The meeting with Vera was at ten.
I was up at six, which at this point in my pregnancy meant sitting at the edge of the bed for five minutes waiting for my body to agree to the day before attempting to stand. The baby had decided that six in the morning was an excellent time to practice whatever she was practicing in there and I sat with both hands pressed to my stomach and waited her out.
She settled eventually.
I got up and showered and stood in front of my wardrobe for longer than I had time for because nothing fit properly anymore and everything that did fit made me look like I was wearing a tent with ambitions and I needed to walk into Vera's office looking like a woman who had her life together.
I settled on a dark dress that stretched properly and a blazer that still buttoned ov
