Life was hard on mothers; but then, they just didn't understand."
― James T. Farrell, Studs Lonigan: A Trilogy
Sitting in the crowded meeting room, Austria is bored.
This is because the meeting hasn't started yet, so there's no general chaos for her to observe. The meeting should have started by now, but no one else seems to have noticed.
Sitting next to Austria, Germany, who normally starts things when they're slow like this, is asleep, her head on the table. Austria prods her awake.
Someone (probably America) has scribbled the agenda on the whiteboard at the front of the room*. It's relatively short; recovery reports, global warming, and reproduction.
It's obvious why the last one is necessary from the number of pregnant nations. France and Germany are already starting to show.
The reports go well, but global warming quickly degenerates into arguing, as usual. America is fighting with England, England is fighting with France (although not about the issues at hand), and everyone else is losing focus so that the whole room goes blurry.
Germany has fallen asleep again, this time with her head on Italy's shoulder. Austria reaches over once more and pokes her. She flinches awake, causing Italy to glance I over with a confused expression.
Germany's eyes flicker over the blurry room before she stands up. Austria can't help but notice that she seem less forceful than before the war.
"Alright, everyone shut up. Anyone who wants to speak will raise their hand after the person ahead of them is done speaking. That person will throw the speaking pillow to the next person. Keep your remarks under five minutes."
The speaking pillow is a small embroidered cushion that England had been working on at a particularly dysfunction meeting.
America's hand shoots up like a lightning rod. Germany tosses him the pillow.
"Okay, so my boss wants us to talk about the pregnancy thing. Cause there are like-" he pauses to count "-five pregnant people. So she wants is to talk about why."
He looks around the room for raised hands, then throws it to England.
"It makes sense that it's happening now." England says. "We've just come out of a war. Everyone feels like there's not going to be another one soon. Also, everyone's feeling closer together. It feels safe."
A/N: The ending sucks.