Elaris's POV
Summer had arrived quietly.
Somewhere between morning shifts at Green Basket Market, weekend dinners with Linnea, Clara's endless drawings taped to my refrigerator, and monthly hospital appointments, time had slipped through my fingers.
I no longer reached for my stomach out of disbelief.
It had become impossible to ignore.
At nine months pregnant, my daughter made her presence known every chance she got.
Some mornings she greeted me with gentle little kicks before I had even opened my eyes.
Other times she stretched so hard that my entire stomach shifted beneath my skin, making me laugh despite the discomfort.
There were moments when I'd simply stop whatever I was doing and watch the tiny ripple move beneath my blouse.
Every single time...
It amazed me.
The little
