Fuller House‘s trip to Coachella turned out to be an emotional one for Stephanie Judith Tanner.

At the end of the Netflix comedy‘s fifth episode, Jodie Sweetin’s character revealed that she’s unable to have kids of her own, a confession that elicited even more hugs and tears than you’d expect under that roof.

TVLine turned to series creator Jeff Franklin and executive producer Robert Boyett for the story behind Stephanie’s unexpected tragedy.

“First of all, I didn’t want Stephanie to have children,” Franklin tells us. “I wanted one of the three to not have kids. The backstory I created for her was that she’s a free spirit, traveling the world. She’s into her career and into having fun, and I thought this would be a really interesting aspect to that character — and touching. I love the way that scene played between the two girls. I thought they knocked it out of the park.”

As for whether or not we can expect Stephanie to pursue her own family through other avenues, Boyett tells us, “That may be something that’s referenced again in the series.” (Cryptic, but we’ll take it!)

Were you surprised by Stephanie’s news? Moved by her chat with D.J.? However you’re feeling, drop your emotions in a comment below.