to let a relationship dictate his life or his career. That most people in Germany put their careers first. He had high standards for himself and his life. I was crushed. But then he turned to me and said, “but you’re special. You’re forever,” and he kissed the back of my hand.  I held onto that moment all summer long.

In the fall we picked up where we left off. I felt a stranger to my apartment and to my studies as more and more of my attention was focused on Willem. And then came the fateful day that I looked at my calendar and saw weeks without an ‘M’ on them – my symbol to mark the coming of my menstruation. I was late.

How was that possible?  I had been on the pill regularly for two years.  But there was that time two months...

Please subscribe to keep reading.