[cashewmanz]

We continued to meet for a few weeks, going out to eat, seeing movies and sometimes just talking about life. We'd started to grow a bit and were hanging out in Dawn's apartment about a week from our next appointment.

[BubbleBelly321]

After grabbing a handful of snacks and things from my fridge, I sat down on the couch with a small grunt. After trying and failing to get comfortable, I lifted up my shirt, exposing my now prominent baby bump and let out a sigh.

"Ugh! Would you look at this?" I turned to you displaying the small curve on my frame. "I'm starting to get all fat!" I then moved my face into a pout.

[cashewmanz]

"Oh no you're not! You can hardly tell. And if you could it's because you're pregnant! We all have to do it!" I said as I joined you on the couch. Once there, I pulled up my shirt to compare. "Look how much bigger I am, Dawn. You're fine!" I bumped my stomach into yours playfully to try and cheer you up.

[BubbleBelly321]

Despite my pouting and previous worry, I did giggle a little as our bellies touched. Smiling, we soon moved apart and I lowered my shirt. "Well, thanks for cheering me up at least!" By this point I was still able to hide my tiny baby bump by wearing baggy shirts, but I knew that it wouldn't likely be that way for too much longer. Placing my hand on the small swell I let out a sigh.

"I know that everyone else goes through this, and I understand that it's important...I just...I don't know...I guess I just never really thought too much about it you know? What it all really meant, how much my body would change, and how long it would last."

[cashewmanz]

"I know what you mean. It's hard giving up your body for some outside purpose. All we can do is enjoy it while we are," I pull down my shirt and start stuffing my face with some of our snacks, "it does come with some perks though," I say through a mouthful of food.

[BubbleBelly321]

"Yeah, thank goodness for that!" I laugh as I also begin grabbing some snacks and hungrily stuffing them in my mouth. "But enough of that, what do you want to do today?" I asked. Though you had come over to hang out, neither of us really seemed to have a plan as to what we wanted to do on this particular day, aside from snacking of course.

[cashewmanz]

"Today feels like such a lazy day, but I've had so many of those lately it's starting to bug me. I know I'm supposed to take it easy, but come on!" We shared a laugh at that. "I don't know, how about a movie? Or the park?"

[BubbleBelly321]

"I really don't know" I shrugged my shoulders. "I mean, I'm not sure what movies are playing. The park is nice and everything, but I just don't know." I continued to nibble on some of our supply of snack food, thinking about what I really wanted to do. "You in the mood for anything specific?"

[cashewmanz]

"I want the fresh air, myself. We could do something else if you wanted, though," I turned to you and gave a childish smile, "tell you what, you have until we get there to think of something if you like."

[BubbleBelly321]

"Fair enough!" I spoke up as I rose from the couch, and extended my hand to help you up as well. "To the park then!" I smiled softly as we headed downstairs, and out the door towards the nearby park for a walk.

[cashewmanz]

The park was full of people today: men, women and children. A few pregnant men and women, too! We walked through a nice wooded section and admired some flowers, even went through a hedge maze before coming to rest on a bench. "I think this is the busiest I've ever seen this place!"

[BubbleBelly321]

I nodded my head. At first I hadn't really noticed the number of people there, but once I'd thought on it, I did realize just how many there really were. Especially the large number of pregnant individuals.

"Yeah...that's a bit strange don't you think?"

Just then, a small toy ball rolled up towards our feet and under the bench. I reached down to retrieve it, and noticed a small pair of feet standing in front of me. Looking up, the feet belonged to a little girl, probably only 4-5 years old. I held up the ball, and she smiled, taking it and running off back to who I assumed were her parents. After a few seconds, said parents walked over to us, both also appearing to be pregnant themselves.

"Thank you." The woman spoke up. "Sorry if she interrupted you two or anything."

[cashewmanz]

"Oh not at all!" I smiled, waving at the girl as she looked back at us. "Please sit," I said as I shuffled down the bench to make room. "I've got a soft spot for children. Your daughter is just adorable. I'm Jack, by the way," I add quickly to make the conversation less weird and more familiar.

[BubbleBelly321]

The woman sat down, only for a second and I introduced myself to her as well. "I'm Dawn."

"Angela." She introduced herself. "That's my husband Neil, and our daughter Samantha. It's nice to meet you both." After shaking our hands and smiling, she nodded to her husband, who continued to play with their daughter, tossing the ball back and forth. "So, what brings you two out here on this fine day?" She asked, getting comfortable.

[cashewmanz]

"Oh just getting outside, is all," Jack explained, "needed some fresh air, as I'm sure you do too," I started to relax a little bit more, but was still nervous near these new people.

[BubbleBelly321]

Angela smiled, and rose to her feet as her daughter began making a bit of a fuss from across the way. "Indeed we do. Now if you'll excuse me I think I need to get back to my family. Still, maybe we'll see each other again." She suggested as she waved, then slowly made her way back to her husband and daughter.

"Well, that was interesting." I spoke up after a few silent minutes. "Do you think that they're doing their service, or they just wanted a bigger family?" I asked you honestly feeling curious. "It's hard to imagine going through that sort of thing with your partner I guess..."

[cashewmanz]

"I'm not sure, to be honest. Maybe one's making the family while the other serving society? We'll have to ask next time we see them," I looked as the husband and wife waddled away with the little girl swinging between them by her hands. "Hard to imagine? What makes you say that, Dawn?"

[BubbleBelly321]

I blush briefly, but manage to regain my composure as I try to find the right words. "Well, I just mean that being pregnant is a pretty different experience. One that isn't exactly the most comfortable." I absentmindedly began patting the small swell under my shirt. "To have not only yourself, but the person you love going through all that, plus raising a child of your own...it just seems like an awful lot of responsibility."

[cashewmanz]

"Maybe you're right," I respond, moving a hand to the slight bulge under my shirt as well, "but I think that if you loved someone, there wouldn't be a better person to have to go through that with."

[BubbleBelly321]

I sighed a little, moving my hand from my middle to look you in the eyes. "Do...um...do you think you might end up doing that someday Jack? Having a family, or being pregnant with your future wife or whatever?" I can't help but blush a bit at my question. "No, never mind...you don't have to tell me if you don't want to.