Hello, this is Paul. My in-laws assumed that my wife and I desired a large family, so I had a vasectomy in 2009 to appease them; however, my wife, Maureen, later expressed a desire for additional children. I have a son, three daughters, a stepdaughter, and two sons from my first marriage. Despite our initial decision, Maureen and I often observe ourselves discussing the possibility of expanding our family again, as we ref...

It all began in the summer of 2013, when Maureen first brought it up—quietly, one evening, curled beside me in bed, her breath warm on my chest. She wanted another baby. We already had four beautiful kids. Life was comfortable. Predictable. But her body ached for that feeling again—for life growing inside her. Only, I knew I couldn’t give it to her. Years earlier, I'd had the snip. At first, we joked about it. The idea of...