Clara awoke with a start. The warmth of the sheets and the soft scent of lavender in the air should have comforted her, but instead, an overwhelming sense of disorientation flooded her mind. Blinking against the golden light filtering through the curtains, she tried to gather her bearings.
This wasn't her hotel room.
The minimalist luxury she was used to had been replaced by a softer, more domestic aesthetic. The room was spacious, decorated in warm, inviting tones with plush carpets and elegant furniture. The bed she lay in was oversized, draped in rich linens that looked like they belonged in a family home—not a supermodel's transient world of high-end hotels.
A chill ran down her spine. Something was off.
Clara tried to sit up, but the movement felt awkward, heavy. Her body resisted in a way it never had before. Instinctively, she placed her hand on her abdomen, expecting to feel the firm, flat stomach she'd maintained through years of rigorous discipline. Instead, her fingers brushed against something soft, something... enormous.
Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened in shock.
*No... it can't be.*
Clara threw the covers off her, revealing a body that was not her own—or at least, not the body she remembered. Her stomach was massive, impossibly round and swollen. She stared at it, her hands trembling as they traced the unfamiliar curve of her abdomen. This wasn't just a small baby bump; it was a full, heavy pregnancy.
Her mind raced. Panic rose like a tidal wave, crashing against the walls of her rationality. *How did this happen?* She had never been pregnant, had never even considered it. And yet here she was, her belly stretched impossibly taut, as if months had passed without her noticing.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to process the situation. *This can't be real. This has to be some kind of dream.*
Clara pushed herself to the edge of the bed, her movements slow and deliberate, weighed down by the unfamiliar heft of her body. She tried to stand, but her legs shook, barely supporting her. Every part of her felt foreign.Her hips were wider, her skin softer, her once angular face had rounded out in ways that made feel like she was looking at someone else entirely.
She caught sight of a full-length mirror across the room and slowly shuffled toward it, dread pooling in her stomach with each step. When she finally stood before the mirror, the image staring back at her was both terrifying and surreal.
It was her. But not the version of herself she knew.
Her face was fuller, her skin glowing with the radiance that only pregnancy seemed to bring. Her hair, longer and softer than she remembered, cascaded in waves down her back. But it was her belly—her impossibly large, undeniably pregnant belly—that dominated her reflection. She looked as though she was carrying not one, but several babies.
Her mind whirled in confusion. How had this happened? How had she gone from the top of the fashion world to this? She had been in Paris, modeling at one of the biggest shows of the season. She remembered the runway, the lights, the crowds. That life had been hers—she had been Clara Evans, the supermodel. The woman in the mirror didn't fit that life.
Her stomach fluttered suddenly, the unmistakable movement of life within. Clara gasped, her hand flying to her belly as she felt the gentle but undeniable kicks from inside.
"Oh my God…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
This wasn't a dream. This was real.
A wave of nausea hit her, but it wasn't from the pregnancy. It was the crushing realization that this life—this pregnant body—was somehow hers. How had she ended up here? She had no memory of this. No recollection of falling in love, getting married, deciding to start a family. None of that had been part of her plan.
Her life had been about independence, about control. Children were a disruption, a burden she had never wanted. She'd spent her entire career fiercely guarding her freedom, her identity. She had no intention of being tied down, of losing herself in the endless demands of motherhood.
But now… now she was here. And she was pregnant. Heavily pregnant.
The sound of a door creaking open startled her. Clara turned, her pulse quickening, as a man entered the room. He was tall, with kind eyes and a calm presence that immediately put her on edge. His face softened when he saw her, a warm smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Morning, beautiful," he said, his voice deep and soothing. "How are you feeling today?"
Clara blinked, struggling to form words. The man moved toward her, placing a gentle hand on her belly with the ease of someone who had done it a hundred times before. His touch was warm and familiar, but to her, it felt like a stranger's.
"The babies are kicking, huh?" he asked, smiling down at her as if this was the most natural thing in the world. "I can feel them moving around already. They're going to be a handful."
B-babies?" Clara stammered, her voice barely a whisper. The man chuckled softly, as though amused by her surprise. "Of course, the nonuplets! Don't tell me you forgot," he teased, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You've been carrying them for months now." Clara's breath hitched in her throat. **Nonuplets? Nine babies?** She stumbled backward, her legs shaking under the weight of the revelation. **How did this happen?**
"W-who are you?" she finally stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
The man's expression faltered for a moment, confusion flickering in his eyes. "It's me, Mark," he said, his brow furrowing slightly. "Your husband."
Clara's world tilted on its axis. *Husband?*
She took a step back, her legs shaking beneath her. Nothing made sense. Not this man. Not this life. Not the babies inside her.
"What's going on?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What is happening to me?"
Mark's face softened with concern. He took a cautious step toward her, his hand still resting protectively on her belly. "Clara… are you okay? You're scaring me."
But Clara wasn't okay. She was trapped in a life that wasn't hers, carrying children she didn't remember conceiving, married to a man she didn't know.
The weight of her pregnancy was undeniable. The warmth of his touch, the familiarity in his voice. Somehow, this world existed, and she was trapped in it. "I'm fine," Clara finally muttered, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Just... tired, I guess." He nodded, his expression softening again. "You've been amazing through all of this," he said gently. "I know carrying nonuplets isn't easy, but you've handled it like a pro. The kids and I are so proud of you." **The kids?** Clara's head spun as she tried to process everything. There were other children. She was a mother already. How many? Who were they? She needed answers—fast. The man, apparently her husband, gave her a gentle squeeze before leaving the room. "Take it easy today, okay? I'll be downstairs with the triplets. Let me know if you need anything." **Triplets?** Her heart pounded again, her hands shaking as she stood in the now-empty room. Clara could barely process the thought of nonuplets, and now she was supposed to believe she was the mother of triplets as well? She staggered back to the bed, sinking into the plush mattress as the weight of it all came crashing down. **What kind of life was this?** Before she could spiral further, a soft knock sounded at the door, and three teenagers—two girls and a boy—poked their heads inside. "Mom?" the boy asked, his voice hesitant but affectionate. "You okay?" Clara blinked at them, her breath catching in her throat. **My children?** "Uh, yeah... I'm okay," she whispered, not entirely sure she believed it herself.
©Beersheba