Knew It- I-m Preg... — Masquerade Hypnosis -before I

Not words, exactly. More like the shape of words pressed against the inside of my skull. Let go. Step into the dance. You are exactly where you need to be.

But my hand—the one not pressed to my belly—was smudged with dried ink. Indigo. The same color as the constellations on my gown. Masquerade Hypnosis -Before I knew it- I-m Preg...

Before I could scream, the spiral in my eyes turned once more. My knees went soft. My fear dissolved like sugar in warm milk. The woman in the mirror finally smiled with my face—not delayed, not dreamy, but truly mine. Not words, exactly

I pressed a palm to my lower belly. The silk was taut there. When had that happened? I was lean. Athletic. I’d done a full ab workout the morning of the party. But now there was a firm, round swell beneath my hand, as undeniable as a moon rising. Step into the dance

The whisper came again, closer this time, warm breath against my ear even though no one stood behind me.

Both?

The masquerade had a theme this year: Hypnos’s Gala . Every invitation bore the image of a poppy-wreathed figure with fingers pressed to smiling lips. Everyone joked about it. “Don’t drink the punch unless you want to wake up married.” “Careful, the DJ is actually a neurologist.” Just party chatter. Rich people’s Halloween with better tailoring.