Just Different

 

I waddled into the restaurant, feeling the weight of my seven-month pregnant belly with every step. My hand instinctively rested on it, a habit I had developed over the months. The bump was more than just a physical shift—it was the constant reminder of how much my life had changed, in ways I never saw coming. As I navigated past tables, I spotted Nate in our usual corner booth. It was the same one we had always chosen for dates, but tonight, everything felt different.

His eyes lit up the moment he saw me, that familiar grin spreading across his face. There was a softness to it now, an awe that hadn’t been there before. He stood as I approached, his hand already reaching out for mine. "Hey, beautiful," he said, leaning in to kiss me gently. As always, his hand immediately found its place on my belly, rubbing it in slow circles like he couldn’t help but acknowledge the life growing inside me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, pulling out my chair with a touch of tenderness that made my heart melt. Nate had always been attentive, but since the pregnancy, it felt like he was constantly trying to make sure I was okay—physically and emotionally.

"Like a giant, round, tired watermelon," I sighed dramatically, lowering myself into the seat with a grunt. "And hungry. Always hungry."

He laughed, a sound that made my chest feel warm, and sat down across from me. "Good thing I ordered half the menu then," he teased, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "You’re joking, but honestly, I could probably eat it all."

He reached across the table, taking my hand in his. "You deserve it. You’re growing a whole human in there."

I smiled, but beneath the surface, my thoughts churned. How had I gotten here? Two years ago, I was someone completely different. A different body. A different life. I glanced down at the bump, still half expecting to wake up one morning and find that none of it was real.

"Can you believe it?" I murmured, almost to myself. "Two years ago, we weren’t even a couple. I wasn’t even…" I trailed off, my throat tightening with the weight of memories. I wasn’t even a woman.

Nate’s eyes softened. He squeezed my hand, offering silent comfort. He didn’t always ask about my past, and I appreciated that. He let me bring it up on my terms.

"Sometimes I can’t believe any of this," I admitted, letting my thoughts unravel. "Not just the pregnancy. Everything. Us."

"Me neither," he said, his voice steady but thoughtful. "But… I wouldn’t change a thing."

Two years ago, I was a man. Back then, I thought I had everything figured out. I was cocky, confident, too sure of myself for my own good. I wasn’t the settling-down type, and I definitely wasn’t someone who considered long-term relationships—or, God forbid, children. I was content in my life, in my body, in the casual flings and late-night adventures. Nate had been one of those adventures, back when we first met at that party.

I’ll never forget that night. We clicked instantly—two guys bonding over shared interests and easy conversation. Nate had this infectious energy, and I liked being around him, though at the time I saw it as nothing more than that. He was handsome, funny, but I was only interested in having a good time. Relationships were complications I wasn’t interested in.

Then I met her—the witch. Not that I knew what she was at the time. She was sitting alone at a bar, beautiful in an otherworldly way, with an air about her that screamed mystery. I thought it would be fun to charm her, to see if I could win her over. I approached her with all the confidence I had, thinking it would go like every other encounter I’d had—flirting, a few drinks, and maybe something more.

But she wasn’t like the others. She wasn’t amused. I kept pushing, not knowing when to stop, and I made the mistake of laughing when she told me to leave her alone. That’s when she whispered something under her breath, her eyes glowing with an intensity that chilled me. I remember feeling a strange, unsettling sensation wash over me, but I brushed it off as a momentary dizziness.

The next morning, I woke up… different. I looked in the mirror and saw a woman staring back at me. My hands, my body—it was all wrong. No, not wrong. Just different. Softer. Curvier. I remember the panic, the disbelief. I thought it was a dream, a nightmare. But it wasn’t. I had been cursed, transformed.

Nate noticed me staring off into space and gave my hand another squeeze. "What’re you thinking about?" he asked, his voice pulling me back to the present.

"I was thinking about… how much things have changed," I said slowly. "How different my life is now compared to then."

"You’ve come a long way," he said, his thumb stroking the back of my hand.

"Yeah," I agreed, though sometimes it still didn’t feel real. "Remember when we first kissed? That night at your apartment after we watched that awful horror movie?"

Nate chuckled. "How could I forget? I was terrified you’d laugh at me for jumping at every jump scare." He looked at me, his eyes softening with the memory. "But then, out of nowhere, you leaned in and kissed me."

I smiled. "I was nervous, too, you know. I hadn’t been… with someone like that before." I had been adjusting to my new body, learning what it meant to feel desire, attraction—everything felt different, even the way I saw myself. That night, when we kissed, it was like the world had shifted under me again, but this time, it felt right. I hadn’t known love in this way before, hadn’t known that I could feel so connected to someone.

The food arrived, pulling us from the memory, and Nate’s eyes lit up as he uncovered dish after dish. "Okay, maybe I really did order half the menu," he joked, pushing a plate of pasta toward me.

I laughed, grateful for the distraction. "Perfect. I’m eating for two, remember?"

As I dug into the food, I couldn’t help but think about how far we’d come. The transformation, the fear of telling Nate the truth about who I used to be, the tentative steps toward building a relationship despite everything. And then the pregnancy—*that* had been the biggest shock of all.

I remembered that day so clearly. I had been feeling off for weeks—nauseous, tired, emotional. Nate had been the one to suggest I take a pregnancy test. I had laughed, thinking it was impossible. But when the test came back positive, my world spun again. I remember staring at that little pink line, unable to breathe, my hand trembling as I handed the test to Nate. His face had gone pale, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"I’m pregnant," I had whispered, the words barely leaving my lips.

Nate had taken a deep breath, then wrapped his arms around me. "We’re going to figure this out," he had said, his voice steady, even though I could tell he was just as shocked as I was. "Together."

Telling my family was harder. I hadn’t even told them about my transformation. I hadn’t known how to explain it. But with the pregnancy, there was no hiding it anymore. When I showed up at my mom’s house, my belly already starting to show, her eyes had gone wide.

"Mom," I had said, my voice trembling. "There’s something I need to tell you."

I had expected judgment, maybe even disbelief. But after a long silence, my mom had reached out, placing her hand gently on my bump. "You’re going to be a mom," she had whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

Now, as I sat across from Nate, feeling our baby kick inside me, I smiled. "Do you ever think about how we got here?" I asked him, my voice soft.

Nate leaned back, his eyes fixed on me. "All the time," he admitted. "But honestly? I wouldn’t change a thing. Not a single part of it."

I blinked back sudden tears, overwhelmed by the intensity of my emotions. "Me neither," I whispered, my hand resting on my belly, feeling the tiny movements inside. "Even though I never saw any of this coming… I’m happy."

He reached across the table, his hand resting on mine, his thumb tracing the lines of my fingers. "I love you," he said, his voice steady and sure. "And I can’t wait to meet our baby."

As I looked at him, my heart swelling with love and gratitude, I knew that no matter what had brought me to this point—curse, transformation, unexpected pregnancy—this was where I was meant to be.