Gordon And Elise Strolled Through The Aisles Of The Local Supermarket, Their Shopping Cart Filled With

Gordon and Elise strolled through the aisles of the local supermarket, their shopping cart filled with essentials for the week ahead, and a few extra treats.

As they reached the middle of the cereal and granola aisle, Gordon winced, his hand instinctively grasping at his enlarged belly, as the pair of twins in his womb — whom he was carrying as a surrogate, for his sister and brother-in-law — kicked with vigor.

He’d been experiencing the highs and lows of surrogate pregnancy for nearly seven months, and the discomfort was something he’d grown accustomed to… but, as time creeped on, the pain in his back and hips was becoming unbearable, making it hard for him to stand upright. The little ones were kicking and squirming with such force that it felt like a full-blown soccer match was taking place in his abdomen. Gordon's back and hips ached, and he knew he wouldn't be able to move another step without some relief.

Elise's eyes widened in concern as she realized what was happening — the babies were active again. Without hesitation, she guided Gordon to a secluded spot in the aisle and stood behind him. Passersby stole curious glances at the unusual sight of the couple… but Elise paid no attention to the stares, her focus solely on alleviating Gordon's pain.

With practiced hands, she lifted his shirt, exposing his swollen belly to the other shoppers… her touch gentle and reassuring. The tiny kicks and flips were visible from outside of his womb — the impressions of little feet and fists bulging from his skin, like he’d been incubating little aliens. Elise began to rub big, soothing circles into the sides of his belly, her palms firm yet tender. She knew how to alleviate the pressure on his back and hips, easing the weight off his strained back and allowing him some relief from the relentless movements of the unborn babies.

As she massaged his belly, a sense of calm washed over Gordon, his tense muscles slowly relaxing under her touch…

Sean sat on his bed, his hands nervously fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, pulling it down over his belly as the film crew bustled around his bedroom. Each member of the small team was busy setting up cameras and adjusting lights… all things that made Sean feel self-conscious. He had never imagined his life would take such a turn, becoming the subject of a documentary… at least, not one that was meant to shed light on the struggles of teen pregnancy, and deter his peers from being as “irresponsible” as he was. Feeling more aware of himself than he’d ever been before, his heart raced with a mix of emotions - embarrassment, confusion, but most of all, profound sorrow.

Being the only pregnant student at his school already felt like a heavy burden, with all the odd looks and gossip that followed him through the halls… but having his most intimate moments documented for all of his peers, and future high-schoolers to see was a whole new level of vulnerability. The decision to allow this intrusion into his life wasn't even his, but rather the school's attempt to shed light on the struggles and challenges of teen pregnancy. He had no choice but to go through with his principal’s vision. It was either he let the camera crew into his home, or, when the baby comes, be harshly penalized for his time out from class… and he wouldn’t be able to make up for that time.

"Okay, Sean, just act natural," the director advised him before the cameras started rolling, sitting down on his bed in an attempt to level with him. “Take us through your morning, and then we’ll drive you to school. Today’s gonna be easy, but… only if you make it easy.”

As Sean reluctantly began his morning routine, the crew and their high definition cameras followed his every move with precision. From the subtle tilt of his head as he brushed his teeth to the faint smile that flickered across his face when he felt a gentle kick from his baby, every moment was being closely captured. Despite the discomfort and invasion of his privacy, Sean understood the importance of his story being told — an unfortunate cautionary tale for others who might find themselves in similar circumstances. Once a star student, he was now reduced to nothing more than a worst case scenario come to life.

Gordon and Elise strolled through the aisles of the local supermarket, their shopping cart filled with essentials for the week ahead, and a few extra treats.

As they reached the middle of the cereal and granola aisle, Gordon winced, his hand instinctively grasping at his enlarged belly, as the pain and bloating had finally become too much, paralyzing him in place.

He’d been experiencing the highs and lows of surrogate pregnancy for nearly seven months, and the discomfort was something he’d grown accustomed to. Ever since he had agreed to be a surrogate for his sister and brother-in-law — carrying twins for them — his body just hadn't been the same. He had become incredibly prone to bouts of extreme gas, which were not only uncomfortable, excruciating, and smelly, but downright embarrassing… and, as time creeped on, the pain in his back and hips was only becoming more unbearable, making it hard for him to stand upright. It felt like a storm was brewing inside him, threatening to explode at any moment.

Elise's eyes widened in concern as she realized what was happening — he was backed up with gas again, and unable to walk. Without hesitation, she pulled Gordon to a secluded spot in the aisle and stood behind him. Passersby stole curious glances at the unusual sight of the couple… but Elise paid no attention to the stares, her focus solely on alleviating Gordon's pain.

With practiced hands, she lifted his shirt, exposing his swollen belly to the other shoppers… her touch gentle and reassuring. The severity of his bloating was visible from outside of his womb — his taut skin looking as solid as a boulder, and the tiny bubble of air bulging from below his navel. Elise began to massage big, soothing circles into the sides of his belly, her palms firm yet tender. She knew how to alleviate the blockages in his back and hips, gently rubbing in circular motions to ease the trapped gas down and out.

As she massaged his belly, a sense of calm washed over Gordon, his tense muscles slowly relaxing under her touch.

Suddenly, a loud, thunderous noise reverberated through the aisle, causing a few nearby shoppers to turn their heads in surprise. Elise didn't flinch; she knew what was coming. With a mix of pride and amusement, she watched as Gordon tensed every muscle in his body, and released a monumental fart that echoed off the shelves.

The stench hit her like a tidal wave, strong and sour, but she didn't bat an eye. After months of being his rock during the ups and downs of pregnancy, a fart like that was nothing to Elise. She chuckled softly, unfazed by the noxious cloud that surrounded them…

Kade’s water broke nearly 48 hours ago, and he’s been having awful contractions for the better part of two days now… but, even with the baby actively moving through his birth canal, he’s not exactly sure what he should do.

Suddenly being thrusted into the raging waters of single fatherhood, the thought of having to raise a newborn baby on his own terrifies Kade. What if he’s not ready for the responsibility? What if he doesn’t have that “paternal instinct” that everyone always talks about? What if he can’t do it? For the last nine months, all he’s ever heard has been words of encouragement, and optimism… but encouragement and optimism aren’t much help when you’re in as much pain as he’s in right now.

It’s like the bones in his hips are splitting apart… cracking open like walnuts… and it’s debilitating. His belly is an over-inflated balloon, fit to pop at any given moment. Although he knows that he should probably call himself an ambulance, and request an emergency ride to the nearest hospital, part of him feels as though, if he can manage to delay the birth and delivery of his daughter for just a little longer, then the reality of it all can’t really get to him.

How can he be a bad father if there’s no baby?

It hurts like hell, just standing in one place as the six-pound baby tears it’s way out of him, but… if he can just hold onto her for a few more hours… then, maybe, he’ll finally reach a breaking point, and get over his fear of single fatherhood.

Sleepovers at Mack’s house have only gotten more exciting since I accidentally got him pregnant. Just to clear things up, he and I have been best friends our entire lives… and, a few months ago, we went through this experimental phase. You know how it is for guys our age. We tried a few things out, touched each other for a while, realized we didn’t like each other that way… and, at some point during that brief chapter of our friendship, I accidentally knocked him up. Now his folks are upset at him, and think the baby belongs to his ex. Yadda yadda yadda.

Like I was saying though… sleepovers at Mack’s house are one heck of a time now, especially since his parents aren’t suspicious of me. We can do whatever we want, and they don’t think anything of it, just like it’s always been. Whenever I’m at his place, it’s like my hands get stuck to his belly. I can’t keep myself off of that thing. When I walk through the front door and meet him in the kitchen, that’s the first place they go… and then, they’re glued. I turn into a huge mush-fest, cooing and kissing at it, like I only understand baby talk. It doesn’t matter who’s around, either. His parents think it’s the sweetest thing when they see me rubbing his belly. His mom and dad still see me as that snot-nosed little boy their some met in pre-k… and, as far as they know, I’m just being a supportive friend.

When we go down to the basement — where all of Mack’s stuff is — all I do is lay with him in bed and play with his belly, which is way more fun than it sounds. Like, I’ll spend hours just resting my head on it while he eats snacks and plays video games, feeling the baby kick, talking to the little thing, and listening to his stomach gurgle. I lick Mack’s belly button all the time too… just flick my tongue in there, until it starts to cramp. It’s just something weird that I do, to get a reaction out of him and the baby. It’s so fascinating, knowing that there’s a tiny human in there, and feeling it move around — even more so, with it being my kid. Honestly, I still don’t think I fully grasp the whole situation. It doesn’t feel… real… yet.

He and I talk about this whole pregnancy thing like it’s nothing. I’ll ask him how he’s feeling, and when I should come by to take him to his next appointment, and he never treats me like I’m just his baby-daddy. Our friendship hasn’t changed one bit. He’s still cool with me, and I’m the same old idiot that I’ve always been. All night long, he’ll go on and on about how weird his pregnancy is, how his parents are total assholes whenever I’m not around, how gross he feels in his own skin, or how his body is working against him. Recently, he told me that when he farts, he pees a little bit too. It’s honestly really funny, now that I think about it. Every time I hear him fart, or smell one of his silent killers, that means that he’s just pissed himself too. Even funnier, his farts are way worse now. They reek like hell.

I look forward to going to Mack’s place after school every night. It’s so nice that we can still have a good time with one another, laugh like two lunatics, and be ourselves… even in our current situation. In our hearts, we’re still those two little dickheads in the back of the class, goofing off and having a good time. Honestly, if things could just stay like this until he gives birth, I’d get him pregnant a million times.

Jeremy knows that I have a crush on him. He’s got to… because he’s always pushing my buttons!

Being the only pregnant kid in our English class, he gets a lot of special attention — from our teacher and our classmates. It’s like everyone’s eyes are always on him, making sure that he’s okay… and not sick, or having contractions, or anything… and that means that everyone’s eyes are on me too.

It’s not easy, having to sit beside him every day. It’s almost like sitting in the emergency exit seat on an airplane, because… on the off chance that anything were to happen… everyone expects me to hop out of my chair and come to his rescue. If that’s not bad enough, I’ve had a crush on him since we were in the eighth grade… and, every time I’m around him, I can just feel myself choking.

There’s something about him being pregnant… that huge belly of his… that makes my awkwardness even worse. I don’t know if I’m into it, or if it scares me. Sometimes I want to touch it… kiss all over it… and, other times, I just wish it would disappear.

He must’ve picked up on my nervousness, sometime recently, because he’s been giving me these… strange looks… and making suggestive gestures toward me. Today, Jeremy even exposed his belly to me, and invited me to give it a rub. Maybe it’s just my vibe. Maybe he’s just mega hormonal, and I’m the closest guy around. All I know is, every time he looks at me, I feel like I could just melt away. I think I’m going crazy!