Chapter 1 - The Pregnancy

When Emma first told Daniel she was pregnant, he cried.

Not the dignified sort of crying, either. He sat on the bathroom floor with his back against the bath, staring at the positive test in his hand while tears rolled down his cheeks.

"We're going to be parents," he whispered.

Emma laughed through her own tears and hugged him.

For the first few months, everything felt perfect.

Daniel had always been the fit one. At six feet tall and 175 pounds, he ran several times a week, lifted weights, counted his protein, and owned enough gym clothes to fill an entire wardrobe. Emma had never cared about his physique, but she loved teasing him about it.

Then her pregnancy really started to show.

By the sixth month, Emma's body was changing rapidly. Her stomach grew, her clothes stopped fitting, and her weight climbed steadily.

One evening, she stood in front of their bedroom mirror, staring unhappily at herself.

"I don't feel like me anymore," she said quietly.

Daniel looked up from the bed.

"What do you mean?"

"I know I'm supposed to gain weight. I know the baby needs it. But every time I look in the mirror, I just see how much bigger I've become."

Daniel walked over and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're growing our baby."

"I know."

"And you're beautiful."

Emma smiled faintly.

"You're supposed to say that."

"No, I'm not. I'm saying it because it's true."

She leaned against him.

"I just wish you understood what this feels like."

Daniel thought for a moment.

Then an idea occurred to him.

"What if I gained weight too?"

Emma looked at him.

"You?"

"Yeah. If you're going through all this, maybe I could make myself a little less... gym-bro."

She laughed.

"A little?"

"I could stop dieting. Stop obsessing over the scales. Eat whatever I want. Put on some weight."

"You'd hate it."

"Maybe."

But he kissed her forehead.

"At least you wouldn't feel like you're changing alone."

So Daniel began eating more.

At first, it was surprisingly difficult.

His usual breakfast of eggs and protein shakes became pancakes, toast and bacon. His salads at lunch were replaced by sandwiches, crisps and desserts. He stopped weighing every ingredient and stopped worrying about whether he'd eaten too many calories.

Within weeks, his body began to soften.

His abdominal muscles disappeared beneath a growing layer of fat. His shirts became tighter around his stomach. His trousers needed a new belt.

And Daniel hated it.

He hated seeing the number on the scales climb.

He hated feeling heavier when he ran.

He hated looking in the mirror and seeing a body that no longer resembled the one he'd spent years building.

One morning, he reluctantly stepped onto the scales.

"194 pounds," he muttered.

Emma looked over.

"You've gained quite a bit."

Daniel sighed.

"I know."

"You don't have to keep doing this."

He looked at her.

"What?"

"You've already done enough. I don't want you making yourself unhappy just because I feel insecure."

Daniel looked down at his stomach.

For the first time, however, something felt different.

He wasn't quite as angry about what he saw.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe I'll give it a little longer."

A few months later, their daughter Lily was born.

The moment Daniel held her, nothing else mattered.

He cried again.

Emma laughed.

"You cried when you saw the pregnancy test too."

"This is different."

"How?"

He looked down at the tiny bundle in his arms.

"This time she's real."

Their lives changed overnight.

Neither of them slept properly. Their house became filled with bottles, blankets and tiny clothes. Emma gradually returned to her normal routine, but Daniel discovered that something unexpected had happened during the pregnancy.