Melissa and Drae wanted a family.

After 8 months into the married life, they decided to come off
contraceptive to get pregnant. This went on for months, and to no avail, they still were unable to
conceive. Melissa went to a specialist and decided to have herself checked. “There can’t be anything
wrong. I’ve had everything checked a year ago,” she thought. The tests turned out right for Jessica as
there were no abnormalities in the hormone production detected. The couple thought it was much
better to seek help from a fertility specialist this time and went for it. The couple carried on until she
was found to be pregnant. The leapt for joy. “This is it!” Drae thought. Until 9 weeks later, a scan
showed no heartbeat of the baby. Their world crumbled. Just as they were about to become hopeful
and excited, the news instead brought grief. The couple decided to leave the treatment facility and try
again, perhaps in the next couple of months.

The couple took their time. Both were patient and contented until finally Melissa decided to do the test
herself after missing her period for a couple of days. She hasn’t told Drae about it yet as she doesn’t
want to keep his hopes high. The test then came out positive. She soon told her husband and they
celebrated. They knew the journey wasn’t going to be easy and they had to do their best.

Still recovering from the miscarriage and the shock of the pregnancy news, Drae felt happy but anxious.
He knew this first trimester was a critical stage, but sometimes thoughts about her wife spending a great
big deal of the time thinking about the growing baby seem to distract him. Melissa on the other hand
was no different. She too has been feeling a mix of emotions and is quite ambivalent about her
pregnancy. At times, she thinks about wanting and not wanting the child. She felt confused, afraid, and
anxious. She thought about her first miscarriage and felt afraid that it would turn out the same. She
doesn’t want to go through that again. She needed assurance and hope. And it came, this time, through
a heartbeat. They were happy.

The pregnancy went on much better than they were expecting. A few adjustments for both Drae and
Melissa had to be done. Melissa had to change some aspects of her diet this time. She mostly prefers
water over coffees, and would even go for vegetables and vitamin-rich food to supplement the growing
baby. It wasn’t easy, but she knew she and her baby needs it. For Drae, he knew he had to be there for
Melissa. And as much as Melissa needs him, he needs Melissa to be there for him too. His commitment
and time to work shifted mostly to taking care of Melissa and providing her care and needs.

37 weeks later, both Melissa and Drae couldn’t wait to see their baby. Lately, Melissa has been thinking
a lot about her mother. She thought about the times her mother would scold her for arriving late and
she began to realize and understand why. She couldn’t tell how, but probably, because this time she
already has her own. A person she would raise as her own and a person no one besides her can know
better. She pondered a lot about what days would be in a week, year, or 10 years from now. She felt
excited and she knew she just couldn’t wait.