With baited breath, I stood in my living room, awaiting my wife's arrival. This was THE day. The day when all of our hopes and dreams would become reality. Or, the day where all those hopes and dreams would horrifically spiral downwards into a pit of despair. It all depended on wifey's verdict.
I pretended not to notice when I saw her car pull up into the driveway. I hoped she couldn't see me peek out the window, trying to gauge her disposition. I casually strolled into the living room at the precise moment she opened the front door. Coincidence? Nah, it was totally premeditated. But she didn't need to know that.
I smiled at her. No response. I started to feel nervous as she began to shed her schoolbag and jacket. As she let them slump sadly to the floor, so too did my emotions slump. Her mannerisms told the tale...
The verdict was in. It failed. We failed.
She was not pregnant. I could see it written all over her face.
Two years. It had been two years since we first started trying to get pregnant. When we realized there were potential issues, we moved onto artificial insemination. My eyes were opened to just how touchy and painstakingly long infertility treatments could be. After four insemination procedures failed to implant/fertilize, we made the decision to move onto InVitro fertilization. That was an even longer, drawn out affair. Not to mention an incredible financial endeavor. Add to it the quite painful injections that I had to administer nightly to my wife and the stress of it all was beginning to take its toll.
I pulled her into a warm embrace, steeling my emotions, knowing I had to be strong for her.
"It's not fair..." She murmured quietly.
"It'll be ok", is all I could manage as I searched for an adequate response.
She continued, "You'll have to give me those shots for a really long time..."
My eyes grew wide as I slowly realized the cruel trick my wife had played on me.
"You mean it worked?!" I exclaimed, hope surging into my heart.
"It worked!" She cried, and we held each other in an emotional embrace.
Two years ago we had embarked upon a journey. It had been a long, hard road, but finally we could see our destination on the horizon. The promise of soon having our own child filled us with hope and renewed spirit.
It was just around the bend, so close we could see it.
Yet, unknown to us, we still had a long way to go...
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