They sat at the doctor’s, uneasily waiting for their results. They’d been trying to get pregnant for the last one and a half years with no luck.
The doctor walked in with a solemn look on his face. He pinched his nose as he sat down, unable to look them in their eyes. What he’d share would rip their world apart.
Max Patterson was your typical twenty-seven-year-old New Yorker. Fresh from fine arts grad school, Max balanced a budding career as a contemporary artist and a concierge in the city.
For the longest while, he felt like his life was missing something. Yes, he’d achieved many things he set out to clear by his age, but he still felt it wasn’t enough.
While working as a concierge, Max met Casey, who rented an apartment at his hotel. Although Casey was two years older than Max, there was electricity between them that they couldn’t explain.
Two years later, what began with a simple ‘hello’ had evolved into marriage. The happiness this union brought was unlike nothing Max ever knew. Yet he still felt hollow.
Max wondered why he still felt empty despite everything he had. He loved Casey and the life they led. He also knew every aspect of his life was perfect. So what was it?
Knowing his wife always listened to his problems, Max opened up to Casey. He told her she’d brightened up his life beyond measure. But something was missing, and he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Casey listened attentively as she always did whenever something was bothering Max. “I have been feeling that way as well,” she said.
Her words brought a wave of calm over Max. They spent that night talking, agreeing that having a child would fill the voids in their hearts. They didn’t know that this was where the trouble would sprout from.
Max and Casey spent the next year trying to get pregnant. They were hopeful at first, filled with the endless expectations of newlyweds.
Each month, they would take a pregnancy test, and the answer would always be negative. Their hope started dimming with each test. It soon became evident that something was barring them from their goal.
Max and Casey were both adopted into large families. As such, they wanted, more than anything, to start one of their own. A big family would breathe the life they needed in their relationship.
Saddened by their situation, Max brought up visiting a doctor. In his mind, there was something wrong with him, and he wouldn’t let it ruin their marriage. Could a doctor help him?
Casey agreed to visit a doctor. She also shared that maybe she was the problem and not Max. His lips curled as she explained herself. To him, Casey was far past perfect. If there was an anatomical problem between them, it lay with him.
They booked an appointment that night, and by daybreak, they were on their way to see the doctor.
Max weaved his fingers through Casey’s as they walked across the hospital’s corridor. His heart pounded in his chest, and his palms were sweaty. He didn’t know what he’d do if he were the issue.
Casey smiled at him. She squeezed his hand and assured him everything would be okay regardless of the doctor’s findings. Max nodded, hoping for the best.
The doctor sat across from Max and Casey. The couple explained themselves, to which the doctor politely told them not to worry. With the suitable approaches, they could get a child.
The doctor directed them to separate rooms for their tests. Afterward, he sat down with them again and discussed other ways to have children, such as adoption. If it came to that, would the couple be open it?
Max and Casey went home that day feeling more hopeful than they had in a while. They would return for their results in a week.
Before Max and Casey knew it, they were back at the doctor’s, waiting to see why they couldn’t get pregnant. The doctor walked in with their results. He sat then stood up, pacing for a minute before sitting again. What he said broke Max’s heart.
“The problem isn’t with either of you,” the doctor said. “But your DNA is nearly identical.” “Identical?” Max asked, his heart shattering within. “Yes,” answered the doctor. “This means you two are closely related. It’s why you’re having a hard time conceiving.”
Max’s jaw slackened. He turned to Casey, seeing the crystalline tears that streamed down her face. His heart broke for the second time that morning. “Cousins?” she asked, and the doctor shook his head.
The doctor took a deep breath and handed the couple their files. “You two are twins,” he said. “Impossible,” Casey choked. “She’s older than me by two years,” Max said, trying his best to keep his composure. He wrapped his hands around Casey, squeezing tight.
“How is this possible, doctor?” he asked, his sight hazy with tears.
“Well,” the doctor leaned forward. “You two were adopted into your families, correct?” “Correct,” Casey said, and Max nodded. “You were both conceived through the same round of in vitro fertilization,” the doctor said.
He pointed at a page in their files that detailed everything. “What happened is your mom decided to have Casey first instead of twins. Max, you were frozen as an embryo for two years.”
The doctor wiped his face, “Your biological parents died in a car accident. The state put you up for adoption when no relatives claimed you. Sadly, your adoption papers failed to mention you were siblings.”
Max and Casey went home in tears that day. They knew they’d come to the end of their matrimony. A month later, they annulled their marriage. Although they were sad, they knew they could still explore a relationship as brother and sister.