As time went by, days turned into weeks, and that’s when I began noticing the changes in my body. They were small at first. Nothing noticeable. Nothing out of the ordinary.
My skin looked lighter and smoother, always glowing under soft lights. My amber eyes seemed to hold a glint of something I couldn't quite name yet. Lately, the maids had been complimenting my beauty, saying I looked prettier each day.
Initially, I didn’t think much of it until I realized that Hilda always stared at my belly every chance she got. She looked at me as though she was examining my body, and I thought it was rather creepy.
After the glowing skin and enhanced beauty came morning sickness, nausea, and sudden cravings. I noticed my breasts were fuller, and my back hurt all the damn time. My joints ached, my fingers tingled, and my head was plagued with a fuckin’ migraine.
The painkillers I’d taken so far only helped to ease the pain. They didn’t do much in curing whatever was wrong with me.
One afternoon, I lay on the bench under an umbrella by the pool, sunbathing. While I was relaxing and enjoying the warmth of the sun, I noticed Hilda watching me from across the garden.
Why was she always staring at me?
She did the same thing yesterday after breakfast when I rose from the dining table. This newfound hobby of hers had become a recurring event, and I was starting to get offended by it.
Determined to get some answers, I sprang to my feet and slipped into my robe. My pair of flip flops padded across the pavement as I made my way to the garden where she was pruning the flowers.
“Hilda, hi,” I greeted her politely.
She was old enough to be my mother, maybe even grandmother. Hilda was much older than Artur himself, and I’d seen the way he spoke to her with respect. She was more than just a housekeeper to him. She was family.
The woman was pretty for her age: portly with gray hair and large green-gray eyes.
“Hello, Celine,” she replied in accented English. “How are you today?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Silence.
She kept pruning the flowers with a straight face, like she had no idea why I’d come to meet. “Is there a problem?”
I cleared my throat. “I don’t know, you tell me.”
“What do you mean?”
I hesitated, eyes squinting ever so slightly. “Well…don’t take this the wrong way, but….” I paused for a second, keeping my gaze on her. “Is there something you wanna tell me?”
She stopped working and faced me squarely.
“I mean, you’ve been watching me a bit more closely these days.” I shifted my weight on one leg. “It’s uh…it’s kinda creepy.”
“I apologize for that,” she said.
“Okay…” I drawled lazily, anticipating more from her.
“I’m just trying to figure out whetheryouknow what is going on with you.”
Confused, my head cocked to the side. “I don’t understand.”
“Exactly,” she said. “That is why you’re so calm.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Hilda, you’re speaking in parables. Can you make me understand what you’re saying?”
“When was the last time you saw your friend?”
“Huh?”
“The red one.”