One Out of Four

Chapter 10.

STELLA'S CHILDHOOD

Twelve-year-old Stella is lying in bed, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. She says to herself, "I always wanted to fall in love. I grew up with mom and dad marrying and divorcing other people. I crave the love that I would see on TV."

She thinks back to the time when she was nine years old, watching television based on romance in the living room as she sat on the couch.

A woman on TV says, "I want you to know that I love you, with everything that I am."

The man on TV says, "I love you too—"

The romance gets interrupted as Stella's mom turns the TV off.

Stella shouts, "Hey! I was watching that."

Stella's mom says, "Remember what I told you."

Stella and her mom repeat the words together at the same time; "Love is a scam. Men always leave."

"I know, Mom. I know," Stella assures her understanding.

Present

Stella is lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She speaks her mind. "But I foolishly fell in love," she says.

Flashback - The Past

Stella is seated at the doctor's office. She sits nervously on the examination table as her doctor reviews her test results.

The doctor shows a worried expression. "I'm sorry, Stella. The test results show that you won't be able to conceive naturally. Your uterus isn't capable of carrying a child," he reveals the shattering truth.

Stella's eyes fill up with tears as the news sinks in.

The doctor adds on, "I know this is difficult to hear, but we can explore other options like adoption or surrogacy."

Stella nods, trying to compose herself. "Thank you, doctor. I need some time to think."

The doctor nods sympathetically and hands Stella a tissue. "Take all the time you need. And don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns."

Stella takes the tissue and nods before getting up to leave the office, her face a mix of sadness and uncertainty.

Stella sits in her car, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She hasn't moved yet, afraid and unsure of how to tell her boyfriend.

She says to herself, "The only reason why I was here was that my boyfriend asked me to give him a baby. I wanted to see if I was capable since I didn't want to get his hopes up. But now, that's exactly what I'd be doing to him."

Stella manages to arrive home safely.

Her boyfriend is sitting on the couch, waiting for Stella to get home. He smiles as he notices her presence, "Hey babe, where have you been?"

His question has Stella thinking about what to say. "I- um... just had to do some errands."

Stella's boyfriend stands up and grabs her arm gently. "So, when are we doing—"

Stella interrupts his fantasy of sexual intercourse to create a baby. "My uterus isn't capable of carrying a child, but the doctor said we can always—"

Her boyfriend sounds furious, "Oh. So you lied to me and gave me bad news, out of nowhere! Do you know how bad this is for us?"

Stella is more pissed off with his words and less of not being able to conceive. "Us? Us? What do you mean us?" she inquires.