Zuria
The craving had been gnawing at me for hours. I'd ignored it, curled on the couch, hoping it would pass. But it didn't. Eventually, I pushed myself up with a groan, feeling the familiar weight of my belly shift. Outside, the sky had turned ink-black, stars hidden behind a thick curtain of clouds. Still, I couldn't shake the hunger.
"I just need ten minutes," I muttered to myself, slipping on my coat. "In and out."
Walking alone at night wasn't something I liked doing—especially not now—but with Danny gone for the week, I'd had to adjust. There was no one else to run errands or keep me company. Just me, the silence, and the occasional distant howl of a dog that reminded me too much of what I really was.
At the shop, the attendant noticed my bump immediately. Her eyes softened, and she offered a kind smile.
"You shouldn't be on your feet this late," she said, gently taking my basket from my hands. "Let me handle everything."
"Thank you," I replied, grateful and surprised.
