Chapter Twenty -Five: We need a solution.

As Emma was preparing to resign to bed, there was a thump at the entryway. Frightened, she looked through the peephole to see who was there. What's more, surprisingly, it was her better half, Jason.

"What are you doing here?" she addressed, opening the door.

"Who were you with on the telephone?" Jason asked. “My mum?” His demeanor slightly expressed displeasure.

Emma rolled her eyes. Can Jason not do this tonight? She was too exhausted for any drama.

“Yes, your mum. She phoned me.”

"She did?" Jason responded, seeming suspicious. "Why would she do that?"

Had his mom informed Emma about the grandchild issue?

Emma could feel her anger mounting. She would have rather not managed this at the present time. "She just called to say hello, there's nothing more to it. I'm heading to sleep. I'm extremely tired."

"Wait, we need to talk about this," Jason replied, grasping her arm to stop her from shutting the door.

Emma jerked her arm away, rage burning up within her. "There's nothing to speak about. Now, I'm going to bed”

“No, you cannot. We have to talk.”

Just who does he think he is to assume she'd always listen to him? Emma thought to herself.

"I don't want to talk to you right now," Emma responded firmly. "I'm going to bed, and I don't want to be bothered. We can chat in the morning, if you prefer."

"But I need to talk to you now," Jason added, his voice begging. "This is important."

"No, it's not," Emma responded, her tone increasing sharper. It's not more urgent than me having a fair night's rest. I'm extremely tired and I simply need to head to sleep. Please respect that."

She was so astonished by the fact that Jason wasn't responding. Something felt odd.

“Mum came to the office today.” Jason started

The words lingered in the air, heavy with significance. "Mum...came to the office?" Emma remarked, her voice low. No, this isn't about the grandchild right?

"Why would she do that?" She wondered.

Jason took a big breath. “They want us to produce a grandchild.”

The words struck Emma like a blow to the belly. much though she had heard it before, hearing it from Jason was much more surprising. Was he contemplating it?? Why was he telling her?

"What?" she gasped. "They...they want us to have a baby? That's what this is about?"

Jason nodded. "I know, I know it's insane. But my parents have always been a little pushy, you know? And my mom...well, she's never been able to let go of the prospect of becoming a grandma."

Emma felt a combination of fury and despair welling up within her. "This is insane," she remarked. "We're not going to have a kid simply because they want us to”

"I know," Jason answered. "I'm not recommending that we do. But I believe we need to come up with a strategy to deal with them. They're not going to give up on this quickly."

Emma felt a headache coming on. "I can't deal with this right now," she murmured, her voice tense. "I just...I need some time to process this."

Jason looked crestfallen. "I understand," he responded, his voice quiet.

Emma lifted her sight to meet Jason's and their eyes connected, there was a moment of quiet.

“Why are you being like this though?,” Emma questioned, bewildered. “Why ain't you the normal “harsh” you?”

Jason stopped, as though he didn't know how to address the inquiry. "I figure I just...I would rather not carry any extra pressure to your life at this moment. I realize you're now feeling overpowered, and I would rather not aggravate it."

Emma was shocked by his reaction. She had consistently realized that Jason will generally be candid and direct, yet this was another side of him. "That's what I...I value," she answered, her voice breaking. "It's just...it's difficult to accept that you're a the same person who shouted at me just yesterday."

For a time, Jason said nothing. Then, he glanced up at her, his demeanor sad. "Let's simply find a method to get out of this and quickly, unless of course you're ready to carry my baby.” He hesitated, “My parents wouldn't give up easily.”

The words lingered in the air, thick with tension. Emma felt a knot in her gut as she realized that this issue was more severe than she had assumed. "So what are we going to do?Just what should we do?" she replied, attempting to sound more assured than she felt. "Because I'm not going to do something I don't want to do simply because they're forcing us. That's not fair to any of us."

Jason stared down at the floor, his shoulders bowed. "I know," he responded gently. "I'm just trying to find a way to make this all work. So in the end, we acquire what we are both in this marriage for and part ways peacefully.”

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing. Jason still had dissolving the marriage in mind? So why did he call her earlier? And was he talking to her so calmly? Is he attempting to convince her into having a kid for him??

"That's...that's not right," she remarked, feeling overwhelmed. "I'm not going to have a kid only to use them as a bargaining chip. That's not fair to the kid, or to me."

"I know," Jason answered again. I simply want to find a solution to make this work. To make everyone happy."

Emma felt a flash of fury. Really??