Invisible String

2

“There,” he whispered. “All done. You did great.”

I opened my eyes and looked down at him, at his big frame crouched in front of me, holding the syringe like it was some kind of sacred tool. And I realized just how much he’d stepped up for me. For us.

“I couldn’t do this without you,” I said, my voice cracking.

He smiled as he leaned up to kiss my forehead. “Good thing I’m not going anywhere.”

---

The morning of the retrieval felt different. Still. Heavy with hope and nerves.

I stared at the ceiling of the clinic room, heart racing under my hospital gown as a nurse moved around me, adjusting the IV. Travis sat beside me, his knee bouncing. His hand held mine tight — tighter than usual — and I could feel the tremble in his fingers even if he tried to hide it.

I turned to look at him. “Are you nervous?”

He let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah. I mean, I’m not the one getting put under, but… yeah.”

I appreciated his honesty. No pretending. No false cheer. Just us, raw and real.

“I’m scared,” I whispered.

He leaned down, brushing my hair away from my forehead. “You’re brave, Tay. The bravest.”

I wanted to believe that. But lying there, IV in my arm, about to have a needle inserted through my vaginal wall to suction out my eggs… brave didn’t feel like the right word. Terrified, maybe. Exhausted. Hopeful. All of it.

The doctor came in, kind eyes above her mask. “We’re ready when you are, Taylor.”

I nodded and gave Travis one last look as they wheeled me toward the procedure room. His eyes were glossy, his jaw tight.

“I’ll be right here when you wake up,” he called softly, voice breaking.

---

When I came to, the first thing I felt was a dull ache deep in my belly — like the worst period cramps I’d ever had. The second thing I felt was Travis’s hand wrapped around mine again.

“You’re okay,” he said gently. “You did amazing.”

I blinked through the haze. “How many?”

He smiled, eyes finally lighting up. “Thirteen. They got thirteen eggs.”

Tears pricked instantly in my eyes — happy ones this time. “That’s… that’s good, right?”

“It’s amazing,” he said, brushing a kiss to my temple. “You did it.”

I nodded, swallowing a sob. “We did it.”

---

Later that night, back in our apartment, I curled into Travis on the couch, heating pad on my stomach, a blanket pulled up to my chin. My body ached, but I couldn’t stop looking at the paper the clinic sent us — numbers, percentages, updates to come tomorrow about fertilization.

I picked up my phone and texted Kylie.

Me:
13 eggs retrieved. Sore, but okay. Feeling all the emotions.

Kylie:
TAY 💛 That’s incredible. Proud of you. Sending love and lactation cookies (they’re not just for breastfeeding, I swear they help recovery too lol).

I smiled faintly. Then I leaned into Travis’s chest and let myself cry again. Happy tears. Scared tears. Everything in between.

We weren’t parents yet. But today felt like the first time I really believed — maybe, just maybe — we could be.