halfway!


50. I think you're beautiful.

"Have I gained weight?"

Gwen stared at her stomach in the mirror and Arthur slowly walked into the bathroom, looking at their reflections and knitting his eyebrows together in frustration.

"No, Gwen, why?" he asked, sitting down on the toilet seat and watching as she patted her stomach.

"I just… feel bloated."

"It's probably all the bar food and McDonald's, Gwen, it's not you." He scratched the back of his neck. He didn't want to say anything to offend her – did that make it sound like he agreed she was gaining weight? She actually wasn't. Or maybe she was, but subtly, so that he didn't even notice. "Not that you… have gained weight, anyway."

"Val said I was looking curvier than I used to at the bar the other night."

Arthur laughed awkwardly. "You know Val says the weirdest shit when he's drunk, Gwen. And besides, what does he know? He couldn't tell curvy from not if he even tried, his eyesight is absolutely horrid."

"Are you sure?" Gwen said, frowning and poking her stomach.

"You look the same as you always do."

"Oh."

Arthur inhaled. Did he say something wrong?

"I think you're beautiful, Gwen."

Gwen smiled at him tenderly and let her tank fall back onto her stomach. "Thank you, Arthur." She grabbed her toothbrush and put some toothpaste on the bristles. "Now, it's time for his royal highness to brush his teeth…"