She loved to prank me. Every week—“Babe, my water broke!” or“I think I’m having contractions!”—and I’d drop everything, run to her side, only for her to burst out laughing. “If you keep doing this, I won’t believe you when it’s real,” I told her once, throwing a pillow at her. She just grinned. “It’s practice! You need to be quick when it actually happens.” Eventually, I stopped reacting. She’d cry wolf too many times.

That afternoon, she leaned against the wall, her face pale. “It hurts… it’s different this time.” I didn’t look up from my game. “Not today, Ain. Seriously, I’m tired.” She slowly sat down, gripping her belly. A dark wetness spread on the floor. Still, I said nothing. Just another joke, I thought.

Then her voice cracked— “PLEASE! Help me… it really hurts!”