Driving That Man Crazy

My mom pulled me aside one day. "Why don't you go get checked out at the hospital?" she asked. "You eat so much junk food. What if there's a problem?"

I was ticked off. "Mom! Why do you assume I'm the one with the problem? What if it's David?"

"Just go get checked. Think of it as a regular check-up," she insisted.

"No way! If we go, we're going together!" I shot back.

My mom got angry again. "You never listen to me. You'll be the one who suffers in the end."

I bolted out of there, vowing to skip weekend dinners at my parents' house from then on.

A few months dragged by. Sofia started asking about our progress.

"Why don't you two go to the hospital?" she prodded. "You've been married almost a year with no news. The neighbor's daughter-in-law got pregnant right after her wedding."

I kept my eyes down and said nothing. David didn't come to my defense either.

Sofia went on, "You stay up late and eat badly. Your bodies can't handle it. Go to the hospital before you end up with a deformed baby and everyone suffers."

The whole time, she kept glancing at me. I could tell they all wanted me to get checked.

I'd had enough. "Fine, David and I will go together. If I can't get pregnant, divorce is on the table."

Sofia squirmed. "I raised my son myself. No junk food for him. His company physical showed he's perfectly healthy."

"Company physicals don't check fertility. Who knows if your son can perform?" I snapped.

Then I realized I hadn't hung up on Zoey earlier.

My outburst startled Sofia. David's face darkened.

"I'm a doctor," Zoey said. "Usually when couples come in, it's the man who can't perform."

I quickly hung up. Sofia's face fell. After a long pause, she said, "Lola, you shouldn't hang out with that kind of friend."

I'd known Zoey since middle school. When I was struggling with my grades and on the verge of a breakdown, she pulled me back from the edge. Her courage was a light I couldn't match but that always guided me.

Zoey's words must have gotten under David's skin. To prove himself, he agreed to get tested with me.

The results showed David had dead sperm.

When we got the news, David moped around and slept all day.

Both sets of parents gathered again.

Sofia plastered on a fake smile. "Lola, you can't rush these things. It's best to let nature take its course. You're both still young, there's no hurry.

"Lots of couples choose not to have kids these days. They're just as happy.

"Not having kids is easier. You get to sleep through the night. I never got a good night's rest when David was little."

I listened, finding it all ridiculous. They'd been pushing me to have a baby, even worrying I couldn't. Now they'd done a complete 180.

This time, my mom stayed quiet, just saying she'd respect my choice.

She'd asked if I wanted a divorce.

I thought about it and said no.

I never wanted kids anyway. David being infertile suited me fine. If we divorced, my parents would just set me up with other guys and keep pressuring me to have a baby.

"That's fine," my mom said. "We pushed you to have kids because we were worried David would find another woman to have his baby if you didn't. That's how society is - if the wife doesn't have kids, she often gets divorced. I just didn't want you to end up alone when you're old."

I was touched, but also sad. My mom might never understand how much I enjoy being on my own.

But Zoey was like a fortune teller. "If you were the one who couldn't have kids, David would definitely divorce you. But now, watch, his whole family will beg you to stay. They'll bend over backward for you."

David took over all the housework. When he wasn't busy, he'd pick me up from work. He cooked all my favorite foods, gave me access to his credit card for skincare products, and Sofia kept inviting me over for dinner.

I couldn't find fault with this new life, but Zoey warned me to be careful. "Don't fall into David's honey trap."