Let's Have a Baby

***All characters are over 18 and are fictional. Any resemblance to any real-life persons or situations is purely coincidental.

Thank you to HeyAll for beta reading this story for me.

...

The phone rang again, much to Evan's annoyance. He didn't recognize the number, so he refused to answer it. But it was the same number that kept calling throughout the day, so he contemplated answering it to see which telemarketer was bothering him as he was studying. He soon realized it wasn't going to end just by ignoring them; if he just answered and told them to fuck off, maybe they'd get the message and take the number off their calling list.

"Hello."

"Hello, my name is Rebecca. I'm calling from the Goldman Fertility Center. Can I speak to Susan Teller please?"

"She's not here right now... wait, who did you say you're calling from?" Evan asked. He wasn't entirely sure if he heard correctly who was calling his mother.

"Goldman Fertility Center," she replied. "Run by Dr. Goldman himself, the number one fertility specialist in the county."

"Um, ok..." Evan replied nervously. "My mother is Susan. She's not here right now. Can I tell her what this is about?"

"I'm sorry, but due to our confidentiality policy, we cannot disclose personal information to anyone but a patient of Dr. Goldman's. Can you please have her call us back at her earliest convenience?"

"Sure, I'll let her know," Evan told her. "But you can call her on her cell number if you don't have it."

"Looks like I do have her cell number on file. Thank you for letting me know I can call her there."

They said their goodbyes and hung up on each other.

Evan was in shock. He had just found out that his mother was visiting a fertility specialist, which could only mean that she was planning on getting pregnant. Just to be sure, he quickly looked up if there were other reasons for a woman to see a fertility specialist. There were a number of reasons for seeing one, but they all led to women wanting to have children. So, there was no doubt about what his mother's intentions were.

He wasn't against the idea. He was an only child, and growing up he always wanted a sibling to hang out with. But he was 22 now and had just started his last year of college, so he was long past the idea of having a sibling. But now that he found out that his mother was looking to have a baby, he was excited at the idea of being the cool older brother.

But he was concerned about whether his mother was making the right decision. She was in her late thirties; she was still young enough to have a baby. But she wasn't involved with anybody at the moment, and he was afraid that she might not be able to handle raising a kid on her own. Evan would be there for her, of course, but with his last year of college, an internship, and looking to start a career after he graduates, he wasn't sure how much he could be there for her.

A few hours later, his mother, Susan, came home from work. She called out to Evan that she was home, and he called back to her with his own greeting. She told him she was getting dinner ready and to be ready in about an hour, which gave Evan plenty of time to figure out how he was going to talk to her about what he found out about her today.

Susan quickly changed out of her work clothes and went to the kitchen to make dinner. She already had most of it ready before she left for work that morning. All she needed to do was season the food and bake it in the oven. Exactly an hour later, the food was ready, and Evan showed up just in time to help her get the table ready for dinner.

While they ate, they conversed about how their days were. For Susan, it was the general stuff about her day at work. And for Evan, it was the same old stuff about studying and working on reports.

Eventually, Evan decided he couldn't put off asking her about the fertility doctor any longer and decided to just ask her about it.

"I should let you know you got a call a few hours ago," said Evan.

"From who?" Susan asked.

"Dr. Goldman."

Upon hearing that name, Susan got very nervous, which was very noticeable to Evan.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Evan asked.

"What did they say when they called?"

"Nothing," Evan replied. "They just wanted to talk to you. They said they'd call back, but I told them they should try to call your cell."

"They did call me, thank you," she said, looking a little relieved as if her son didn't know what Dr. Goldman's office was calling about.

"But they did say that Dr. Goldman was a fertility specialist," Evan revealed.

Susan got nervous again. She knew her son wasn't stupid and figured out what she was seeing that kind of doctor for. She was going to tell him about her decision eventually, but she wanted to wait a while and do it on her own terms. But now she has no choice but to spill the beans.

"I was going to tell you myself, at the right time," she said. "I'm sure you figured it out already, but I should just tell you myself anyway. I have recently made the decision that I want to have a baby."

Despite already figuring it out on his own, Evan still felt a little surprised by hearing it come from his own mother.

"Wow!" was all that Evan could say.

"You know, I always wanted more children," she continued. "I assumed I would be remarried and have a few kids by now, but it never happened. I know this is a shock to you, especially for someone my age—"

"You're still young enough to have a baby, but I'm surprised you're doing it. You don't have to be married, obviously, but you're not even in a relationship with anybody right now. Do you really want to do this alone?"

"I admit, it would be easier if there was a man in my life to help me with raising a child. But I realized this is something I really want to do, and I feel that I need to do it before I definitely get too old to have a baby. And, I also realized that I don't need to have a man in my life to raise a child. I've done pretty well being a single mother with you. I know I can do it again."

"There's no argument about it; you were a fantastic single mother," said Evan.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was going to eventually, but now that you know, what do you think?"

Evan wasn't sure what to tell his mother. He knew she would be a wonderful mother to another child, and she did seem very excited about the idea of it.

"As long as you're sure about it, I think it's a wonderful idea," he told her.

"Thank you, sweetie," she said with a big smile and a sense of relief. She wasn't sure how he would feel about her wanting to have a baby, so she was glad to hear him say it was a wonderful idea.

"So, what did the doctor want to talk to you about?" Evan asked.

"They just wanted to let me know about my test results. They said that I'm perfectly healthy and very fertile for a woman my age, so I'm ready to get knocked up whenever I want."

Evan had to ask if she really needed to see a doctor to tell her that. She let him know that women her age have an increased incidence of fertility problems, and she just needed to be sure she was OK before she set out to get pregnant.

"So, I guess all that is left is to go to one of those places," said Evan.

"What places are you talking about?"

"You know... a, um... a sperm bank," he finally said, very nervously.

Susan had to laugh at that. It was so much because of her son saying the words sperm bank, it was because of how embarrassed he was to say that to her.

"I'm not going to a sperm bank," she said as her laughter slowed down. "I don't trust those places. You don't know if the men donating their sperm are telling the truth about who they are. Some could say they're geniuses, but they could be dumb as a rock. And we don't know if they have some kind of genetic disease that might pass on to the child that I need to be prepared for. Anything could happen from going to those places."

"Don't they have some way to verify who they are?" Evan asked.

"They have some ways to verify if they're telling the truth, but it's not perfect and I don't want to take that risk."

"So, what are you going to do then?"

"I'm looking around for a man I personally know who could help me. This way, I can know for sure who is fathering my baby and what I might expect from what the child may be like."

"That sounds like a good plan," said Evan. "I'm glad you're thinking this through. I hope you find a good person to help you with this new chapter in your life."

"Thank you, sweetie. I'm so happy that I have your support," she told him. "I wish your birth mother was still around to see what a wonderful young man you've become."

Although they were related by blood, Susan was not Evan's birth mother. Susan was in fact his mother's cousin, who adopted Evan after his parents' death.

When Susan was 19 and Evan was just 2, his parents died in a bad car accident. She was babysitting Evan while his parents were going to a friend's wedding. It was in the middle of winter, and there was a surprise winter storm that took everyone by surprise. His parents left the wedding early to go home and beat the storm, but it was too late. As careful as they were, the roads got too icy for them, and they slipped off the road and into a ravine. They were found the next day; the coroner said they died on impact.

Evan didn't have a lot of family from either one of his parents. No grandparents, no aunts or uncles, which meant no siblings either. There were a few other cousins, but they never had much contact with them and were scattered around the country. The only family they had left that was local were Susan, her mother, and a few elderly relatives who couldn't take care of him. Because of this, and Susan's young age, social services originally wanted to give Evan to another family. They said he would fare better in an environment with two parents.

Susan was very much against that decision. She felt that Evan needed to be with his family, no matter who was left in it. Also, Evan's mother wasn't just her cousin, she was more like a sister to her and was her best friend. She didn't want to give up Evan without a fight.

Susan didn't go to college. After high school, she went straight to work. She got a good job as a receptionist at a cosmetics company and quickly moved up to a salesperson position. She made enough money to take care of her and Evan. She also got the help of her mother, who was retired and was willing to help Susan by babysitting Evan and taking care of the house.

Social services decided to give her a chance, and after she showed she was capable of taking care of a child, she was allowed to officially adopt Evan as her son one year later. The first time Evan called her momma, she couldn't stop crying because of how happy she was.

A few years later, Susan's mother moved to Florida for her retirement, and ever since it's been just her and Evan.

Susan did get married twice during Evan's life. The first time was when Susan was 25, and after a year of marriage, she was ready to quit her job to become a full-time housewife, and she was excited at the idea of having more children. Unfortunately, the only children that were produced during her marriage were when her husband cheated on her and knocked up his secretary. Soon after finding out, Susan filed for a divorce.

She got married a second time when she was 30 and her husband was 45. She didn't care that he was a little older than her; she loved him very much and he was a good father figure to Evan. Again, she was going to quit her job to stay at home as a housewife, and they were planning on having children. Unfortunately, her second husband was suffering from a rare heart problem that even he didn't know he had and died. He did leave them a good life insurance policy, which Susan used to pay down the mortgage and help put Evan through college.

She almost got married a third time a few years later, but he ended up going back to his ex-wife. She hated him for breaking off the engagement but understood his reasoning. He had four kids with his ex-wife. It was good for their family that they were back together. She follows them on social media; they're still together and have had two more kids since then.

There have been a few good long-term relationships since then, but none of them ever went anywhere. After a while, she became incessantly baby hungry and finally decided that she didn't want to wait any longer to find the right man to be with. She felt she did a great job being a single mother to Evan without a man's help, so she knew she could do it on her own again. At this point, she only needed a man to do one thing for her, and that was to get her pregnant.

...

Over the next month, they hadn't talked much about it since Evan discovered his mother's intentions to have a baby. He asked a couple of times, but she only said she still hasn't found the right person to help her with it yet. Susan was surprised by this. She thought there would be a lot more men out there that would love the idea of having a child, but they all declined. There were a few who said they needed time to think about it; she figured that meant no, but still held out hope for a yes.

She couldn't blame those men for saying no. It was one thing to have a baby with a woman they're involved with, especially if they intend to be with that woman long-term. It was different if you were already involved with the woman, but they didn't feel right about having a child with someone they may not see as often. Susan didn't mind if the man wanted to be around for the child, but she wanted to be the primary caregiver, something the man needed to be aware of if they had a child together.

Evan was helping his mother wash her car. They talked a little bit as they did this. She inquired about his internship, and he stated that it was going very well, and that he was confident that the company he was interning for would offer him a job after he graduated. Susan was glad that things were going to go well for her son and wished him the best.

"How are things going for you?" Evan asked. "Any luck finding a donor?"

"No, it's not as easy as I thought it would be," she replied. "But I'm in no rush. I can keep looking for as long as I want."

The truth was that Susan was frustrated with her search. She didn't want to wait too much longer; she wanted to get pregnant fast.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could help you," said Evan.

"How could you help me?" Susan asked. "Do you know any good young men from your fraternity that could help me."

"There's no way I'm letting any of those guys near you," Evan replied. "If they got a hint at how attractive you are, they'd be all over you."

"Then I'd finally get pregnant, and I'd have a lot of fun doing it, if you know what I mean," she joked.

They both had a good laugh at that last comment.

"Still, I wish there was something I could do to help you," said Evan. "I know you said you're in no rush, but I can tell you're excited at the prospect of it."

They had both finished drying her car at that point and were ready to go back inside the house.

"Thanks for your concern, sweetie," said Susan. "But this is something I have to work on my own. I can't think of a way for you to help me get pregnant."

An unusual thought crossed Evan's mind when she said that last part. It was a brief thought, and he couldn't believe it had crossed his mind like that. But he couldn't help thinking how he could be the sperm donor she'd been looking for and he could be the one to help her get pregnant.

He thought it was a weird thought and felt that he should be ashamed of himself for even thinking of such a thing. But as he continued to think about it, he wasn't ashamed of the idea at all; instead, he felt it was a great idea. He loved his mother very much and wanted to give her anything she wanted, even a baby.

He looked up information online about children of incestuous relationships. Susan was his mother, but genetically they were second cousins. The chances of birth defects among first cousins rise from 1.4% to 2.8%. But with second cousins, the genetic line is spread out more and the chances of birth defects go back down.

He spent the next few days, giving it some serious thought. He wanted to make sure it was definitely a good idea. The more he thought about it, the more he thought it was the best idea he could think of. He was smart, athletic, and had no health problems that could be passed on to his offspring, and to top it all off, she could count on him to always be there for the child. She would be the primary caregiver, but he would help her out in any way she wanted him to be there for the child.

He made up his mind and decided that he should talk to his mother about being her sperm donor. It would be a very awkward discussion, something that no mother would ever expect to have with her own son. He was scared about having that talk with her because he knew she would freak out about the mere suggestion of it. But he knew it was something he had to do.

It took some time for him to get the courage to talk to her about it, and he needed to find the right time to bring it up. They were having dinner and discussing what movie on Netflix they wanted to watch together. Evan felt there was never going to be a good time for this type of discussion, so he felt it was now or never.

"Mom, what kind of guy are you looking for to help you get pregnant?" he asked.

Susan was a little surprised by that question, but she thought it was OK to tell him.

She began to tell him, "Well, I'd like him to be healthy, responsible, and moral. He doesn't have to be a genius, but maybe with good intelligence. I don't mind if he drinks socially, but not experimenting with drugs. He doesn't have to have movie-star good looks, but I'd like him to be handsome. If his family has a good medical history, that's a plus. Being athletic is a plus, but not necessary. It doesn't have to be all of those things, but I'd like a good mix of those qualities."

"What if I told you I know a guy who has all of those things?"

"If that's true, then why haven't you told me about this person before?" she asked.

"I didn't think about him like that until recently," he replied.

"So, who is this mystery person?"

Evan took a deep breath to prepare himself for the next part.

"It's me, mom. I want to be the one to help you have a baby."

There was a short pause between them both, which was followed by Susan erupting in laughter. Evan didn't know how it was going to go, but he didn't' expect her to laugh.

"That's a good one," she said as her laughter subsided. "You almost had me there."

"I'm not joking, mom. I want to give you a baby. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I think I should be the one to help you with it."

Susan saw how serious he looked as he said that and was shocked at the realization that he was telling the truth.

"Oh my god, you're serious," she said.

"Let me explain," he began to say.

He told her how he came to his decision and why he should be the one to father her child. He was the most important man in her life, just as she was the most important woman in his life. He explained how not only did he have all those qualities she had been looking for, but also that he would always be there for her to help her raise the child. He kept going and going with his explanations until he was sure she would understand his motives.

"I understand why you think it should be you. And I have to admit, you make a compelling argument. But I'm still your mother. We don't know what that could mean for the baby when it's born."

"I already looked into that," he replied.

He explained how he researched possible genetic anomalies in children born of incest. Although they considered each other mother and son, they were genetically only second cousins, and at that level, the risk of genetic problems is very low.