Ed and Sheena were about to have sex for the first time after their third miscarriage six weeks before. Sheena had recently felt Ed being distant towards her. This made her wonder if Ed’s disappointment about their most recent loss was turning into anger. Did Ed silently blame her for their losses? After all, her body had failed to carry through the pregnancies. She hoped that the two of them getting intimate with one another that night would bring them closer together.

Further, Sheena was close to her ovulation. She had read that her chances of falling pregnant soon after a miscarriage were higher. Her wish for a child was stronger than ever. Sheena did not want to waste what she hoped was a more-than-usual fertility window. At the same time, the prospect of another pregnancy, and potentially another miscarriage, made her incredibly nervous.

Sex happened that night, but it was brief and mechanical. After it was over, Sheena asked Ed if everything was ok. Ed did not answer at first. A whispered “no,” with Ed’s voice barely coming out, set off Sheena’s alarm bells. After a fair bit of prompting, Ed finally admitted that the sex had felt “transactional”. He thought Sheena had only initiated it because she was desperate for a baby.

Hearing Ed’s words and resentful tone felt like a slap in Sheena’s face. She felt rejected and misunderstood. Of course, she was desperate for a child. Wasn’t Ed? However, Sheena was more desperate to have Ed's affection at that exact moment. What a shame that he was so emotionally cut off from her.........

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