Erika heard the front door open and someone walking into the house. From the sounds of high heels on the hallway floor, Erika realized it was her mom.
"Oh no!" she whispered. She looked down at her completely exposed pregnant belly and breasts and suddenly felt very exposed. She threw off her buttonless blouse and ransacked a drawer for something that would fit. She found a plain white shirt that was always a little large on her that she never used except to sleep in. Throwing it on, she was disappointed to find it now felt very snug, almost uncomfortably tight. The sensation of her breasts being constricted by the fabric caught her off guard, and her sensitive nipples rubbing against the inside of the shirt gave her a shiver. Two small wet spots appeared on her shirt. She idly tugged the shirt's waistline, but couldn't get it to reach past her belly button. At least her breasts and most of her belly were covered, but that would only reduce the embarrassment she was about to feel once her mother entered the room.
"Erika?" her mother called. It sounded like she was coming up the stairs. Erika braced herself for the inevitable shock and disgust of a worried mother. "Erika...oh!"
Erika couldn't bring herself to even look at her mom, so she kept her head lowered. "Hi, mom," she said.
"Erika, you don't look well at all! You're so pale!" Her mother knelt down in front of her, putting a hand to her chin and easing it up so they could make eye contact. When Erika saw her mother's face, it didn't look like she was frightened or shocked at all. She wasn't even staring at her belly or breasts. "Honey, are you feeling okay? How's the baby? Can you still feel it kick?" She put the back of her hand to Erika's forehead.
"Um...," Erika said. She certainly didn't expect this. But she knew it was best to play along until she could figure out why her mom was acting this way. "Yeah, it just kicked a minute ago. I feel fine, I guess."
"Here, lie down on your bed." Her mom helped Erika climb onto the bed. Erika realized now just how heavy her womb and breasts were. She wondered how she was going to deal with them from now on, if she couldn't find a way back to normal. At the same time, she felt oddly stimulated by the concept of dealing with such a burden.
"You're lactating," her mother observed as Erika put her head down on the pillow. "Just having one of those days, huh? I know what it's like. When you were still inside me you were all sorts of trouble." She slid a warm hand across Erika's cheek. "You're due at the doctor's tomorrow for a check-up, so I'm picking you up after school. I'll go get you some water."
After her mom left her alone, Erika lay face-up on her bed and rubbed her hands across her belly. She felt the baby stir, rippling the skin under her touch. She shivered again. What a fascinating sensation. She was carrying a living thing in her own body. Suddenly a world of responsibility set it self in front of her. She knew she had to protect it and make it grow to be big and healthy. That meant she had to take extra good care of herself, too. She became so lost in thought that her eyes closed and her arms dropped. Erika was pleasantly sleeping by the time her mother returned, set a glass of ice water next to her bed, and gently draped a blanket over her daughter.