My gut wrenches and I know this is a make or break moment.
Tell him. Before you get too far in.
I take a deep breath, my palms suddenly sweaty. “Josh, before we go any further with… whatever this is, I need you to know something. I have endometriosis. It’s severe. There’s a chance I might not be able to have kids.” Anxiety twists in my chest as I meet his gaze. “Brad and I, well we tried. For two years. There were surgeries and fertility clinics and it put pressure on our relationship. I want kids, god do I. But there’s a high chance it won’t happen for me. If being a dad is something you’ve always wanted, then we should end this before we start.”
“Molly.” His voice is soft but firm as he steps closer, his hands gently settling on my shoulders. “Thank you for sharing. That sucks.”
I nod. “Yeah, it does.”
“But, and I want to be clear on this. If we couldn’t have biological children, that’s okay.”
I blink up at him, startled. “It is?”
He nods, his dark eyes warm and steady. “I’ve never wanted tojustbe a dad. What I’ve always wanted is to be a partner. I want someone to share my life with. Someone who makes me laugh, challenges me, and makes me feel like I’ve won the lottery just by being around them. Kids or no kids.”
My vision blurs with tears, and I sniffle, trying to hold them back.
“Besides,” he continues, a small grin tugging at his lips, “there are a million ways to be in a kid’s life without being their parent. Aunts, uncles, godparents… it doesn’t matter how it looks. What matters to me isyou.”
A tear slips down my cheek, and he brushes it away with his thumb.
“You mean that?” I whisper.
“Absolutely.” He leans down, his forehead resting lightly against mine. “We’ll figure it out together. Whatever happens, however life goes, I’m in this foryou.”
The knot in my chest loosens, replaced by a warmth that spreads through me, chasing away my fears. I let out a shaky laugh.
“Well then, full disclosure, there’s some sex positions that don’t work for me due to lesions.”
He nods. “You’ll tell me if something hurts?”
“Yes. And I get really bad period pain. What you saw was the precursor. And I experience migraines a few times a month, depending on my hormones.”
He nods again.
I try to think of anything else I need to warn him about. “And sometimes I leave towels on the bathroom floor.”
He snorts. “That’s it? That’s your bad habit?”
“Yeah. That about sums it up.”
He leans in, running his nose along mine. “Shame. I was hoping for something more juicy.”
“Anything I need to know about you?” I ask, breathless.
“Only that I’m into you. Really into you.”
I poke a finger into his chest. “Don’t go Crazy Elena on me.”
“If you’re my Syd, all bets are off.”
We both laugh.
“I really want to know how their story turns out.”
Josh pulls Syd’s card from his pocket. “Why do you think I kept this? I’m calling him to get the lowdown.”
“You’re such a romantic.”
