The air is filled with the smell of latex, bleached bedding, and cleaner, but I can still smell my own shampoo. The beeping is steady, reliable, and nothing like the pounding in my chest. Distantly, a phone rings, and someone answers softly, confirming something. Despite the thick socks, my feet are cold. You nudge against the hand on my stomach, my skin tight. Outside this curtain, the world is waiting to change. In just a few minutes, you’ll breathe for the first time and I’ll never be the same again. The waiting is endless, but the moment is almost here.
Colleen Morrison is passionate about crafting stories that explore strength in the face of adversity and the sometimes dull horrors of day-to-day life. www.camorrisonauthor.com Instagram: @yagirlcolleen