Finally, enough time passed for them to check. Before Colette could do so, Ed grabbed the test and looked at it. His face remained still as his eyes moved from the display to her face.

“Well?” she pleaded, desperate for him to smile as she grabbed at it to see for herself.

“I’m sorry...” he whispered.

Colette blinked rapidly. It couldn’t be right. Her period was a month late. Not days, weeks. A whole month.

“There has to be a mistake. A false negative, maybe,” she said as she stood and dropped the test in the bin. She grabbed the box again, scrambling for the instructions, even though at this stage, she knew them off by heart.

“Darling...” he began, gently moving toward her.

“No,” she said firmly. “I have to be pregnant.” She pulled out another box. She was going to do the test again. Ed stood by, helpless, as Colette took another wand out of its box.

“Darling, there’s no point,” he urged, but she wouldn’t listen. This couldn’t be right.

“Of course there’s a point.”

But a few minutes later, her heart broke afresh as again she was defeated. Not Pregnant, read the display. The test fell from Colette’s hand and Ed dropped to his knees in front of where she sat on the edge of the bath.

“I’m so sorry, my love.”

Her breath hitched as she fought against tears and lost. “Why?” she cried. “Why is it never my turn?”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “It will be soon, I’m sure. Just not now.”

“Why not now?” Colette argued. “When? When am I going to get my wish? When do I get to be a mother? Like Noelle, or your sisters-in-law, and so many of our friends. What about me? What’s wrong with me?”

Now she was weeping openly. There was no hiding or containing the pain she felt. She’d got her hopes up and again they’d been dashed. They were always dashed.

She didn’t understand it. The doctors said there was nothing wrong with her. Nothing wrong with Ed either. It just wouldn’t happen.

Why?

“Come on,” he urged as he tried to pull Colette to her feet, but she wouldn’t budge. Undeterred, he picked her up in his arms instead and carried her to their bed.

He laid her down on top of the sheets and then sat down beside her.

“All I want is to be a mother,” she cried. “I want to give you children. I know you want to be a father, too. I’m sorry that I can’t seem to do it. So sorry I’ve failed you.”