We're going to need more than five minutes

Do you have children, Lana?

She smiled a sad smile and shook her head. „No. I have nephews and nieces, and I used to have three step sons when I was married. But no children on my own, no."

„Are you planning to?"

Lana was speechless for a second. Even though that topic seemed to follow her around more and more persistently the older she got, she was still surprised by this direct question tackling her out of left field.

„Oh, uhm... actually...", she stammered, but her man came to her rescue.

„For now we don't, dad. We've been together for barely three months, it's a little early to think about starting a family."

„I fully agree with you, son. On the other hand, Lana, you're almost 44, aren't you? You guys don't have much time left. Or did you freeze any of your eggs, by any chance?"

She remembered the time when Jordane had asked her this question, on their romantic cruise off the shores of Maui. What was it with this family and their eerily keen interest in her eggs??

„I did not, I'm afraid."

„I see. Well, there's still a lot that can be done to stimulate fertility and help you conceive and carry a healthy baby to term, even close to the onset of menopause!"

She had no idea what to respond to this, so she just smiled and nodded. „That... that's great to know, I'll keep that in mind."

„Actually, we could do a check up tomorrow while you're still here? Our practice is just down the road. See what's the state of your ovaries and egg quantity and quality, so the two of you have a better understanding of what to expect once you'll start trying to get pregnant?"

„Dad!", Jordane was clearly embarrassed by this conversation, Lana herself no less.

„Dr. Christie, that's really nice of you to offer, but I think I'd rather not..."

„... Do you still menstruate regularly?"

Another one of Jordane's brothers let his knife and fork drop, he had just cut into a juicy, still slightly bloody meatball.

„Come on, people!!", he grunted with his mouth full, chewing, „Can we stop talking about her ovaries and her period, please?! We're all trying to eat here!"

Lana gingerly pecked around in her salad with her fork, looking so tiny and fragile on her chair, her eyes locked onto her plate, her face a shade of a fiery red. This day was going so much worse than she could have ever imagined. If only there was a hole in the ground she could just disappear into...

„I'm so, so sorry, babe...", Jordane whispered.

But she just shook her head. „It's okay, it's not your fault."

After dinner, it had gotten dark by now, the guests scattered. Jordane was playing some game involving a ball and a lot of booze with some of his friends that she had politely declined to partake in out of the wish to preserve her last bit of dignity left. When she saw his parents smiling at her from a distance though, threatening to come over to keep her company as she was sitting there all alone by herself, she decided to take a walk. The evening air felt refreshing, and after this all too intense day she needed some space to clear her head.

She didn't get too far though, as Shannon and Donovan were sitting on the porch in front of the house, sharing a joint.

„Hey, sis!", said Donovan and blew a fragrant cloud of smoke into the night, „Wanna take a pull?"

She smiled and sat down next to them. „Oh my God, yes! Actually, that is exactly what I need right now."

„Props to you for sitting through that cringy conversation earlier", said Shannon, „I'd like to apologize on behalf of my parents. They mean well!"