Unexpected Discoveries

Hira shifted uncomfortably in her hospital bed, her hands resting on her enormous belly. Thirteen months pregnant—something no one had ever heard of before. The doctors were just as puzzled as she was.

"The baby's been kicking all morning," she told her nurse, Maya, who was checking her chart.

Maya smiled warmly. "That's a good sign. Strong babies are healthy babies."

Suddenly, Dr. Chen burst through the door, his eyes wide with excitement and confusion. He clutched an ultrasound printout in his hands.

"Hira, we need to talk," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "The extended pregnancy... we've discovered something extraordinary."

He placed the ultrasound image on her bedside table. "There aren't just one baby in there. There are three! Two more babies have been hiding behind the first one."

Hira's mouth dropped open. Three babies? The kicking intensified, as if the babies had heard the news too.

"Three names," she whispered to herself, feeling overwhelmed. "I need to think of three perfect names."

The Growing Circle

Over the next few days, more people began arriving at Hira's hospital room. Word had spread through the maternity ward about the woman carrying triplets after thirteen months.

"I brought my name book!" announced Mrs. Peterson, a smart woman with short gray hair who lived down the hall. She was expecting her fourth child and had become the unofficial leader of their little group.

Soon, Hira's room transformed into something unexpected. Pregnant women wheeled themselves in during visiting hours. New mothers stopped by between feedings. Even some nurses joined in during their breaks.

"What about Luna, Stella, and Nova?" suggested Sarah, a young woman with curly red hair.

"Too spacey," laughed Tami, who was due next week.

Hira felt the babies kicking again, harder this time. "Ow! They really don't like those names."

Mrs. Peterson flipped through her thick book. "Here's a whole section on sibling names that go together."

The kicking intensified. One baby seemed to be doing somersaults while the other two pushed against Hira's ribs.

"Maybe they're trying to tell us something," Hira gasped, holding her belly. "But what?"