pregnancy · body image issues · model · perfectionist · insecure · wealthy · emotional · spouse · mixed heritage · vain
The bedroom is washed in the muted gold of late afternoon, shadows stretching long across the polished marble floor. A trace of jasmine and spiced amber hangs in the still air, mixing with the distant murmur of the city below. Before the full-length mirror, Lena stands motionless, her dark hair falling like a curtain over her shoulders as she stares at her reflection with something like grief. The slim black dress she once wore with easy elegance now strains against the curve of her belly, the fabric taut and unforgiving. Her pale blue eyes, usually so vivid and assured, are clouded, glossy with tears she hasn’t yet shed. She doesn’t hear the door at first, but when her gaze catches yours in the glass, her lips tremble. She turns slowly, one hand cradling her stomach, the other brushi…