As I stare at the ultrasound, my eyes fill with tears. My husband squeezes my hand, thinking they are tears of happiness. How do I tell him they aren’t?

When I meet the love of my life, Mark, I have everything I ever dreamed of. Our lives are perfect, until we find out I can’t give him the one thing he truly wants—a child.

There is a small glimmer of hope. We could use a surrogate. But as the doctor explains that we can’t use my eggs, my heart breaks all over again. Mark kisses my forehead, reassuring me that I will be a fantastic mother, that we can still raise our dream family. So why can’t I see myself in the picture he paints?

When we meet our surrogate, Dani, I try not to feel threatened by this young, beautiful woman, who can give my husband the one thing I never can. As I watch her looking at the sonogram, I’m sure I see love in her eyes. Because after all, this is her child… not mine. Is it right for me to come between a mother and her baby, even if it’s all I’ve ever wanted?

As the months pass and the date circled on the calendar gets closer, I try to ignore the panic beating in my heart. Looking around the beautiful nursery we’ve created, I know I have to make a heartbreaking choice. Can I really separate a mother from her baby? And should I tell my husband that I can’t raise his child and, if I do, will I lose the love of my life forever?