The pregnancy trick

Candace

A few months had passed since I discovered I was pregnant. I still vividly remembered the shock and, in some ways, disbelief when I saw the positive result. It changed everything—my life, my future, and my relationship with Harald. But what surprised me the most was the change within myself. I had never imagined myself as a mother; I had never been the type of woman who dreamed of children and family. And yet, here I was, anxious, touching my belly that was beginning to show, and feeling an emotion I had never experienced before.

I wondered where this new Candace had been hiding inside me all this time. That cold, calculating woman, always in control, was suddenly revealing someone different—someone who wanted to care, love, and protect.

I looked at myself in the mirror, running my hands over the smooth curve of my belly. “You’ve changed me,” I whispered, as if speaking to the baby. “You’ve changed everything.”

My reflections were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.