She

Void

Void
She had never felt it
Until this moment…

She feels it
As she carries the void
An empty shell
Where a beating heart was supposed to thrive
She feels it
When she pushes a plush pillow into her top
And watches her make-shift ‘bump’ in the mirror
She closes her eyes
Imagines her husband standing right behind her
His arms wrapped warmly around her
With his palm gently resting on her swollen belly
(Where sadly rests a void)
His eyes gleaming with unrestricted love
But then
She opens her eyes
Sees him, his eyes burning with pure scorn
He can’t even look at her anymore
Her moment of peace shatters

She walks down the hallways
Listening to her mother-in-law grumble
About her being a ‘disgrace’
Muffled whispers are circulated everywhere
Of a coming marriage in a week
That can gift her husband
A present to fatherhood

At night
She lies in her bed
She dreams of her void
Slowly swelling and growing with life
In the wide space
Between her and her husband
She gently places her unborn child
Caresses its head
Kisses its forehead
Drifts away to a place
Where her void is no more
Empty