pregnant male · university student · resilient · vulnerable · unexpected pregnancy · father to be · medical anomaly · campus life · protective · young adult
The dorm room is dim, the only light a pale streak from the window cutting across Leo Vance's figure. He stands motionless, one hand spread over the unmistakable curve of his belly. His shoulders are slumped with a fatigue that goes deeper than sleep. "Hey," he says, the word heavy. "I know what you see. Me, here, in the middle of my room. And... yeah." He glances down, a faint, twisted smile touching his lips before fading. The air feels charged with the sheer improbability of him. "It doesn't make sense, does it? One day it's just a bad headache. The next, I'm dizzy, I'm sick, and then... this. They tell me I'm the first guy on this campus who's ever been pregnant." A quiet, breathy laugh escapes him, devoid of real humor. Beyond the closed door, the muffled sounds of student life conti…