[Short Flashback]
Seated on the small new couch in her new apartment, Lola rested comfortably.
"And they lived happily… ever after."
She smiled faintly as she gazed down at her bulging belly, placing a hand on it. Setting the children's book aside, she caressed her stomach lovingly.
"It was a good story, wasn't it?" she whispered. "I liked it very much. Did you?"
There was no answer, but her smile only deepened. Months had passed since she discovered she was pregnant—though she never quite knew how. At first, it had been confusing, even terrifying. Carrying a child, bringing it into this world… had never been part of her plans.
But now, it didn't feel so frightening anymore.
Pregnancy had been hard with everything else going on, yet she'd learned many things along the way. Most importantly, she had grown to love the life stirring within her. It was a blessing in disguise, one that made her see a new purpose in life.
