She stood naked and stared at the monster in the mirror. She could see every criticism ever levied against her as if it was written on the contours of her skin. It was unpleasant. Intolerable. Her body was a catalog of invisible scars and half-healed wounds. It hurt just to look at herself. She was fat and getting fatter even though she hadn’t been able to eat anything but soup for the past week. She rubbed her jaw.

“Life is pain.” She whispered to herself. It was a bittersweet truth from her favorite movie.

The baby kicked and a golf ball sized lump moved, stretching the skin of her stomach. Even though she’d been carrying the baby for months, it was still a strange experience. Most days she dreamed of not being pregnant, of hoping that something would happen.

The movement, reflected in the mirror caught the eye of Maurice. He wormed his way to the edge of the bed and reached out his hand.

She flinched.

Ignoring her reaction, he pulled her close and patted her swollen belly. “It’s our little miracle.”