Becoming a mother didn’t happen quickly for me. It wasn’t dramatic or tragic — just quiet years of waiting. Friends announced pregnancies, coworkers showed off baby photos, and I smiled through all of it while telling myself our time would come.
My husband, Richie, and I talked about it often at night before falling asleep. We kept our voices low, like we were afraid the dream might disappear if we said it too loudly.
When the test finally turned positive, I felt two emotions at the same time: joy and pure fear.
Pregnancy wasn’t exactly kind to me. I was constantly tired, my back ached, and my feet swelled until even simple walks felt exhausting. Richie tried to balance it all. He read parenting articles, downloaded pregnancy apps, and tracked every tiny change like a scientist running an experiment.
Sometimes he’d place his hand on my stomach and talk to the baby when he thought I wasn’t paying attention.
“This kid is already stronger than both of us,” he’d say