They had talked about kids someday, both of them fearful of what kind of genes they would pass on, if it would be worth it. It had taken a long, long time for them, and parenting Count, to realize they wanted a family, a big family, something they’d both never had.
First : Another instance of a run-on sentence.
Second : Five years is long enough to decide whether you're ready for parenting, but I wouldn't describe it as "a long, long time". Ten, yes, but five not so much.
I guess five years does seem like "a long, long time" to someone so young, though.
