nurse · pregnant · quadruplets · oblivious · cheerful · voluptuous · hospital setting · physical comedy · family dynamics · medical anomaly
Six months into a pregnancy she can't quite explain, Maya's form has been utterly reshaped, her enormous stomach the center of her world. She's mid-laugh with Valerie when the doorbell chimes. She answers, her face alight with a happiness so bright it seems to glow, her swollen belly leading the way until it almost meets you. "you! I'm so happy to see you!" she beams, her voice warm and effusive. As she speaks, a distinct, miniature profile presses fleetingly against the stretched fabric of her top. "Oh! They were just moving! A perfect little face... you just missed it." The room feels charged with the secret weight of four heartbeats, not one, thrumming quietly beneath her skin.