Post-Partum

by Martha Schwendener

It was an accident, pure and simple. In the past she would've taken care of it with an afternoon at the doctor's office, but this time she'd been persuaded otherwise.

She was getting older. She was running out of time. She'd regret it later if she didn't do it now. Raising a child was a creative enterprise, an experience she didn't want to miss.

But everything had changed. Not just sleeping and working, but her relationships with other people. The baby had turned them into liars. It was like a conspiracy. Express any doubt or uncertainty and they'd bombard her with encouragement. The same friends who were nihilistic about their own futures were suddenly hopeful and optimistic about hers.

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