Together
Ashlyn
“What are we doing here?” I asked, my brows furrowed in confusion as I looked at Marco. He had just pulled into the basement parking lot of a well-known hospital in BGC.
He hadn’t said a word the whole ride. He just told me we were going somewhere, and, like always, I went with him without asking. But now, as I looked around the dimly lit parking area and felt the cold air from the car’s AC brushing against my skin, a strange unease settled in my chest.
He didn’t turn off the engine right away. For a few seconds, he just sat there, his silence heavy. Then he took a deep breath, slow, deliberate like he was bracing himself.
“I know,” he began, his eyes fixed on the steering wheel. “I’ve told you before that it’s okay even if we never have a child. And I meant that. From the bottom of my heart.”
I stayed quiet, but anxiety slowly crept in. It felt like something was coming, something I wasn’t ready to hear.
“But…” he continued, slowly turning to face me, his eyes searching mine, “I can’t lie to myself either. Deep down, I still dream of having a child with you. A little one with your eyes… maybe my smile…”
I stared at him, caught off guard. I didn’t know what to say. It felt like something got lodged in my throat.
Wasn’t this already settled? I thought we had moved past this conversation.
I turned to the mirror, glancing at my reflection, searching for answers in my own eyes, wondering if I should be happy or hurt.
“Hey…” he called out softly, pulling me back. “Don’t overthink this, Sweet. Like I said, I’m okay. I’m not asking you for more than what we have. But when I found out… that you went to consultation alone… that you were hoping for a miracle without even telling me…” He swallowed hard, voice slightly strained. “I realized, why not try again, this time together?”
I lowered my gaze. Something exploded inside my chest, not from pain, but from the weight of his understanding.
“Marco…” I whispered, each syllable trembling. “You don’t have to do this. You already have Asher. And me… I have Maya, too, even if I didn’t… give birth to her…”
He reached for my hand. His palm was warm, steady.
“But you’re her mother,” he said firmly. “No one can take that from you, Sweet.”
Tears welled up in my eyes from the overwhelming kind of love, the kind that doesn’t demand anything in return. The kind that’s enough just by being there.
“We’re not doing this to hurt ourselves,” he said gently. “If it doesn’t happen, at least we’ll know we tried. But if we’re blessed, even better, right?”
I nodded slowly. A weight I’d been carrying for a long time started to lift, little by little.
“This won’t be easy, Marco. The process is long and expensive. There’ll be days when we might feel like giving up.”
“I don’t care,” he answered immediately. “We have the means. More importantly, we have each other. Not all couples even get to try. We do. Shouldn’t we at least make the most of that?”
I looked at him, barely able to hold his gaze with how full my heart felt. How did I get this lucky?
He was the one worrying, the one making plans. Meanwhile, despite having Maya, I had always felt like something was missing. I loved her deeply, but I couldn’t deny it anymore… there was still that quiet ache to have a child of my own.
And now, Marco was standing beside me in this.
We walked into the hospital in silence, hand in hand. His grip wasn’t tight, but it was firm enough to remind me that I wasn’t alone. I could feel the cold air brushing against my skin, but the chill running through my chest came from the nerves stirring inside me.
As we waited for the elevator, I looked around at people waiting just like us, some hoping for healing, others silently praying for miracles. It hit me: we were now one of them.
“You’re tense,” Marco whispered, nudging me with a soft wink. “You look like you’re the one about to be operated on.”
I closed my eyes and let out a faint smile. “It’s just… this isn’t just a simple check-up, Marco. It’s a reminder that the road ahead… won’t be easy.”
“Then we walk it together,” he said, his eyes warm and steady. “One step at a time, Sweet. I’ll never push you past your limit. But while we still have strength, while we still have us, we try.”
The elevator doors slid open. We stepped in, and the only sounds were the mechanical hum and the quiet ding on every floor.
When we arrived at the OB-GYN clinic, a receptionist greeted us with a warm smile.
“Good morning. Appointment under the name of…?”
“Marco Montecillo. For Ashlyn Montecillo,” Marco answered.
I paused. I’d been using that last name for a while, but hearing it now gave it a new weight. It sealed something. It confirmed we were in this together.
“Please fill out these forms, ma’am. We’ll call you in once you’re done.”
I quietly sat down and began answering the questions. Previous pregnancy? Miscarriage history? How long have you been trying? Each one felt like it was peeling back layers of pain I had tried to bury. I hadn’t even gotten that far before. I had already stopped trying.
At the bottom of the form, one last question stopped me:
Support system: Who will accompany you through this journey?
I glanced at Marco. He was sitting beside me, looking at his phone but glancing my way every few seconds like a silent bodyguard. Watching over me. Ready.
He will, I thought. And I wrote the words: My husband, Marco.
Soon, the nurse called my name. My heart jumped. Marco squeezed my hand.
“Let’s go. I’m with you.”
As we entered the clinic, a calm-looking woman in a white coat greeted us.
“Hi Ashlyn, hi Marco. I’m Dr. Feliciano. You’ve been referred for a fertility consultation, right? Don’t worry. We’ll take this step by step.”
I nodded, my voice stuck in my throat. It felt heavy but in a way that also brought a sense of relief. Finally, we were doing something.
As the doctor asked about my medical history, I kept glancing at Marco. He listened quietly and respectfully, but I could feel his hand ready to hold mine whenever my courage wavered.
After a long consultation, I was given a schedule for blood tests, hormone checks, and an ultrasound. I looked at my husband, my eyes brimming.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked as we stepped out.
He cupped my cheeks gently and looked straight into my soul.
“I’ll never be sure of what the outcome will be. But I am sure of us. I love you, Ashlyn. No matter how this turns out, nothing will ever change that.”
And there, in that hospital waiting room filled with both fear and hope, I smiled.
Because I realized… this wasn’t just about having a child.
It was about having someone by your side through every step of the way, wherever the road may lead.