Disney/Christine Bartolucci
Sister Pact: Molly (Kristen Vaganos, l.) has come to an agreement with Kristina (Kate Mansi) — but will TJ sign on?
Though Molly was originally opposed — adamantly so — to the idea of using Kristina as a surrogate, Andrea’s miscarriage has shifted Molly’s view on the matter. Offers Kristen Vaganos (Molly), “As Molly and TJ’s [fertility] journey has gone on and as Kristina has witnessed the emotional turmoil and ups and downs that they’ve been through, I think that Molly starts to really get the sense that Kristina understands the situation and has had a bit more time to really see how it’s impacting everybody. Plus, there have been moments that Kristina has really been there for Molly, and she’s kind of impressed Molly with the way she’s been there for her.” Not only that, but the challenges Molly has thus far faced in her quest to expand her family with TJ has been sobering for her. Nods Vaganos, “I think there’s a little bit of desperation there, wanting to take a route that might be more trustworthy. [Surrogacy is] such a hard process to put trust and hope into because anything can happen. And Molly is a control freak! She wants to control as much as she can, so having a relative involved is, I think, comforting in a way.”
After Molly accepts Kristina’s offer to carry a child for her and TJ, the next order of business for Molly is to try to convince TJ that it’s the right decision for them. “Molly knows she has to get TJ’s approval on this because it is a huge decision that impacts both of them, of course,” says Vaganos. “She’s been so distracted by what she wants and so eager to just get things done — check things off the list, tie up loose ends, which is her natural way of sort of coping. But she knows that she has to be on the same page as her partner.” Which may be prove to be easier said than done, given the recent tension between TJ and Kristina. In light of this, Vagagnos says that “of course” Molly feels some trepidation when the time comes for her to pitch the idea of using Kristina as a surrogate to TJ. “On the one hand, it sounds crazy,” the actress muses. “It’s something TJ and Molly have never seriously considered before. The last time this was brought up, it wasn’t even a talking point — it was like, ‘No way, not at all, that’s crazy.’ So for Molly to have changed her mind, Molly knows that it’s going to be an uphill battle, convincing him. Kristina’s track record with TJ is what it is. But it’s another leap of faith that Molly wants to take, and she just wants TJ to be on board with her. Plus, I think that TJ will really trust Molly’s opinion because Molly knows her better than anybody, and Molly would be the first person to doubt Kristina, to make sure to double-check her work. So if Molly says that she really feels strongly about this and thinks it’s the right decision, I think that’ll go a long way. I think TJ will take that to heart. But unless he’s on board with it, too, it’s a nonstarter, really. It has to be a mutual decision and Molly knows that.”
As Molly sits down with TJ to broach this delicate subject, “Of course, it’s nerve-wracking,” Vaganos says. “It’s not a sure thing that surrogacy would even work out — and in this case, if it doesn’t work out, it’ll be much more catastrophic than it was with a stranger,” Andrea, “and even that was heartbreaking, because they formed a connection with her. So the stakes are definitely really high because this would be a way bigger loss if this were to go badly.”
