that it's Vanya who is gone. How is Derek going to feel about that? How is Diego going to feel about that? She's an important person, even if it's complicated, to both of her boys.
And the fact that poor Caleb is alone now in the apartment without anyone to keep him company, look after him, or anything makes Laura feel protective.]
Thanks for telling me, Caleb. I'm sorry, kiddo.
I hate that you're alone - and that she's gone. How are you holding up?
It's fine. It's not like we were super close or anything. I guess I figured Derek and Diego would do better hearing it from you than from me is all.
[ And now he's going to have to learn how to use the coffee maker because Vanya won't just be making pots of it anymore, but there's also always Soul Full Cup for that, in a pinch. ]
I'm okay. I'll just see if Steve wants to come over.
[ Or move in... ]
It does suck that she's gone though. I liked Vanya.
Even without being super close it still sucks. And I'll definitely let them know.
[Laura can't help but worry about Caleb, after living for him for months....kinda comes with the territory]
Okay, but don't be a stranger - I'm around, and I want to have you over for dinner soon, make sure that you're eating good. I liked Vanya too and just because I've moved out doesn't mean you're rid of me, for the record.
Hey Laura, refresh my memory: was it you that had mentioned having connections at one of the clinics in town? If so, is it the one uptown or downtown?
[ Uptown is a huge clinic with every damn imaginable department in its orbit; a little cluster of clinics that might as well be a hospital strip except for the different medical groups affiliated with the offices. Downtown is a lot smaller scale and Eddie has his doubts that they'd be able to help him. So, needless to say, he's crossing his fingers for the former. ]
You're not remembering wrong I've got connections at the clinic Uptown - some of the people I work with at dispatch are former nurses who worked there.
Plus we have a direct line too like we do with bigger medical facilities in the city. Why what's up you need a referral or something?
I don't know. I think a small culmination of things, probably a lot of which has to do with my goddaughter. What about you? Any closer to reality or are you still hovering in hypothetical, too?
I've seen her in passing she is really adorable - I have only barely managed to not accost Stan to coo at her, honestly. I've been thinking about it off and on a lot, I don't know why I keep waiting when I know what I want.
Maybe I need to just take a page out of your book rather than waiting for something to happen or for things to align and feel like that magical right time.
She is aggressively adorable and it's probably almost entirely her fault, now that I think about it. Between her and my roommate...damn, I just want to be a dad, you know? I'm not getting any fucking younger.
...you should go with me. We can see if we can get back-to-back appointments and then be there for each other's moral support.
I know exactly what you mean. Though way to take the easy way out and blame the adorably chubby-faced toddler.
You know what... that's a great idea. If nothing else it's going to give both of us a full picture on what exactly we're working with here and how we proceed. And everything is easier when you have support.
You've seen her. You know she's a plausible suspect.
Bonus points for having someone who can give you the box of tissues when you hear the price tag on the procedure. I'm about to get a double whammy, too, because I need the egg and the fucking uterus.
I can't argue with you, not this time. Think that toothy grin gets her all the forgiveness, though.
Yeah that's an entirely separate issue to wrap my brain around and probably talk out with more than just you, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. And I'll be sure to snatch up the fullest box for the both of us just in case, but maybe neither one of us will need it we could have a smooth run? Other than the price that is.
Have you thought about finding your surrogate yourself?
Those big blue Disney eyes make a nice backup plan, too. Cute little shit.
Oh, I'm going to need it when I get the bill, Laura.
I have, yeah, but I think I'm probably only close enough with a few people here to feel comfortable asking, and two of them are in high school, so...you know. Not appropriate. Plus, I don't know if I'd want to put any of my female friends through the pressure of that, you know? There's all the IVF and then knowing that whether it takes or not; whether it develops to term or not, I'm still paying. I'd feel bad asking any of my friends to take that on, you know what I mean?
That and I can't name a single one of them that I think wouldn't want to deck me for all the hovering I'm positive I'd be doing if I had that sort of access to the surrogate. Actually, the term they use now is Gestational Carrier, I think. Surrogate is only if the same woman carries and donates the egg.
Why, you know somebody who would be interested in putting their bodies through all that for somebody else's benefit? I'm all ears. I can afford whatever, but it's obviously preferable not to have to go overboard with spending before the baby's even born.
I don't even want to stress myself about that part yet, but I'm sure it'll make my stomach turn. And I'll have to talk it out with Derek either way as I figure out the financial dies of how I would even do this. So I'll keep the Kleenex at the ready no worries.
That's fair and I get what you mean- I haven't even dove fully into the whole sperm donor thing as of yet, so that's going to be an entirely other can of worms to make a decision on. I think I'm remembering why I was in limbo and making no moves on all of this again now that I say that, actually.
I wish I could say I knew someone who might be willing but I don't, I'm literally the only person I think is even remotely interested in putting their body through any of this and it's because I am tired of waiting to make things happen in my life. Not the way I ever thought I might be considering doing this, but wasting this second chance I've got just seems wrong. And even though I'd love to offer to help you out I'm not sure I could do it and then step away, Eddie, to be perfectly honest.
Honestly, I'm not even sure I won't need a sperm donor, too. I have no idea if I'm even able to have kids. My wife and I tried for years before giving up. Let's hope to God it was her even though I'm pretty sure it was me.
Yeah, I know the feeling. No, no, no. I'd never ask you to, that would be crazy, especially since you're also trying to conceive. It's all right, I was planning on needing a surrogate rather than a gestational carrier.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text » 2/12
When are you free?
text » 2/12
I could do tomorrow after work or Saturday?
no subject
Saturday works for me.
Is 7 good?
no subject
Seven it is and I'll be looking forward to it. Meet up in the lobby to head out or meet there?
no subject
[The teasing tone is probably obvious, even through texts.]
Meet in the lobby.
I may not have a car and we may live in the same apartment building, but it's still a date.
I should still do some version of picking you up, shouldn't I?
no subject
[She's smiling, she can't help it - it's just easy to tease back.]
Smart man.
Knew I liked you for for more than the handsome face, Diego.
no subject
Oh, you're a charmer.
I like it.
text;
[ He's not entirely sure why he's telling her, since she's not living here anymore. Maybe part of it is because he knows she's living with one of Vanya's brothers, but mostly maybe it's because he's suddenly feeling kind of lonely when he wishes he was feeling more relieved to not be enveloped in Vanya's anxiety in the absence of Laura's cheer to balance it.
In short, Caleb doesn't know how to feel, he just knows he's not loving how it feels to have to feel his own emotions for a change because they're strangely harder to read than everyone else's at this point. ]
Just, I don't know. Thought you should know.
text;
And the fact that poor Caleb is alone now in the apartment without anyone to keep him company, look after him, or anything makes Laura feel protective.]
Thanks for telling me, Caleb. I'm sorry, kiddo.
I hate that you're alone - and that she's gone. How are you holding up?
text;
[ And now he's going to have to learn how to use the coffee maker because Vanya won't just be making pots of it anymore, but there's also always Soul Full Cup for that, in a pinch. ]
I'm okay. I'll just see if Steve wants to come over.
[ Or move in... ]
It does suck that she's gone though. I liked Vanya.
text;
[Laura can't help but worry about Caleb, after living for him for months....kinda comes with the territory]
Okay, but don't be a stranger - I'm around, and I want to have you over for dinner soon, make sure that you're eating good. I liked Vanya too and just because I've moved out doesn't mean you're rid of me, for the record.
text;
[ Shit, he might as well. ]
Oh I know. I can take care of myself lol. Thanks, Laura.
text;
If so, is it the one uptown or downtown?
[ Uptown is a huge clinic with every damn imaginable department in its orbit; a little cluster of clinics that might as well be a hospital strip except for the different medical groups affiliated with the offices. Downtown is a lot smaller scale and Eddie has his doubts that they'd be able to help him. So, needless to say, he's crossing his fingers for the former. ]
text;
Plus we have a direct line too like we do with bigger medical facilities in the city. Why what's up you need a referral or something?
text;
I think I'm ready to pull the trigger on the surrogacy thing. Or at least ready to actually do real research outside a Google search.
text;
It's great that you feel ready - what changed or happened, if I can ask? I feel like last time we talked it was such a hypothetical y'know?
text;
I don't know. I think a small culmination of things, probably a lot of which has to do with my goddaughter. What about you? Any closer to reality or are you still hovering in hypothetical, too?
text;
I've seen her in passing she is really adorable - I have only barely managed to not accost Stan to coo at her, honestly. I've been thinking about it off and on a lot, I don't know why I keep waiting when I know what I want.
Maybe I need to just take a page out of your book rather than waiting for something to happen or for things to align and feel like that magical right time.
text;
...you should go with me. We can see if we can get back-to-back appointments and then be there for each other's moral support.
text;
You know what... that's a great idea. If nothing else it's going to give both of us a full picture on what exactly we're working with here and how we proceed. And everything is easier when you have support.
text;
Bonus points for having someone who can give you the box of tissues when you hear the price tag on the procedure. I'm about to get a double whammy, too, because I need the egg and the fucking uterus.
text;
Yeah that's an entirely separate issue to wrap my brain around and probably talk out with more than just you, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. And I'll be sure to snatch up the fullest box for the both of us just in case, but maybe neither one of us will need it we could have a smooth run? Other than the price that is.
Have you thought about finding your surrogate yourself?
text;
Oh, I'm going to need it when I get the bill, Laura.
I have, yeah, but I think I'm probably only close enough with a few people here to feel comfortable asking, and two of them are in high school, so...you know. Not appropriate. Plus, I don't know if I'd want to put any of my female friends through the pressure of that, you know? There's all the IVF and then knowing that whether it takes or not; whether it develops to term or not, I'm still paying. I'd feel bad asking any of my friends to take that on, you know what I mean?
That and I can't name a single one of them that I think wouldn't want to deck me for all the hovering I'm positive I'd be doing if I had that sort of access to the surrogate. Actually, the term they use now is Gestational Carrier, I think. Surrogate is only if the same woman carries and donates the egg.
Why, you know somebody who would be interested in putting their bodies through all that for somebody else's benefit? I'm all ears. I can afford whatever, but it's obviously preferable not to have to go overboard with spending before the baby's even born.
text;
I don't even want to stress myself about that part yet, but I'm sure it'll make my stomach turn. And I'll have to talk it out with Derek either way as I figure out the financial dies of how I would even do this. So I'll keep the Kleenex at the ready no worries.
That's fair and I get what you mean- I haven't even dove fully into the whole sperm donor thing as of yet, so that's going to be an entirely other can of worms to make a decision on. I think I'm remembering why I was in limbo and making no moves on all of this again now that I say that, actually.
I wish I could say I knew someone who might be willing but I don't, I'm literally the only person I think is even remotely interested in putting their body through any of this and it's because I am tired of waiting to make things happen in my life. Not the way I ever thought I might be considering doing this, but wasting this second chance I've got just seems wrong. And even though I'd love to offer to help you out I'm not sure I could do it and then step away, Eddie, to be perfectly honest.
text;
Honestly, I'm not even sure I won't need a sperm donor, too. I have no idea if I'm even able to have kids. My wife and I tried for years before giving up. Let's hope to God it was her even though I'm pretty sure it was me.
Yeah, I know the feeling. No, no, no. I'd never ask you to, that would be crazy, especially since you're also trying to conceive. It's all right, I was planning on needing a surrogate rather than a gestational carrier.
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