I also began rebuilding my relationship with my family.
Rebecca came with me to appointments. My mother visited on weekends. I started walking in the mornings again, not because I was trying to change my body, but because I wanted to feel strong.
For the first time in eighteen years, I began making plans that had nothing to do with Michael’s moods.
Meanwhile, Michael finally returned to a fertility specialist.
He underwent further testing and learned that he had a significant male-factor fertility problem. The results helped explain why conception might have been difficult, but the specialist could not say with certainty whether Michael’s condition alone accounted for all eighteen years without a pregnancy.
The doctor explained the available options and the need for a complete evaluation of both partners if we ever chose to pursue fertility treatment together.
Michael sent me a copy of the report.
His message read:
