By morning, my body felt heavy, like I had not slept at all, even though I barely remembered closing my eyes. My head was full, my chest tight. Everything around me felt like it was moving too fast and too slow at the same time.
I sat up on my bed and placed my hand on my stomach. The truth was there. Quiet, but very real. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, it was growing with me.
Today, I told myself, I would just survive.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Breakfast was tense.
Everyone was present. Daniel. Clara. Maya. Ethan. Helen. Even my mother, who had arrived the night before and already taken over the house like a commander.
Plates clinked. Chairs scraped the floor. Nobody spoke much.
Maya kept stealing looks at me. Daniel barely touched his food. Ethan tried to make small t
