A Hundred Heartbeats (4th month)

Allie huffed, her breaths coming out in sharp, strained bursts as she trudged along the well-worn path from the backyard suite to the front of the house. The cool breeze kissed her flushed cheeks, but it did little to ease the effort of pushing the wheelbarrow that was, at this point, more of a lifeline than a convenience. The wheel creaked beneath the weight of her enormous belly, spilling over the sides like a growing mound of dough. Every step sent gentle ripples through her body, her entire form bouncing and jiggling with each small movement.

It had been four months since she found out about her extraordinary pregnancy—a pregnancy that stunned her doctors, friends, and even herself. The last time she’d seen Dr. Patel, he had offered a wry smile and said, “Well, it’s no wonder you’re feeling heavy. The latest estimate puts it at around one hundred babies. Congratulations, Allie.”

Her mouth had hung open at the time, her mind reeling. One baby was enough of a miracle. Two or three, sure. But a hundred? It felt more like science fiction than reality. And yet, here she was, lumbering through the yard with her belly so large it now required the support of a wheelbarrow. Even her chest, hips, and butt had swollen with the added burden, her once-skinny frame long gone. The transformation was undeniable, but the strangest part? Allie kind of liked it. Her new figure had a softness to it, a sense of power that came from nurturing so much life inside of her.

But that didn’t make her daily struggles any easier.

She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, teeth clenched as she leaned into the weight of her cargo. The wheelbarrow’s metal handles dug into her palms, and every few feet, she made sounds like a professional weightlifter mid-rep—grunts and groans that were both involuntary and necessary. The grass beneath her feet felt thick and lush, its dampness from a fresh watering not making her trek any easier. The wheelbarrow wobbled a little, and Allie paused, her breath ragged as she took a moment to readjust her hold.

Her belly was impossible to miss. It sat like a heavy, jiggling boulder in the wheelbarrow, sticking out in every direction. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep it fully contained. It bounced with each push, the babies inside shifting and rolling like the tide.

“Just a little more…” Allie muttered to herself, her voice strained with effort.

She could see the front of the house now, the white delivery bag of food perched innocently on the doorstep like a prize waiting for her. But it might as well have been a mile away. Her legs trembled with each step, her back aching from the sheer effort of carrying so much weight—both in the wheelbarrow and on her frame. Even her newly ballooned hips struggled to keep up, and she wondered briefly if she would ever get used to this body.

The doctor had said she would likely carry to term—nine whole months. And she was only at four months now. Allie shuddered at the thought, unsure how her body would cope with five more months of growth. She already felt enormous, her belly practically a planet, her body soft and plush in ways it had never been before. But despite the exhaustion, the waddling, and the way she could barely walk without the help of her trusty wheelbarrow, there was a quiet thrill that came with it. Every jiggle, every shift in her belly, reminded her of the lives she carried—of the hundred tiny heartbeats growing inside of her.

Allie's breath came out in a ragged puff as she finally reached the front yard, her arms trembling with the effort. She let go of the wheelbarrow’s handles, her swollen belly bouncing lightly as it settled back into place. She leaned against the house for support, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

“Got you,” she said triumphantly, reaching down to grab the food bag. Her stomach gurgled in anticipation, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

Despite everything—the challenge, the strain, the sheer impossibility of it all—Allie found herself smiling. Her body had changed, transformed into something unrecognizable, but there was beauty in that transformation. She was strong, even when she felt weak.

With a satisfied sigh, Allie took the bag of food and turned, ready to face the long, slow trek back to the backyard suite. It was hard, yes, but she’d gotten this far, she knew she could make it the rest of the way. After all, she still had five more months, and she was determined to see it through.

As she gripped the handles of the wheelbarrow once more, her belly jiggling in front of her, Allie whispered to herself with a grin, “We’ve got this, little ones. We’ve got this.”