Partner? A partner is someone you are dancing with or a person with whom you own a business. A husband -- ever hear that word? -- is the one you want to consult with regarding possible parenthood. And, Rachel honey, we don't want you to have children either, trust me. But I am willing to bet that people would not comment on your lack of ambition toward motherhood it you were not in their faces about your intentions. So, shut up already, and they'll leave you alone. I seriously doubt that total strangers accost you on the street to question your lack of progeny.
I was wondering about this reference too. I got the feeling from the rest of her words that her "partner" is not a male.
Better pull that money off the table Red because, if her life is anything like mine, you'll lose it. It always starts with THE QUESTION(tm). You go to a party or family gathering, or run into somebody you haven't seen in a while this is what happens pretty much everytime: if it's somebody you don't see often they look at your finger to see if you're still married those connected to your life skip that step, then they ask if you've had kids yet, you say no, they ask when you're planning on kids, you say never. Then the lecture starts. It's always somebody else that brings it up and it's always somebody else that turns it into an issue. If people would just accept the answer and talk about something else they'd never have to hear about why we don't want kids.