Brandon is 29 and Ilila is 28
Ilila couldn't help staring at the young couple as they whispered in the waiting room.
"When are you due?"
"This winter, so I only have a few more simlonic months left."
"Do you know what you're having?"
"We're having a girl. What about you, how far along are you?"
It was a valid question, after all they were in the waiting room of the maternity ward.
"Oh...we're...we're not pregnant..." she whispered, letting the words hang in the air before crashing to the ground.
Upstairs, Dr.McMillian was finishing with her earlier appointment.
"You're doing fine and the baby is doing wonderfully. Any questions before we finish our appointment?"
"No, I think you answered them all."
"Alright, continue to take your vitamins and keep off your feet a bit more."
Susie and Anthony still couldn't believe that they would soon be parents of a little baby. Susie wasn't as scared anymore about how the child would look. She finally confessed about her alien heritage to Anthony. Surprisingly, he was fine with it and knew a bit about the attributes of blue aliens.
"How's daddy's little wren?" He cooed to her belly as they waited for the nurse to process thier insurance paperwork.
Brandon tried not to look, but he couldn't help being envious of the man. Anthony looked up to see the Petersons sitting in the waiting room and the couple waved as they left the hospital.
"Carr. Emma Carr?"
"No, this pregnancy is a bit easier though. I don't have as much gas as last time and my heartburn is better as well."
"Great, well your vitals look great and everything looks fine. Soon you'll be a family of four." Dr.McMillian said to her nephew.
"I know, we can't wait. We're moving into a house soon so that the kids can have a yard to play in."
"That's wonderful.You will have to let us know if you need help moving. Bradford probably shouldn't carry boxes, he's not as young as he used to be, but we can contribute to a moving company packing up the apartment."
"You sound like Fiona, Auntie Suzanna." Bill said laughing.
Ilila watched as the couple happily exited the hospital. She clenched her fists, they should be pregnant by now. Why weren't they? Why were they broken? Why was it that something so simply as to becoming pregnant and giving birth seemed to happen so easily for other sims, yet...yet wouldn't give them a chance.
Were they not worthy of being parents? Was this a punishment? Was this a lesson? Were they supposed to learn something? Was it something they ate? Was it something they didn't eat?
To make matters worse, they couldn't hide it anymore. Sims were asking when they would settle down and have children. Didn't they know that they had been actively trying for over a year and had tossed away birth control shortly after their honeymoon and at the time they were thankful that the baby fairy didn't visit them, but now it had been four simyears of marriage and over a year of actively trying for baby Peterson, but still no baby.
The few sims that knew the truth tried to be helpful and supportive. They could call and ask when the couple's next appointment was or would tell them stories of other infertile couples, like how thier friend struggled to have a baby for years then decided to adopt. Then how they found out they were getting a baby and that same weekend found out they were pregnant.
Sometimes the stories seemed like they came from a file located in the library under "Stories to Encourage The Infertile" but it was hard to swallow the happy ending of another when you were still waiting on your happy ending.
Sometimes the stories seemed like they came from a file located in the library under "Stories to Encourage The Infertile" but it was hard to swallow the happy ending of another when you were still waiting on your happy ending.
Sometimes those friends would offer literature on adoption, not realizing that instead of reading "Adoption is a Loving Option" the brochures and booklets screamed and taunted them in unison "You're barren so move on to the next logical step!"
"Peterson. Ilila Peterson?"
The couple marched pensively to the cozy office. They didn't expect good news, but they could still hope. Hope that the tests said something...anything to relieve them of thier pain, thier anger, thier unmet desires.
"Maybe..." Brandon whispered.
"Maybe," Ilila agreed with the hint of a smile. They could hope.
"I'm sorry..." Suzanna spoke softly after pleasantries were exchanged.
Ilila crumpled her shoulders and let the tears fall as she softly cried, Brandon tried not to make a sound, instead gritting his teeth.
"Why?" Ilila choked. "Why? We did it all. We did the medications. We paid for those nasty little pills. We did those awful painful shots. We've planned our intimate moments and tracked cycles and mucus and temperatures. I've even stood on my head afterwards and for what...nothing...the only evidence we have are the insurance bills...I thought...I thought by now we would have a baby...we're young, we're healthy...why...why us?"
Suzanna swallowed the lump in her throat. "I...I'm sorry, but...but we don't know."
"How can you not know?" Brandon asked, his voice cracking. "We did all the tests and submitted to every lab that you recommended."
"Sometimes...sometimes a couple suffers from unexplained infertility and there isn't a root cause that can be found. Both partners are healthy and fertility shouldn't be an issue...but it is."
Suzanna watched as Brandon comforted his wife and she was reminded of how blessed she was. According to science, she should be the one struggling with infertility due to her age, but instead if was this couple, in the prime of thier childbearing years that lacked what she was so abundantly blessed with.
"There is the option of IVF..."Suzanna offered. "I can give you some paperwork about it and you two can discuss it and let me know what you want your next step to be."
---
A few days later the couple stopped outside the hospital, early for thier appointment, but optimistic.
Brandon nodded. "This is something we want and I don't think we could leave this subject and move on, not knowing if we gave it our best shot. I feel like we have to."
"I'm scared..." What if it doesn't work. She didn't have to utter the words, they both heard them in the stillness of the crisp fall air. Unfortunately they didn't stay there for long, instead they called all thier other doubtful friends.
What if we become that couple that people pity?
When will we be able to stop looking at pregnant women and wonder when it will be our turn?
When will we enjoy the soft touch of a baby's fingers curled around our hair?
When will we stop having woohoo on demand and instead enjoy our intimate moments?
When will we know that we have tried enough?
What if our happy ending doesn't have children...would it still be happy?
Could we still live happily every after?
"I'm scared too, but no matter what, I'm still here and I love you." Brandon whispered, burying his pain to comfort his wife. It was true, he was going to stick around regardless. Thier vows said for better or for worse, not for better and you better get pregnant.
Ilila smiled through her unshed tears, "I love you, too. No matter what, I'll stay by your side.Through every battle-"
"real or imagined," Brandon continued, recalling thier wedding vows. "Through every celebration,-"
"I will be there," they finished in unison.
Posts
Poor Ilila and Brandon. I really hope something works for them, whether that's IVF or another avenue. It must have been torture for them sitting in that waiting room, watching all the expectant couples walk in and out. :(
ReplyDeleteI just about melted at Anthony calling his baby "my little wren". Adorable!
I'm so sorry for B & I. I take it one of them has the barren trait?
ReplyDeleteAww I feel sad for Ilila and Brandon, I hope that the IVF works and they have a little one of their own. Seems criminal to make them sit in the same room with all those expecting, but that's how it goes in real life. How are you going to handle the IVF? Are you rolling for it?
ReplyDeleteBill seems to be fitting into this new family role really well! A yard! A house, a swing set! I'm sure his family is really proud of him settling down and stepping into this role.
-Carla, Anthony is over the moon about this little one. His ideal family is five, Susie's is one.
ReplyDelete-Laurel Crossing, you're right, one of Brandon's traits is barren.
-Maisie, you're right especially if there isn't a dedicated fertility clinic. In terms of IVF, I should have rolled for it like Carla did with Rose and Joanna. Instead, since IVF costs $5000 in my hood, I allow the couple 5 woohoos w/o birth control-but not trying for a baby either. If they get pregnant via risky woohoo then the round was successful.
Oh, my heart goes out to them. Do you know why they aren't pregnant, and not telling us yet, or is the game really not giving them a baby? I've only have one sim in all my years of playing not get pregnant. I'm not sure if I have a hack conflict at the time or what. But no matter how much she and her husband woohooed she never got knocked up.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I just read your reply to Laurel Crossing, so one of them has the barren trait. Now with that in mind, if you do IVF does it still have a chance to work, or will it not work? I've never done that, making a sims barren before. So is it possible for them to get pregnant at all? So many questions. lol
-Riverdale, even with the barren trait, IVF could work...depending on what I decide barren to mean. In this case, they have all the right equiptment, but need extra help-hence IVF. In other cases, if the couple isn't able to carry a child to term or provide DNA for the child, then donors could be used with the IVF treatment, a suggorate could be used or adoption. Hope that helped.
ReplyDelete