I’ve always struggled with a secret I’ve kept for years: I’m sterile. For a long time,

I didn’t tell my first girlfriend because I feared she would leave me.

The thought of losing her over something like that was unbearable.

But eventually, the truth came out, and to my heartbreak, she left me.

I spent a whole year in a dark place, struggling with depression,

and after that, every relationship I tried just felt empty and meaningless.

Six months ago, I met someone new. She was different—kind, understanding,

and I quickly found myself falling madly in love with her. But I was

still terrified. I couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving too. So,

for months, I kept my secret buried deep inside. But the fear of losing her

eventually outweighed the fear of telling her the truth. Yesterday,

I finally gathered the courage to open up. I told her everything,

how I was sterile and how I had been afraid of losing her just like I

had lost others before. Her response was nothing like what I expected.

She didn’t react with shock or disappointment; instead, she simply looked at me and said, “

We could adopt in the future.” I was completely overwhelmed with relief.

I hadn’t expected her to be so understanding. Tears started to well up

in my eyes, and in that moment, I realized that I loved her more than

I had ever loved anyone. I knew, without a doubt, that I wanted to

spend the rest of my life with her. I wanted to marry her.