Beautiful

Sue sat down on the bench by the koi pond, and looked down into the water with a face of somewhat regret. The few fish in the pond passed through the small ripples, making her reflection waver and look even wider than it normally was. At that moment, Sue ended up hating the fish for that reason. She used to love to look at the fish, admiring their beauty, but not now. She despised them.

Sue frowned, then rested a hand on her ballooned belly. She hated the feeling of it, it felt hard, and large, and unusually real. Why on Earth did it have to feel that way? Now even just walking up the stairs hurt her ankles and tired it out.

When she looked down again at her reflection in the pond, she realized that she looked older. Her hair wasn't in its usual complicated ponytail. She hasn't been in the mood lately to take the time to do it, so she's only been putting her long hair in a large bun. And her stomach, it was so large she looked like Mr. Wu after Thanksgiving dinner. Tobey had told her she was being ridiculous, Sue thought otherwise. Sue felt much older, but not in the good way she always thought and anticipated. She felt old in a mid-life crisis way. And a fat way.

On the bright side, maybe no one will recognize me. Sue thought, her lips curling up ever so slightly into a smile. Well, except Sid, Tobey, and -

"Sue?"

Sue yelped, whirling around so fast she almost fell into the pond. But her new acquired belly weighed her down before she could fall in. "G-Gary?!" Frantically, she tried to hide her large protruding lump with her hands and arms, but she failed miserably. It was too big to hide.

Gary cocked his head to the side, noticeably concerned. "You were gone for a long time, and nobody knew where you were. We have to be careful nowadays, with, you know…"

Sue frowned, still trying - and failing - to hide her large belly. Gary smiled warmly, then asked with concern,

"What's wrong chipmunk? I thought you didn't like those clothes? Nana bought those for you, but you refused to wear them. What changed your mind?"

"I uhh…thought I should start wearing more maternal clothes after my clothes got too…" her voice trailed off, not wanting to admit the reason.

Gary chuckled. "That's normal. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

Sue groaned. "Funny." she sighed, fighting the urge to rub her belly after she felt something inside. It felt like a kick, but she wasn't completely sure. Gary saw, then slowly walked towards her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. He sat down, locking eyes with her.

"I…I uh…" Sue stuttered, then froze when Gary smiled and gently placed his hands on her exaggerated stomach. His cheeks became a light shade of red, his eyes never leaving hers. He gently rubbed her belly, and cupped it ever so slightly, as if really searching for that small and fragile life inside her.

"You know Sue, you're always the most prettiest woman in my eyes." He smiled and looked down at her belly, still rubbing it gently, still probing for the life inside. "But, you couldn't be anymore beautiful than you are now."

Sue's eyes widened, and Gary just smiled. He breathed out happily, rubbing the center of her belly, seeming to have found that life. He stood up, then walked back inside to leave Sue to her thoughts. One word ran through her mind:

Beautiful…?

Sue looked down again at her reflection in the pond, and rubbed her swollen stomach, starting her own mission to find that life. She looked thoroughly at her reflection.

Beautiful?

At first, she looked the same, old, tired, and fat. But pursuing more, she found something different on her face. When she looked closer, she saw it. A smile. She was smiling.

Beautiful…