“I have thought about it, and after these results, I don’t think I need it.”

“Lila,” he starts again. I roll my eyes, but it’s obvious he’s not going to let this go, so I might as well just do it.

“Okay, fine. I can see it’s the only way to get you off my back, so let’s do it.”

“It will definitely get me off your back.” He smiles. “We’re lucky to have Dr. Saint, one of the top fertility specialists in the country, on staff. Her office is just down the hallway.”

“I really don’t have all day; how much time do you think it’s going to take?” I ask, glancing at the silver watch that hangs from my wrist.

“Shouldn’t be too long. As luck would have it, I was talking to her earlier, and I know she has an opening on her calendar and can see you right away.”

“Fine. Let’s do it,” I shrug, already making my way out of my seat.

Dr. Vincent gives me an approving look and gets out of his seat too, escorting me out of his office. He leads me down a different hallway, knocking twice on a door that has the name ‘Dr. Pelumi Saint, Fertility Specialist’ etched into it.

Much like Dr. Vincent’s office, this one is painted white, with stark walls and white ceiling boards. A desk and set of chairs are on the far right of the room, a woman in a white coat sits behind it. She looks to be in her fifties, with kind eyes and a gentle smile.

“Dr. Saint,” Dr. Vincent greets her, leading me over to her desk.

“Dr. Vincent, good morning,” she responds with a warm smile, her curious eyes turning to me lurking behind him.

“This is that special patient of mine I told you about, Lila Smith.” Dr. Vincent gestures to me.

Oh, they’ve talked about me. Great.

“Based on her goals, I thought meeting with you would be an important step. You’re the best fertility specialist this hospital has, after all,” he smiles.

Dr. Saint returns his smile, glancing at me again.

“Please, sit. May I call you Lila?” she gestures to the vacant seats across the desk from her.

“Yes, Lila’s fine,” I respond.

“I need to get back to my office. Got another appointment in—” Dr. Vincent steals a glance at the clock above the door, “seven minutes. I’ll leave you ladies to it, but let me know how everything goes,” he says to me, and I nod, watching his retreating figure as he walks out of the office.

“I’m going to ask you a series of questions. Is that okay with you?” Dr. Saint asks with a gentle smile.

“Yes,” I nod.

“Great. So, Dr. Vincent mentioned that you want to have a family,” she says, picking up a new folder and scribbling some details into it.

“Yes, I’ve always dreamt of having kids. I had the best childhood any kid could ask for, and I’ve always wanted that for my own children,” I smile.

“That sounds lovely. Have you ever had any children?”

“No, but my family is very fertile, so I really don’t think there’s any reason for me to be here…but Dr. Vincent thinks at my age it’s something to look into.”

“Dr. Vincent’s right. A woman’s age is the biggest factor when it comes to fertility. Married?” She asks, continuing to scribble into her folder.

“No,” I respond slightly defensively, even though I know it’s a routine question. This is more a verdict on how I feel about the fact that at my age I’m still not married with kids.

“Are you planning on trying to get pregnant right away?” she asks.

Well, I would need to find a man first…

“No, not—exactly. I don’t have any plans for it this second, but hopefully soon…” I trail off with a shrug. She nods, jotting this down too.

“Just to confirm, how old are you?” she asks.