I shared my dilemma with my stepmother and sisters, who counseled me to try one more time or spend the rest of my life wondering what might’ve happened. I listened to their advice and decided to let nature take its course. So far we haven’t been successful, but we sure are enjoying all the practice.

Sam smiled, imagining the frenzy that line would unleash, but appreciating the moment of levity.

Some of you may wonder why the vice president and I would choose to publicize our fertility struggles this way, and let me say, it certainly doesn’t come naturally to either of us to air out our personal business in public. However, we realize we are in a unique position to bring light to issues that have touched our lives and shaped who we are. In addition to fertility, we care deeply for people, like my father, who live with spinal cord injuries. We are committed to my brothers and sisters in blue who sacrifice so much to keep our communities safe, and to children who struggle with learning disabilities, such as the undiagnosed dyslexia that plagued my childhood.

Despite the office my husband holds, we are regular people just like the rest of you. We have had our struggles, our share of joy and heartbreak. We both come from humble beginnings, so we relate to the concerns of middle-class families who are trying to make ends meet. We’ve been where you are. We understand and we want to help. I hope we can begin a national dialogue on these and other issues that matter to us and to so many of you too. We hope that by sharing our story, we can bring comfort to others who face similar challenges. And we hope that by bringing attention to these matters, we’ll see an increase in federal funding to effect real and lasting change.

Thank you for having me today, and thank you for listening to my story.

Sam blew out a deep breath and wiped her eyes again. Thankfully, she hadn’t bothered with mascara this morning or it would be all over her face by now. Lilia and the staff had done a brilliant job of capturing the story she had conveyed to them, but it was never easy to relive her devastating losses. She also appreciated that they’d managed to tell the story without mentioning her first husband, as she’d requested.

When she’d gotten herself together, she went to the door to invite in the staff. They filed in, gathering in the sitting area.

“Well?” Lilia asked, taking a close look at Sam. “What did you think?”

“It’s brilliant. Thank you.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear! Most of the credit goes to Andrea,” Lilia said of Sam’s communications director.

“I’m so glad you’re happy with it,” Andrea said. “We can make any changes you need—”