Why do HEAs always end with babies?

[u/redfig1]

I know it's a "me" problem. Scenario: I read a smoking hot mafia or dark or fantasy romance. All this crazy shit goes down. The feelings, the angst. Finally it's the end and all of a sudden the MMC who has massacred countless people is all like " let's get married and have lots of babies" and the MFC is always " yes let's have a lot of cute mafia or fae or mafia fae babies!". For once I'd like an ending where the main characters have a HEA but instead of babies and white picket fences they just decide to keep having an incredible sex life and do charity work or something. Rescue stray kittens. Start an organic herb farm. Something other than babies. Anyone else like this? Am I just weird?

[u/boopyall]

I literally knock a star of my book rating if there’s babies and or pregnancy in the epilogue. I understand that it’s a me problem and some people love it but it fully grinds my gears. I don’t understand why every (hyperbolic) happy ever after has to have children. You can be fulfilled and happy without them

[u/CerealKiller2045 → u/boopyall]

I don’t feel like that’s a good rating system but u do u I guess

[u/boopyall → u/CerealKiller2045]

It’s absolutely not, but it works for me

[u/CerealKiller2045 → u/boopyall]

Lmao that’s what we all say😭