
April climbs those front steps like it’s another Tuesday. Just another gig, a handful of cash, and the clink of coins adding up. Then she sees the house—damn, it’s enormous. She knocks and a guy named Trent swings the door open, all grins and warmth. ‘Mr. Perry?’ she asks. He laughs and waves her inside like they’ve known each other forever. In the living room they chat, nothing heavy at first, but he keeps poking—her family, her dreams, even if she used to flip on a balance beam. She lets it slide, smiles through the awkwardness. When he mentions school, she admits she wants fashion but can’t swing tuition. He perks up like the idea just clicked: work for it, right? Classic. Finally she asks where the kids are. He points to the playroom, says he’ll only be gone a few hours. His wife? Dodges that one, says she’s stuck at work. April buys it—for now—and heads down the hall. Behind her, Trent mutters under his breath, ‘One hell of a mother,’ eyes never leaving her hips. Hours later the house is quiet. She’s tucking toys away when a half-finished drawing catches her eye. Stick figures: Dad, three boys, and a smiling woman named Claire—right before a thick black crayon wipes her out. April’s stomach knots. She grabs her phone, Googles Trent Perry, and lands on an obituary for his late wife. Footsteps. Trent’s silhouette fills the doorway, arms folded, watching her. She spins, phone up. ‘Why the hell are you lying?’ she snaps. He sighs, face twisting with grief before he swallows it. ‘Let me explain.’ She’s two steps from bolting when his voice cracks—‘Ever have someone die on you?’ That stops her cold, echoes her own parents’ funerals. She listens. He lays it out: years trying for a baby, one miracle son, wife gone. Claire, a younger nanny, stepped in, tried again, gave him two more boys instead of the daughter he craves. Claire’s gone now. Now he needs April. Nine months, a fat payout, tuition covered, her little brother in some fancy school. Just a womb, he says, no hearts and flowers required. April stands there, heart pounding between revulsion and rent money. Finally she clears her throat. ‘How much?’ Trent’s shoulders drop with relief. He reaches out, slips his hand around her arm, and without another word leads her up the stairs, both of them knowing exactly what just got sealed.
April climbs those front steps like it’s another Tuesday. Just another gig, a handful of cash, and the clink of coins adding up. Then she sees the house—damn, it’s enormous. She knocks and a guy named Trent swings the door open, all grins and warmth. ‘Mr. Perry?’ she asks. He laughs and waves her inside like they’ve known each other forever. In the living room they chat, nothing heavy at first, but he keeps poking—her family, her dreams, even if she used to flip on a balance beam. She lets it slide, smiles through the awkwardness. When he mentions school, she admits she wants fashion but can’t swing tuition. He perks up like the idea just clicked: work for it, right? Classic. Finally she asks where the kids are. He points to the playroom, says he’ll only be gone a few hours. His wife? Dodges that one, says she’s stuck at work. April buys it—for now—and heads down the hall. Behind her, Trent mutters under his breath, ‘One hell of a mother,’ eyes never leaving her hips. Hours later the house is quiet. She’s tucking toys away when a half-finished drawing catches her eye. Stick figures: Dad, three boys, and a smiling woman named Claire—right before a thick black crayon wipes her out. April’s stomach knots. She grabs her phone, Googles Trent Perry, and lands on an obituary for his late wife. Footsteps. Trent’s silhouette fills the doorway, arms folded, watching her. She spins, phone up. ‘Why the hell are you lying?’ she snaps. He sighs, face twisting with grief before he swallows it. ‘Let me explain.’ She’s two steps from bolting when his voice cracks—‘Ever have someone die on you?’ That stops her cold, echoes her own parents’ funerals. She listens. He lays it out: years trying for a baby, one miracle son, wife gone. Claire, a younger nanny, stepped in, tried again, gave him two more boys instead of the daughter he craves. Claire’s gone now. Now he needs April. Nine months, a fat payout, tuition covered, her little brother in some fancy school. Just a womb, he says, no hearts and flowers required. April stands there, heart pounding between revulsion and rent money. Finally she clears her throat. ‘How much?’ Trent’s shoulders drop with relief. He reaches out, slips his hand around her arm, and without another word leads her up the stairs, both of them knowing exactly what just got sealed.