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“My mother is a midwife,” I told them. “And she’s seen firsthand how infertility can tear a family apart. It’s not something to be taken lightly. She suffered through five miscarriages before she had my twin brothers.”
“She’s blessed to have three children,” Calida grimaced. “Many women are not so lucky.”
“Four actually,” I said. “My little sister, Tilila, was born just a few years ago.”
“Congratulations,” Darith glanced away. Her body was tense and I could see the pain in her eyes. I wondered how many children she had lost.
“If it wasn’t for magic, my family would be very different,” I said, realizing I sounded like I had been gloating. “I know that not everyone has that option.”
Calida’s eyes widened. “Can hearth casters from Midar heal infertility?”
“Yes,” I said, surprised. Didn’t the saying go, ‘Midarians multiply with the grace of magic’? “But the process is brutal and often unsuccessful. It’s not something most people can afford, emotionally or financially.”
Fertility treatments weren’t fully covered in our healthcare system, so people paid extra for them.
Darith looked up and her eyes had softened. “So what you’re saying is, this project is personal for you.”
“Yes,” I admitted. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not important. There’s a lot of shame and stigma attached to infertility. Even in Midar. People need support and understanding, not just medical intervention.”
“It is important.” Calida bit her lip. “But it’s also very difficult and sensitive. We need to be careful how we approach it.”
“Tell my tale then.” Darith looked at her hands. “How my wife and I lost our child. Help people understand what we went through. Perhaps that will make a difference.”
That touched me. To share her story, hoping it would help others, showed great courage.
I shook my head. “Darith, I can’t ask you to relieve that pain.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I want to. Maybe it will help someone else.”
∞∞∞
As we made our way through the marbled path, I thought about what Darith told us this afternoon. Maybe her story could help someone else. Perhaps we could make a difference. But we needed to be careful. This was a sensitive topic and one that could easily be misunderstood. But if we approached it with care and compassion, maybe we could help families who were struggling with infertility.
The houses in the Weaver’s district were close together, their bright colors a stark contrast to the pale stone of the buildings closest to the Aeglire. Lanterns lit the way, and I heard laughter and music spilling out of homes. It reminded me of home. A close-knit community where everyone knew each other. It was the thing I missed most.
Looking at Darith, I noticed the sadness in her eyes. She still grieved her loss.
“It was about 300 years ago,” she began. “That my wife and I found out we were pregnant. We were so excited. It seemed like our dream was going to come true after a long time of trying.”
I saw the pain in her eyes as she looked at her hands. This was still a raw wound.
“Unfortunately, we lost the baby.” Her voice broke, and she took a moment to compose herself. “It was early in the pregnancy, but it was still devastating. We were both so heartbroken.”
“I can’t even imagine,” I said, and I truly meant it. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose a child.
“It’s hard to describe the pain,” she continued. “It’s like losing a part of yourself. You try to move on, but you can’t. It feels like a knife to the heart seeing other couples with their children.”
“We tried again,” she said after a long pause. “But we were never able to have another child. We tried everything, but it was just never meant to be. Eventually, we stopped trying and just tried to move on with our lives.”
The air was thick with sadness and I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. This was a story that was all too common, yet so often goes untold.
“It’s been hard,” she said finally. “We have been able to find peace. We cherish the family that we have and try to help others who are going through the same thing.”
“Thank you for sharing your story with me,” I squeezed her arm. “Your bravery is truly inspirational.”
Darith smiled, but tears were still shining in her eyes. “Thank you for listening.”
“Maybe if we can help just one family,” she breathed. “Then it will all be worth it.”
