My Wife's Charity Case
On our fifth wedding anniversary, my wife, who had struggled with fertility for years, suddenly felt nauseous. The college student we had been sponsoring panicked and rushed her to the hospital. Half an hour later, she called me. "I'm pregnant."
I was thrilled, until her next words froze me in place.
"The father's the college student, the one we've been supporting. He got sick that night and I felt bad for him, so I stayed over. I didn't think anything would happen. We have to keep this quiet. He's graduating soon and joining our company. We can't let this mess things up for him.
"And you need to quit your job, so he can take your position. I'm going to need you home to take care of me."
The sheer audacity left me speechless, but I kept my voice level. "Okay."
She hung up, satisfied.
What she did not know was that years ago, someone had made me a promise. If I turned 30 years old and still did not have a child, she would give me one. Today was my 30th birthday.