Once upon a time, there was a couple who wanted a baby very, very badly. They wanted a child so much that they began trying to conceive as soon as they were married. Nearly a year passed, and the couple began to wonder if something was wrong. They had not conceived. They were heartbroken.

The woman got her first diagnosis and began a drug regimen. The first several months on the regimen didn't work. The couple was referred to a fertility specialist and underwent a slew of invasive tests. While they awaited the results, they got pregnant...a year and a half after they began trying for a baby. All on their own. No drugs. The baby died. They were heartbroken.

The couple mourned and tried to pick up the pieces of their shattered dreams. They began to heal--both physically and emotionally--and were cleared to begin trying for a baby again. The drug therapy resumed. During an ultrasound, a huge cyst was found. The woman was in great pain. Her abdomen bloated with the grapefruit-sized intruder taking residence in her womb. She was heartbroken.

She had surgery to remove it along with a slew of more invasive tests. Time to try again, the specialist said. They tried. For another six months. Nothing worked. More than 2 and a half years had now gone by since they first began. They were heartbroken.

Then, a friend of theirs told them of a woman who was pregnant with a child she couldn't keep. They had hours and hours of discussions, deciding, finally, that it felt right to consider this child. Then, word came that the baby hadn't made it. They were heartbroken. The next week, a wonderful surprise: there had been twins. One didn't make it, and for that, they were truly, truly sad. But one had, and they had hope. Perhaps this child is meant for us. It felt like it, sometimes.

Then, word came that the mother had aborted the remaining child. She knew she had other options. She ended the child's life, anyway. And the couple was heartbroken once more...for themselves, of course, but mostly for the child who never had a chance to live.

The End.

Updated to add: "The end" is not meant to signify the end of our quest to become parents. Though we are heartbroken, we will live...that poor baby will not.