The Pink Lines

Lav Blinkjoy adjusted her round glasses and stared at the pink plastic stick in her trembling hands. Two lines. She blinked hard, then looked again.

"This can't be right," she whispered, her lavender hair catching the bathroom light. She'd only taken the test as a joke after her jumpsuit felt snug around her middle. Too many late-night snacks while studying temporal paradoxes, she'd assumed.

She grabbed another test from the box. Two lines again.

Her phone buzzed with a text from her friend Maya: "Still coming to visit the Pregnancy Community today? The tour starts at two!"

Lav had planned to skip it, but now... She touched her stomach. The Community offered support groups, free meals, and comfortable lounging areas. Maybe she actually belonged there now.

She slipped the test into her jumpsuit pocket and headed for the door. The Pregnancy Community's welcoming brochure promised "a place where every mother-to-be finds her tribe."

Maybe it was time to find hers.

The Perfect Timing

Lav pushed through the glass doors of the Pregnancy Community, her heart pounding. The lobby smelled like vanilla candles and fresh bread.

"Lav!" Maya waved from across the room. Her brown eyes sparkled with excitement. "You made it! The tour's about to start."

A woman in scrubs approached their group. "Welcome, everyone! I'm Nurse Petra. Let's begin with our famous kitchen."

They walked into a room filled with golden light. Counters overflowed with sandwiches, fruit bowls, and chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven. A baker with flour-dusted aprons smiled at them from behind the counter.

"Free meals for all our mothers-to-be," Nurse Petra explained. "Good nutrition is essential."

Lav's stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"Are you feeling okay?" Maya whispered. "You look pale."

Lav touched the pregnancy test in her pocket. "Just hungry."

"Perfect timing then!" The baker handed Lav a plate piled high with food. "Eat up, dear. You're eating for two now."

Lav nearly choked on her cookie. How did she know?