Julia woke that morning feeling… off.
For several moments, she remained beneath the blankets, staring at the ceiling while trying to understand exactly what was wrong.
Nothing hurt badly enough to alarm her. There was no sharp pain, no overwhelming discomfort, nothing that immediately made her think something was wrong with the pup.
She was simply tired. More tired than usual. Her entire body ached, especially her lower back, and there was a strange heaviness in her stomach that made even shifting beneath the blankets uncomfortable.
Julia slowly placed both hands over her enormous belly.
“You're making Mama very uncomfortable today,” she whispered.
Lila stirred lazily inside her.
“Pup big.”
Julia smiled.
“Yes. Very big.”
“Coming soon.”
Julia's smile widened. That much was certai
