***
Then Stephanie came into my life.
And I kept it a secret, waiting for the “right time” to tell her I was infertile.
***
Three years later, we were engaged.
Stephanie lived with me in my house. We had joint plans and shared routines. Everything looked perfect from the outside.
So when she came home one evening, eyes bright and barely able to stand still, I didn’t expect what came next.
“I HAVE A SURPRISE! I’m 10 weeks pregnant!”
I kept it a secret.
The words hit me so hard that I had to grab the back of a chair to stay upright!
I forced a smile, but inside, everything collapsed.
My fiancée still didn’t know I biologically couldn’t have children.
Which meant one thing: if that wasn’t my baby, whose was it?
“I’m so happy, babe,” I said, forcing a smile. “Let’s throw a party to celebrate!”
She laughed, threw her arms around me, and I held her as if nothing were wrong.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about one detail.
The 10 weeks.
I forced a smile, but inside, everything collapsed.
***
Exactly 10 weeks earlier, everything between us had fallen apart.
Stephanie and I had a huge argument about my changing my work schedule. It was the worst fight of our relationship.
I remember her standing in the living room, shaking, her voice sharp in a way I’d never heard before.
“You don’t even tell me things that matter!”
“You’re overreacting,” I shot back, which only made it worse.
She pulled off her ring and threw it at me. It hit the couch and bounced onto the floor.
It was the worst fight of our relationship.