Unexpected day / off from work results in a / multipup EP!

[a_mere_child]

A pregnant woman,
poring over a large map
of Australia.

A Warehouse agent,
seated at the piano,
playing Tom Lehrer.

A long, lean, black cat,
stalking small scurrying things
through the new spring grass.

One mun, many pups,
one outside and two inside.
Which one will you tag?

[Open 'til it scrolls. Haiku optional.]

Comments

[fiery_ring]

A young woman is
Watching Alyx from nearby.
She wanders over.

Dropping the haiku format becasue it's a pain.

[a_mere_child]

The map is covered with notes in half a dozen different colors, marking off roads, towns, riverbeds, and other less identifiable things. At the moment, Alyx is marking off a largish dotted circle smack dab in the center of the map.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta hovers. Alyx looks busy.

"Hi, are you Alyx?"

[a_mere_child]

She glances up. "Yeah... why, have we met?"

[fiery_ring]

"I don't think so. Demeter just gave me a description. I'm Carlotta." Carlotta says. "She and I were wondering if you might be willing to chat about... um... having babies."

[a_mere_child]

...

"Oh...kayyyyyy..."

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta looks embarrassed at the reaction.

"Sorry." she says quietly. "You're obviously busy and it's totally the wrong topic to ask a stranger about..."

[a_mere_child]

"No, no, it's not that I don't wanna help, it's just--" Alyx shakes her head. "I'm not sure what advice I'd have to give. I'm figuring this out as I go."

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta sits nearby.

"Thanks. It's just... my husband is really keen on starting a family and I'm terrified of being pregnant. Demeter thought if I talked to some people who had been through childbirth it might help.

[a_mere_child]

"I haven't been through childbirth yet," points out Alyx. "This is my first pregnancy."

(And possibly her last, depending on how things go.)

[fiery_ring]

"I meant pregnancy." Carlotta says.

"Were you scared when you found out?"

[a_mere_child]

Alyx huffs a wry laugh. "I'm still scared. You'll be hard-pressed to find a new parent who isn't."

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta smiles slightly.

"That's sort of reassuring that it's not just me. But... it doesn't get better then?"

[a_mere_child]

"It varies," Alyx allows. "It's more of an 'excited' kind of scared, most of the time? If that makes sense."

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta nods.

"I think so. I'm still in the Scared kind of scared feeling at the moment."

[a_mere_child]

Alyx frowns. "Is your husband pressuring you into this?"