Moral Degeneration

“I have an announcement,” I said as dinner was wrapping up. 

“We assumed,” Ava said, causing girls to giggle, but a few were nervous. It was Audrey, Violet, Ava, Willow, Luna, Rowan, and I around the table. I pretty much had to bribe Ava to be there, but she reluctantly agreed. 

“First, I want to thank Rowan for being here with us in Minnesota,” I said. “My sister was reluctant, and she did try to hit on me when we met, but-”

“I did not,” she said quickly. “He was the first-” 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to be shy about it,” I teased. 

“I will fucking kill you,” she said seriously, and I barked a laugh.

“Sorry, she did touch my leg though,” I said and she kicked it under the table. I laughed again but continued. “I didn’t tell all of you, but the first few days I was gone I went back to Montana.”

“To see your old cabin?” Luna asked, confused.

“No, Millie and Gail live there. They were the first 2 women I got pregnant. They had the ultrasound for our kids and I wanted to be there for it,” I said. I pulled out copies of the pictures and passed them out. To my surprise everyone clutched at them.

“You’re having twins?!” Luna yelled excitedly. 

“Yes, uh we thought it might happen since Millie’s grandmothers were twins. Gail is just having one though,” I said. All of them started switching the photos around. Willow especially was into them. As the only one there that was pregnant I could tell she was excited to get her own.

“So you’ll be going to our ultrasound, right?” She asked.

“Of course. I want to go to all of them,” I said. 

“Wait, you knocked her up?” Rowan asked. 

“Yeah, we can explain some of the family drama later,” I said. “The biggest part of this is that supposedly all 3 kids are boys.” You would have thought I was used to creating uncomfortable silences but as people put together what I said I waited patiently for them to talk. 

“Wait, this isn’t about that couple expecting…” 

“What?” I asked. 

“I heard it on the news. Some couple was expecting 3 boys,” Ava said. 

“That’s them. When we found out I called the DOL and they said it would be in the news.” 

“You’re having 3 sons?!” Luna yelled. Willow and Rowan had the same look on their faces. Ava was in a state of complete disbelief. “How long have you known?” 

“2 Saturdays ago,” I said. “I told Audrey.” 

“I told Violet,” she said. Both women had big smiles on their faces. I had agreed to that. Since they were getting married I wasn’t about to try to have one keep a secret from the other. 

 

“So yeah…we have that to look forward to in early September,” I said. “The other-” 

“No, this first,” Willow said. “This is like impossible. Twin boys? I took Physiology. That’s impossible.”

“It used to not be impossible,” I reminded. “I had a nice long talk with the doctor at the DOL. She said the probably was 1 in 500,000,000…just for 2 boys. Twins? Off the charts.” 

“What does this mean?” Willow asked.

“From how it was explained to me. I might have a higher than normal chance to help conceive a boy,” I said. “Could be 10% higher, they don’t know. They want to monitor the pregnancies for the next year.” 

“10%? But 3 boys….” 

“I know,” I said. “Improbable, but it could happen. They explained that there could be something about me. We don’t know yet. I gave them more blood to test but they’re doubtful they’ll find anything.”

“This is insane,” Rowan said. “3 boys? Jeez. You’d get so much money from the government for that sort of thing.”

“Which is why I called this meeting,” I said. Reaching over I grabbed Audrey’s hand. “Back when I started telling the DOL who was expecting, they tried to get me to sign up for the Impregnation Program. I’d get an extra $2k in my bank account every month and would have to sleep with 4 girls a month with the intention of making a kid.”

“Why didn’t you?” Ava asked. “That’s good money. You’ve been doing that crap for free.”

“I have been giving it away for free because I don’t think women should have to fight for kids,” I said flatly. She quieted, it was hard to deny that. “I don’t like the government much, and they would stick their teeth in whenever they could, so I said not for a measly $2k. I wanted shipping contracts for the family business.”

“Oh that’s good,” Violet said. “You didn’t tell me that. Government money would be good.” 

“There’s more,” Audrey said.

“Yes, they denied me back then…but once I was suddenly having 3 boys all at once. They were willing to take a gamble. Practically threw an offer at Audrey and I,” I said.

“So you’re in on this too,” Ava said. 

“Of course,” Audrey said. “Russ knows that if my business does well, the house does well. Trust me, there would be a lot less money coming into the house right now if Russ didn’t step in.” Her other hand went to Violet and they shared a smile.

“Yes,” I said. “I try to help. I care about all of you. And you’re my family. So that’s where we are. The government is offering to throw business Audrey’s way. A lot of business to start and a lot more over the next few years. Especially if I can make another boy over the next year.” 

“Why another boy?” Willow asked.

“They mentioned there might be something special about location. Millie and Gail lived around where I did all my life up to that point. So if someone else is having a boy that’ll prove I have a higher likelihood.” 

“When is your ultrasound, Willow?” Luna asked quickly. Instead of being sad which I had feared she actually looked excited. 

 

“Next month,” she said. “April 15th. Oh my god, do you think?”

“Maybe,” I said, unsure how she would react.

“I-I never thought of having a boy. Could it really happen?” She asked, some tears in her eyes.

“This is crazy,” Luna said. “Like I feel everything I knew is upside down. I thought you’d have like a million daughters.” 

“Me too,” I said. “Again, we don’t know. For now I want to keep this under our hats, and Willow I would love to talk about our kid more, but I want your opinions on if I should do it.” All eyes were on me again. “Should I sign up for the Impregnation Program? If I did the government would expect 4 women a month. 2 of which they pick.”

“What?!” Audrey yelled. “That wasn’t in the papers!’

“It wasn’t,” I said, trying to calm her down. “But that was the deal. If I do that they will sign a 1 year contract guaranteeing a few million in profits for Audrey’s business.” 

“A few million?” Violet asked wide eyed. 

“Yes, very little work on your end just because they have agreements with other shipping contractors already in place. If I were to produce another male in the next year they would sign a 10 year contract. Every year they would increase the amount guaranteed to your business. But would also give a $500,000 advance for a shipping hub being built outside of Houston, Texas.” 

“Fuck,” Violet said. “Houston? Are they reading our emails? We were talking about expanding.”

“Probably,” I said.

“I don’t like that,” Audrey said. “They want to choose 2 women?”

“Yes,” I said. “I’m sure it’s favors for politicians. And I specified that they have to pick 1 day a month for it all to happen, so it wouldn’t affect my schedule too much. But that’s why I want all of your opinions.” I looked to the girls. Luna appeared to be thinking so I turned to Rowan. 

“Me?” She asked. “Why me?”

“You’re my sister. And right now an outside party to this all. What do you think?” I asked. 

“I think take it,” she said. “But I like free money. I mean, 4 girls a month? I watch-” She stopped herself. I had warned her not to talk about other girls. “I don’t think that’s a whole lot for $2,000 a month and whatever it gets you, Ms. Cooper.”

“Audrey, please,” Audrey said. 

“Willow?” I asked. 

“I’m still kind of lost,” she said. “Sorry um…as the only one here pregnant. I would say go for it. I kind of always knew you would have to. And you’re getting a way better deal than I’ve ever heard.” She smiled slightly at me.

“Ava?” 

“I say don’t do it,” she said, surprising me.

“Can I ask why?” 

“Because you promised to take care of Willow and her kid,” she said. “You’re now talking about adding 4 of those a month. Are you going to ignore those kids?” All eyes turned to me again. 

 

I frowned and admitted, “No. I thought about leaving these kids to their own fates and their mothers. Just focusing on Willow and the few that I have…I really thought about it. I was coming to town ready to sign….” I got a little choked up. Fighting some tears as I said, “Then I met my dad.”

Wiping my eyes it was hard to admit what I’d seen. “He had a list of thousands of women he’d been with. Just printed out. Names, addresses, descriptions, all of it. And in that list there were 2 circles. One around my mother’s name, and one around the mother of my brother.” 

 

I looked up at the girls as I fought how upset I had been. “I realized that he only gave a fuck about the sons. I met Rowan, and her mom’s name was on that list somewhere. He didn’t give a flying fuck about her or any of the other thousands of daughters he probably sired. I don’t know if I have a higher chance of having boys. I was so ready to raise a bunch of girls, and it-it just pissed me off. How much he didn’t care. How much effort would it have taken to give them a call? Let the kids know that if they needed him, he could help. Richest fucking guy in the world. A little help to those that needed it wouldn’t have killed him. But no, he was playing some numbers game. The more kids, the more chances at boys which was all he wanted.”

I pushed back my anger. Firming up my jaw as I admitted. “So no. If I signed up for this, I would still want to stay in touch at least. I would pick 2 women in the area with my own website or whatever I decide to use, and whoever the government picked I would stay in touch with them as well somehow. It’s daunting. I don’t plan to stay in the program forever, but it could add a few hundred kids to my amount. But right now this helps us. All of us. Right now, when we need it most. This could help Audrey’s company, and hopefully in a few years I can opt out. But by then I will have created more lives. So I’m here, asking you what I should do.”

“It’s just money, you know,” Audrey said. Her hand was tightening on mine. “We can make more some other way.”

“I know,” I said. “It’s not just money though. It’s contacts and opportunity. I want this household to be the start. Over the next few years I want us all to be thinking bigger.” I studied her. “I know that when we first came here I talked about filling your house, but now, I think that was too small. I want to buy land. Build a bigger house. Houses if we have to. Somewhere else. When we don’t need money anymore. A place we can start from the ground up and make our own.” 

 

“I know,” she said. “You’ve talked about it. But that could be decades from now.” 

 

“I don’t think it’s that far away,” I admitted. “10 years is all I think I need. If we can make our money now. Invest, get lucky, and work hard. We could leave all of this behind.”

“How? You’re talking about…how much would you need?” Violet asked. 

I shrugged. “$500 million would be nice.” 

 

“$500 million in 10 years?!” Violet laughed. “How?”

“Working hard,” I said. “Scrimping and saving.” I had earned a lot in the past week, maybe I was riding high, but it seemed possible. “The total of the military contracts is $80,000,000 over the next 10 years. But the building would add more contract opportunities. And as I’ve said I think shipping will boom in the next decade. I’m buying my own business tomorrow. I want to grow it, which wouldn’t add a whole lot, but it’s something. I know these are huge ideas. Improbably, but hell I’m the dad of 3 boys. You probably thought that was impossible. Why can’t we do it? Why can’t we dream about our future? I’ll do whatever it takes to make it a reality. And if it doesn’t happen? We can move onto the next dream. Then the next. Together.”

“I love you so damn much,” Luna said, drawing my eye. She wasn’t crying, but had a happy smile on her face. “You do what you think needs to happen to get it done, okay?” She looked at the other girls. “It was all over the school today that Micah joined the Impregnation Program.” 

“Micah?!” Ava and Willow laughed. “No way.”

“I know, right?” She said, laughing. “He was so proud of it. Bragging about how he did it and his parents aren’t talking to him. But you, you’re asking us. Making us part of the decision.”

“Of course,” I said, my thumb rubbing the top of her hand.

“I don’t much care about this supposed giant home you want to make. I can take or leave money, but it’s easy to say that when mom pays for everything.” She eyed Audrey. “So my vote is you do what you think you have to. If you’re worried about making lives…just think about the fact that if you don’t do it, someone else will. And I doubt they’d want to know their kids.”

“Shit,” I mumbled. “I…didn’t think of that. How’d you get so smart?”

“Just am,” she giggled with a shrug. I leaned over, kissing her. 

 

“You got me there, Luna,” Audrey said with a frown. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“Nothing, I just feel that I’m getting all the benefits here.”

“Oh and me,” Violet said. “Cus we are getting married.”

“True,” I said. “Maybe uh make me a silent partner in your business then.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that,” Audrey said. 

“We can work it out later,” I assured. “So, nays for me joining the program?” I eyed everyone. Ava didn’t say anything. “You change your mind?”

“Luna has a point,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I guess a dad is better than none at all.”

“Good, and the ayes?” They all raised their hands. “Rowan why did you raise yours? You weren’t a part of this.”

“You said-oh fuck. I hate having a brother. You’re an idiot, you know that, right?” She asked. I laughed. “I feel sorry for whoever has you as a baby daddy. Having to put up with you.”

“Jeez, you really are brother and sister,” Audrey laughed. “Barely a week together and she hates you.”

“What can I say? I have a way with women,” I said. Feeling better about the situation I was looking forward to reuniting with the girls that night.