I told myself it was nonsense, just a child’s cruel imagination, something picked up from the streets, twisted into a joke that went too far, nothing more than that
But the words stayed, clinging to me in a way that didn’t feel like fear, more like a splinter under the skin, small but impossible to ignore no matter how hard I tried
The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual, before Jordan, before the street vendors set up their carts, before the city found its rhythm again after the night
I lay still, one hand resting on my stomach, not even showing yet, just a slight firmness, barely noticeable unless you knew it was there, unless you were looking
For a moment, everything felt normal, quiet, safe, predictable, the way life is supposed to feel when nothing is wrong and nothing is about to change
Then I remembered the boy’s eyes, the way he didn’t blink, the way he spoke like he wasn’t guessing, like he wasn’t joking, like he knew something I didn’t
I got out of bed and went to the bathroom, turning on the light, staring at myself in the mirror longer than I needed to, longer than I was comfortable with
“You’re fine,” I whispered to my reflection, trying to sound convincing, trying to believe it, trying to make the unease disappear just by naming it as nothing
But my voice sounded thin, like it didn’t belong to me, like I was borrowing someone else’s certainty and wearing it badly
At breakfast, I didn’t mention the dream I had, if it even was a dream, just fragments, something cold, something coiled, something watching me from the inside
Jordan noticed I was quiet, but he didn’t push, just squeezed my shoulder as he left for work, telling me again not to think about what that boy said
I nodded, smiled even, but it felt automatic, like a reflex instead of a decision, like I was already somewhere else in my head
Later that day, I decided to go to the shopping center again, even though it wasn’t Friday, even though there was no real reason for me to be there
I told myself I just wanted to stay busy, that idle thoughts were the problem, that if I filled my time, the feeling would pass on its own
The employees greeted me with the usual warmth, asking about my pregnancy, congratulating me, smiling in that genuine way people do when they mean it
“Take care of yourself, ma’am,” one of them said. “Two months already, right? You must be excited.”
