When we found out our sixth child was going to be a girl, my husband burst into tears and said one sentence that still echoes in my ears to this day.

That hurt me more than anything.

One day, our oldest daughter came up to me and asked very softly:

“Mom… does Dad love us less because we’re girls?”

That question tore my heart apart.

I hugged her and said no, but inside, the same question kept spinning in my mind. Maybe that was the truth. Maybe Michael really was tired of living in a house full of girls. Maybe every day he came home to a place where his dream had never come true.

One evening, after the children had fallen asleep, I sat beside him. He was staring at the television, but I could tell he wasn’t really watching anything.

“Maybe we should try again,” I said quietly.

He stayed silent for a long time.

So long that I thought he wouldn’t answer.

Then he slowly turned toward me, and for the first time in years, I saw hope in his eyes.