Archive of Our Own

It was the day of Emily's baby shower. Officially 32 weeks pregnant.

The party was fun. She had a good time. But something...something bothered her. After most of the guests were gone, Emily had excused herself to a small powder room down the hallway from the living room. She had the door closed.

That day, she was wearing a light purple wrap dress, with a sash tied into a neat bow. The soft light in the room reflected off her bump, accentuating its roundness. She pressed her hands to it and felt the slight flutters of movement underneath.

During the party, everyone was eager to feel the baby kick. She obliged, of course. They had come to celebrate the baby. Emily's hands dropped from her stomach. All her friends, or at least most of her friends, had celebrated and then immediately went back to their lives. Besides Natalie, none of Emily's friends were pregnant or had kids.

It was a lonely feeling, being the first one to take the plunge. She was having to contend with keeping her swollen ankles elevated and hoping against hope that the flats she bought for the shower would still fit her feet. Meanwhile, her friends were off having pedicures and chatting about where to go for brunch.

If only Natalie wasn't so busy all the time. If only...some of her own friends could take the plunge with her...

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Hey...Em?" a voice said from outside. "I'm sorry to bother you, but Evelyn said she was going to help but she's just sitting on her ass and -"

Emily heaved a heavy sigh and then opened the door. Standing outside was Allison, one of her best friends. She stood there in shock, clearly not expecting Emily to exit so suddenly.

"Oh, um, sorry. I didn't mean you needed to- "

"It's OK, Alli," Emily said, "I'll talk to her."

The two women walked down the hallway, although Emily found herself starting to develop a slight waddle. Allison herself looked more put together than normal, wearing a black-and-white striped midi dress with a light tan belt. Her dark hair was up in a high bun, with two strands of hair left down to frame her face.

They entered the living room area, where the majority of the party had taken place. It was an utter mess. Half-drunk glasses and empty plates littered the coffee table, and really any flat surface. Balloons and streamers covered most of the floor. A huge pile of gifts were pushed off to the side. All the serving platters of food, situated on a table at the back, still needed to be put away. Emily didn't even want to see what state the kitchen was in.

And there was Evelyn, Emily's younger sister, lounging on the couch while watching something on her phone. Emily stepped into the space between the couch and the coffee table, stopping directly over Emily's head.

"Hey, so...what happened to helping clean?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes and then looked up. "God I'm still going to, alright? I'm just taking a break."

Emily heard Allison snort a laugh.

"Evelyn," Emily said, trying her utmost to keep her voice calm. "No one asked you to be here. You were the one who announced to the whole group that you would stay and hel-"

"Alli! I told you not to bother her!"

Emily turned her head to see her other best friend Brooke enter from the kitchen. She had a very sophisticated look, as per usual, with a white satin blouse with puff sleeves and black pinstripe trousers. Her short blonde hair was styled into a bob haircut with side-swept bangs. She held what appeared to be a wide, rectangular present in both hands. It was wrapped in a blue and pink polka dot wrapping paper, with a cherry red bow on top.

Brooke glared at Allison, who only shrugged in response.

"It's OK, Brooke," Emily said. "Evelyn is all ready to help now...right?"

The younger sister rolled her eyes again, but at least she put her phone down.

"Yeah, yeah, sure."

She stood up from the couch. Evelyn wore a floral print crop top with spaghetti straps and matching high-waist pants. It was bordering on under-dressed in Emily's mind, but at least she had her hair down, which made her look a little more formal and appropriate. Evelyn's sandy blonde hair hit just below her shoulders in gorgeous beach waves. It was the kind of hair that Emily could only dream about.

Brooke gave Evelyn a disapproving glance and then turned to Emily. "I found this outside the front door when I was taking out the trash."

She handed the box to Emily. There wasn't a card or any writing to indicate who it was from. Holding it in both hands, Emily started to feel uneasy.

"Um, I think I should save this one for later."

"Oh c'mon, open it now," Allison said. "I mean, it's still your baby shower."

"Yeah, open it!" Evelyn said. She circled around the coffee table to get a better view.

Emily looked to Brooke, who was picking up a few stray glasses nearing the serving platters. "It's up to you," she said.

Emily looked down at the box and its brightly colored wrapping paper. There was nothing weird or unusual about it. She suddenly felt quite silly to be worried over a simple present. With a quick exhale, she undid the red bow and pulled off the ribbon. She then tore off the wrapping paper - only to find a plain rectangular box with the words "9 Months: The Game of Pregnancy!" written in cursive on the front. There was a note attached:

Em,

Sorry I couldn't make it to your baby shower! A friend of mine just went into labor and she needed me there! Hope you have a wonderful party and please enjoy the game! Remember: only play it with your non-pregnant friends!

Love,

Natalie

"Oh wow...it's from Natalie..."

Evelyn looked closely at the box that Emily held. "It looks like a board game." Her eyes immediately lit up. "Hey can we play it?"

"No way," Brooke said, shaking her head. "We have to clean up this place first. We can waste time on some dumb game later."

"I mean, is it actually a board game?" Allison asked. "We haven't even seen the inside of it."

Emily pulled up the lid to reveal a flat case of lacquered wood with two metal hinges, a neatly stacked pile of cards, and two six-sided dice, one pink and one blue. There were also some bulky sealed envelopes.

"Yup, looks like a board game to me."

Evelyn turned to her sister. "C'mon Emily, we should try it. Aren't you even a little curious?"

Allison smirked. "Anything to get out of cleaning, huh?" She walked up to Emily. "Here, let me hold that for you."

"Thank you."

Emily plucked out the instruction booklet before Allison took the box. She began to read.

"It says," she announced after a few moments, "that it requires three players and a 'referee'..." Her brow furrowed. "And all the players have to not be pregnant."

That last bit seemed to get everyone's attention.

"Um, what kind of game is this?" Brooke asked.

Emily read the introduction out loud. "'9 Months: The Game of Pregnancy!' is a game where the participants are taken on a journey, living the experience of pregnancy through all three trimesters.

The game is played by three players, each of whom must not be pregnant at the start. In addition, the game will require a referee to prepare special cards for the game and to assist in facilitating the gameplay."

After Emily finished reading, she looked up to gauge people's reactions. Evelyn still seemed quite enthusiastic.

"Well that's perfect!" she said. "We have just the right number of people!"

Emily's two friends shared a glance.

"Yeah...no," Brooke said. "Count me out - there's way too much to do."

"Gonna have to agree with Brooke on this one," Allison said. "We'll just have to play it later."

Emily moved to place the instructions back into the box, but Evelyn waved her hands.

"Wait, wait, how about I sweeten the deal for you guys? If we play right now, and either of you two win, I promise to clean up everything entirely by myself."

Emily cocked an eyebrow. "And what happens if you win?"

"Well then I don't clean up at all."

Allison snorted a laugh. "And there it is."

Emily's face faltered. "Evelyn. You already made a promise..."

At that moment, Emily turned to Allison, expecting her friend to have the same reaction. But Allison actually appeared to be mulling it over.

"Yeah," she said, "I'll take you up on that. Two against one, odds are in our favor." She chuckled to herself. "It'll be fun to sit back and drink mimosas while you're vacuuming."

All eyes turned to Brooke. "You...you can't be serious!" she said. "Even if we do win, how do we know she'll keep her end of the bargain?"

"Hey!" Evelyn appeared insulted, although it was hard for tell if it was genuine or not. "I keep my word! I know I was taking a break, but I was about to help, I swear!"

Allison chuckled again. "Sure you were. Regardless..." She stepped up closer to Evelyn with a smirk. "I think it'll be fun to knock you down a peg or two. What d'ya say, Brooke?"

Brooke stood there for a moment and then let out a sigh. "Fine. I just hope this game doesn't take too long."

~

After some hasty cleanup, they managed to clear space on the coffee table. Emily found that the case opened like a book, revealing a surprisingly spacious game board. Once laid flat, there appeared a stylized carving of a pregnant woman cradling her bump in the very center. Her huge belly was curved like a bowl and inset into the board. There was a little indentation mark in the center to present her belly button.

Start and end positions were obvious. On the bottom left, there was a "YOU'RE PREGNANT!" area and an "FULL TERM" section to the top right. Between those two points, the board was divided into three segments, each with a different color. The first, labeled "1st Trimester," was colored pink, the second, labeled "2nd Trimester," was a light blue color, and the final one was "3rd Trimester" in yellow.

To Emily, the game board itself resembled Candy Land, with a path of squares that zig-zagged up and down the board, curving around the massive pregnant belly bowl in the middle. Some of the squares had a yellow "caution" symbol while others had the outline of...a toilet.

Inlaid into the top left and bottom right corners of the board were two multi-colored spinners. The top left one was labeled "Weight Gain" with the wheel equally divided into eight sections. A number was printed on each section, starting at "5" and increasing by increments of five until "40."

In the bottom right corner, the other wheel was simply labeled "Multiples." The wheel itself was divided into six parts, labeled from "1" to "6."

Emily sat at the head of the coffee table in the only padded chair in the living room. Brooke and Allison sat next to each on the couch. Evelyn was consigned to pulling up a dining chair, setting herself directly across from Allison and Brooke. She seemed eager to get started.

"OK, so what do we do first?"

Emily looked at the instructions. "First, we need to take out the game pieces."

She reached over to the box and picked out an envelope and opened it. Out slid three marble game pieces, each shaped as the side silhouette of a very pregnant woman. Each piece had a flat bottom, and keeping with the color scheme, were each a specific color - pink, blue, and yellow. Emily cradled them in her hand. They had the weight and heft of chess pieces.

"I call the pink one!" Evelyn said.

"OK...which one do you want, Brooke?" Allison asked.

"Oh, um, I'll take the yellow one."

"Alrighty, blue for me then."

Emily leaned over as best she could to hand the pieces to the players. She winced - that belly of hers made the simple act of bending feel like a challenge.

Afterwards, she pulled out the two dice and reviewed the instructions. "OK, it goes in order from youngest to oldest."

"OK, I go first!" Evelyn leaned over and snatched the dice from Emily's hand.

"Evelyn! Wait, there's-"

The younger sister gave the dice a quick shake and tossed them into the bowl in the middle of the board. It came up two sixes.

"Twelve! Hah! I'm in the lead already."

She leaned over and counted out twelve squares. But when she placed her game piece of the board, it rattled slightly...and then moved. Evelyn sat there motionless, eyes wide as the game piece crept backwards down the path, finally settled in the "YOU’RE PREGNANT!" section.

There was silence for a moment.

Evelyn was the first to speak. "What the hell happened? Is this board magnetized or something?"

Brooke leaned over the board with her game piece. "Wait, let me try something..."

She set her own piece down in a random position on the board, and they all watched as the yellow game piece slowly shuffled its way to the starting position. Without a word, Allison did the same and watched her blue piece move on its own.

"Wow, that's...kinda cool actually."

Evelyn grimaced. "OK sure, but I rolled. I'm the youngest. So why did it go back to start?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "You're acting like this game has a mind of its own. It's probably just on a specific track."

Finally Emily managed to get a word in. "Hey, I think I know what the problem is." She re-read the instructions quickly, making sure she hadn't misunderstood. "You each have to, um, take a pregnancy test."

She reached into the box and pulled out a bulky envelope. When she unsealed it, three pregnancy tests slid out.

"Wait...those are real," Allison said. "We're supposed to take actual pregnancy tests? What the fuck kind of game is this?"

"Oh, gonna forfeit already?" Evelyn said with a smirk.

Allison crossed her arms. "Fuck no, I'm not forfeiting. I just think it's weird."

Evelyn snatched a test out of Emily's hand and headed towards the bathroom. "Weird or not, that's the game we signed up for." She disappeared into the hallway.

Brooke looked to Emily and then to Allison. "Are we really doing this?" she asked.

"I know I am!" Allison said, taking her own test. "I get it if you want to bow out, but there's no way I'm giving Evelyn the satisfaction of winning."

Emily shook her head. "Seriously, you guys don't have to do this. If you want to leave, I can finish cleaning up and -"

"No way!" Allison responded.

Brooke seemed to share the sentiment. "We are not leaving you to clean all this up," she said. "Let's just play this game, get it over with."

She in turn took her own pregnancy test and stood up. Allison followed suit, and the two women split off towards bathrooms in other parts of the house.

It left Emily completely alone. For a moment, she wondered what Natalie meant by giving her this game, specifically designed for the exact number of people in the house. It was just a coincidence, right?

She didn't have long to contemplate. After scanning the rules, she realized that as the referee, she needed to prepare special cards. There was a deck of blank cards in an envelope that she was instructed to have ready for play. But in order to do that, she would have to venture into the kitchen.

~

With cards completed, Emily sat down onto the padded chair with a heavy thud. Her feet were swollen, and she had a slight headache from rushing to search through her entire pantry and refrigerator. It didn't help that the kitchen itself looked like a bomb had gone off, so there was a huge mess and disorganization to contend with.

She let out a breath...and then she noticed something. The pink game piece....its shape was changing. She blinked and then blinked again. At first, she assumed it was a trick of the light, but as she sat up, she could see very clearly that the silhouette of the pregnant woman had changed. Its belly had completely flattened.

"What the hell..."

And then moments later, the blue one's shape changed...and then the yellow one. She watched all three game pieces deflate. Their feminine shapes remained, but the overt pregnant bellies were gone. It was like the "pregnancy" had been undone...or perhaps reset.

"All done!"

Emily looked up to see her sister appear from the hallway, holding her pregnancy test. She walked back to her chair. "Where are the others?"

"Still taking their tests. What...did you get?"

Evelyn had already pulled out her phone. She didn't even bother to glance up. "Oh, it's positive."

The answer was completely casual, but Emily kept thinking about that game piece and how it had literally changed shape in front of her eyes. And then remembered something...she needed to do more setup. She took the premade set of cards and placed them into a designated spot at the top of the board. She then placed the other set of cards, the ones she had written, next to them.

Allison and Brooke both appeared at nearly the same time.

"OK, we did the thing," Allison said, waving the test about. "What do we do now?"

"Um, d-did you guys get positive pregnancy tests too?"

Brooke nodded. "Yes, we both did." She sat down on her spot on the couch, and Allison sat down next to her. "I just assume it's some weird way to 'unlock' the game pieces."

"Hey, what are those cards?" Allison asked, pointing to the card decks.

"Oh! Um, just a second..."

Emily scanned the instructions to get to the part she was supposed to read.

"The game board is divided into ninety-nine squares," she read, "with each trimester being thirty-three squares. Roll both dice into the dice bowl in the center of the board. Your game piece will automatically move to the correct square.

Some squares have a 'caution' symbol while others have a toilet symbol. If you land on a square with a 'caution' symbol, you must pull one Event card from the top of the Event card deck. If you land on a square with the toilet symbol, you lose your next turn."

Emily paused as she scanned further. "Oh there's a note here: 'At any time, before rolling the dice, a player may announce that they will spin on the Multiples spinner in the corner of the board. The resulting number will act as a multiplier for the roll. Each player may only use the Multiples spinner once per game."

"Oh, so like, if you spun and got a four," Allison said, "it would be four times what you roll."

Emily nodded. "That's right, and you can't use it again." She glanced to her left and noticed that Evelyn had put her phone away and was listening closely.

"So as we've already covered, it goes from youngest to oldest. So Evelyn goes first and then...I think you go Allie and then you Brooke."

Evelyn frowned. "Wait, so I don't get to keep my original roll?"

Emily shook her head, causing Evelyn to huff in frustration.

"Uggh, just roll again, goddamn," Allison said.

"Fine."

Evelyn took the two dice in the bowl and after a little shake dropped them back in. It was a two and a three. They all watched as the pink figurine advanced five spaces. It was an empty space, so no "special" events occurred.

Allison reached over to pick up the dice. "I just don't understand," Brooke said as Allison dropped the dice into the bowl. A one and a four. Her blue game piece advanced to the fifth square as well.

"What do you not get?" Emily asked.

Allison reached over and picked up the dice. "I just don't understand what the appeal is here. It just seems very, very basic if all we're doing is just rolling dice and moving game pieces around."

She dropped the dice into the bowl. Four and four. Her yellow piece advanced to the eighth square, a development which made Evelyn grit her teeth.

"My original roll should have counted," she said under her breath. "I'd be way ahead already."

"Oh my god..." Allison pressed her hands to her temple. "Are you going to be complaining the entire fucking game? It's your turn again, just roll already."

Evelyn scowled at Allison but picked up the dice all the same. She rolled. Two ones.

"Oh fuck me," she said.

Her piece advanced two places, to another empty square.

Allison took the dice and winked at Evelyn. "Don't worry, I'm sure you won't lose too horribly."

She rolled. A two and a three. Her piece moved five spaces, passing Evelyn's in the process. Her piece landed on a square with a caution symbol.

"What does that mean again?" Allison asked.

"You take a card from the top of the Event deck," Emily said, pointing to the premade cards.

"OK..." Allison took a card from the top and read it outloud. "You've gained some pregnancy weight! Use the 'Weight Gain' spinner to find out how many pounds you put on."

"It's the spinner right there," Emily said, pointing to the "Weight Gain" section.

"And then what happens?" Allison asked.

It was a good question. Emily shrugged. "I don't know, maybe you just have to use your imagination?"

Allison chuckled to herself and flicked the arrow on the spinner. It eventually landed on "5."

"Holy cow, look at that!" Brooke said.

She pointed to the blue game piece. It was subtle, but there was a change in the silhouette of the pregnant woman. She seemed to be a little wider.

Allison smiled in amusement. "Daaamn, the game pieces actually change? That's incredi-...hunh..."

Her brow furrowed, and she shifted slightly in her seat. She twisted her belt and then exhaled.

"Is everything OK?" Emily asked.

Allison waved it off. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. My belt felt a little tight so it just needed some adjustment."

"Sounds to me," Evelyn said with a smirk, "like you're getting fat too."

"Shut up, Evel-."

"Hey!" Brooke interrupted. "Can you two please stop this?" She looked at Allison and then at Evelyn. "If this keeps up, we're going to be here all day."

The two women glared at each other, but they both nodded in agreement.

"Thank you."

Brooke took the dice and rolled. Two fives. Her piece advanced to the lead, onto a blank square.

Next it was Evelyn. She quickly grabbed the dice. She was in last place and desperate to regain ground. Unfortunately for her, her roll was one and three...and it landed her piece on a square with the toilet symbol.

She slouched down in her chair with a groan.

"Does that mean I lose my turn?" she asked Emily.

"Yeah...sorry."

"Oh my god this is so unfair. I -"

Her words cut out. She looked confused by something, and she began to squirm in her seat. She crossed her legs.

"What were you about to say?" Allison asked with a grin. "Something about this being...unfair?"

"N-nevermind, just keep going."

As Allison picked up the dice, Emily turned to see Evelyn pressing her thighs more tightly together. She looked very uncomfortable.

Allison rolled two fives, advanced well ahead of Evelyn. "You have a lot of catching up to do," she said with a smirk.

But Evelyn didn't appear to notice Allison's taunting. Her face was turning red.

"Um, Evelyn?"

"I-I...fuck, I gotta pee!"

In an instant, she bounded out of her chair and raced towards the bathroom, squeezing her thighs together as she best she could. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck..." She disappeared down the hallway.

The three friends all stared at the place where Evelyn had disappeared and then back at each other.

Allison slouched down into the couch and laughed. "OK now that was funny. I guess the little princess couldn't control her bladder." She reached down and adjusted her belt again.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Yes, very funny."

She took her turn and got a five and a four on the roll. Her game piece moved well out into the lead...and onto an Event square. Without hesitation, she pulled a card from the top of the deck.

"Pregnancy has got you craving weird foods together!" she read. "Draw two cards from the Food Craving deck." She looked at Emily. "Is this other deck the 'Food Craving' one?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah I had to prepare it before the game started, so I apologize if any of my writing is hard to read."

Brooke leaned over and took a card. "Lemon," she said. She took another card. "Mustard."

Allison groaned with a laugh. "Oh my god that's vile! Can you imagine someone actually eating that?"

Brooke stared down at the cards. She licked her lips. "So, um, Emily, these are all foods that you have right?"

"Yeah," Emily said, "the rules were very specific to only include foods that I had on hand."

Brooke daintily put the cards off to the side. She swallowed and then bit her lip. "Um, w-would you two excuse me for a minute? I, um, I have to do something."

Without waiting for a response, she immediately stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

Allison looked at Brooke in disbelief. "Wait, what are you..." Brooke swiftly disappeared into the kitchen. "...doing." She blinked and then turned to Emily. "Sooo, I guess we wait?"

Emily shrugged. "I guess so."

Emily took the opportunity to re-read the rules in case there was anything important she missed. Allison idled away the time drumming against the coffee table. It was a full minute before she spoke up.

"Oh wait, didn't Evelyn lose her turn? I guess I can just go."

She picked up the dice but stopped when they both heard Brooke from the other room.

"Mmmph...ohhmuhgawd so ghwood..."

Allison practically leaped to her feet. "Holy shit, don't tell me..."

She headed towards Brooke. Emily managed to push herself up so that she could follow.

When they entered the kitchen, they found Brooke amid the chaos, standing over a cutting board with a lemon cut into thick slices. She held a squeeze bottle of yellow mustard in one hand. She didn't seem to notice her friends' arrival.

She picked up a slice from the cutting board and then squirted mustard directly onto it, dousing the whole thing in a bright yellow. Allison and Emily stood speechless as Brooke took a huge bite, straight through the rind. She let out a moan of satisfaction as she chewed.

"Shoooo gewwdd."

Allison and Emily looked at each other...and then Allison started laughing so hard it shocked Brooke out of her reverie.

"Evelyn nearly pissing herself was funny, but this is pure gold!"

Brooke continued chewing, although her countenance changed from ecstatic satisfaction to slight embarrassment. "Hey! Eshh nawt funnhee!"

She swallowed and then frowned at Allison, who was still laughing. "Seriously it's not funny, Allie! I just wanted a snack."

Allison had to support herself with one hand on the counter. "Y-you actually like that? Lemons and mustard? Together?"

Brooke took the last slice from the cutting board. "Well...yeah! The sour citrus of the lemon, mixed with that tangy kick from the mustard, with just a little hint of sweetness. Mmph! It just really hits the spot."

She then proceeded to slather the last lemon slice with mustard and popped the entire thing in her mouth.

"Ugh!" Allison said. She reeled back despite being clearly amused by the whole display. "Fucking gross!"

Emily watched the entire exchange with mounting dread. The board game...was it actually affecting all of them? She couldn't help but notice that Allison's belt was snug after that "weight gain" Event card. Evelyn had to run off once she landed on the square with the toilet. And Brooke...she pulled two random foods and now was relishing eating them together. It was far more than coincidence - the game was changing them somehow.

"Alright, c'mon we need to get back to it," Allison said. "Are you done?"

"Yes, thank you," Brooke said. She smacked her lips. "Mmph delicious."

The three women walked back to the living room, just in time to see Evelyn appear from the hallway.

"D-did I miss anything?" she asked.

"Not really," Allison said sitting down on the couch. "Heh Brooke here needed a little snack break."

Brooke nodded with a sheepish smile. She sat down in her spot.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked Evelyn.

"Um, yeah. Yeah I am." She seemed slightly embarrassed at the question. "I-I didn't realize I had to go so bad."

"OK well, my turn!" Allison took the dice and rolled them into the bowl. Two and one. Her piece advanced three spaces, landing on an Event card square. She bent over and picked up the card from the top.

"Oh no, you have morning sickness! You lose your next turn." She set the card down. "Good news, Evelyn, you may get a chance to ca...to catch...oooph..."

They watched as Allison leaned back, pressing a hand to her stomach.

Brooke suddenly looked quite alarmed. "Are you OK!?"

Allison looked like she was turning green. "Uggh I just keep thinking...of that lemon and you uggh squirting it with that awful mustard...uuuhhg the smell of it was just...so..."

In a split second, Allison was on her feet and sprinting towards the hallway bathroom. Brooke and Emily stood up out of their chairs. Evelyn stayed seated but turned her head to see where Allison was going.

Brooke started to move in the direction of the hallway.

"Hey, I don't know what's going on," Emily said, "but it's your turn.

Brooke turned to Evelyn. "Allie's sick, she needs -"

"Then roll and then go help her. You wanted this game over with, didn't you?"

Brooke rolled her eyes but didn't argue further. She scooped up the dice and quickly dropped them. Five and six. Her piece advanced well ahead of the others, crossing into "2nd Trimester" territory.

"There. I'm going to check on Allie."

She took a few steps and then stopped. She stood there, completely frozen. Then she slowly turned to face Emily. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. "I-I felt something..."

Emily's heart skipped a beat. It was happening. It was really happening.

"W-what did you feel?"

"At first I thought it was indigestion," Brooke responded. There was a quiver in her voice. "B-but it became a light flutter and then it became something more, I don't know, distinct. I-I think it was a kick."

Brooke pulled up her blouse. It was small, but there was a very obvious bump in the space just below her navel. She looked down and pressed a finger into it with her free hand. It seemed firm to the touch.

She looked up at Emily. "I...I think I'm pregnant."

~

It took some time, but eventually Emily managed to get Brooke to sit down. Her friend was back in her usual spot on the couch, but she was still clearly in shock. She didn't say anything, only staring at her lap and occasionally rubbing her hand over her stomach.

Emily knew the feeling. Once you knew the bump was there, it was impossible to ignore.

Thankfully Evelyn showed enough tact to stay quiet during the whole pregnancy reveal. When Emily glanced over, she noticed that her sister had an expression on her face...something that bordered on sympathy.

"Hey guys..."

They all turned to see Allison appear from the hallway. Her face was a little pale, but she seemed generally fine. Emily cursed herself for forgetting that her other friend needed help too.

"Sorry for running off," Allison said. "I don't kn-"

"I'm pregnant," Brooke said.

The words hit Allison like a freight train. She stood there, completely stunned for a few long seconds. "Oh my god...are you serious?"

Brooke nodded.

Immediately Allison was racing back to the couch. She landed right next to Brooke with a thud and took both of her hands in her own. "W-when did you find out?"

Brooke looked at her, holding back tears. "Just a minute ago..."

"Oh my god, oh my god!" Allison wrapped her friend in a big bear hug. "Congratulations! You're gonna be a Mom!"

While in Allison's embrace, Brooke blinked a few times. And then she smiled.

"Heh yeah, you're right, I'm...I'm gonna be a Momma..."

Emily watched her friends like she was watching characters on a TV show. The whole situation was utterly surreal. Allison and Brooke weren't freaking out - they were excited.

When the two friends eventually parted, Brooke was fanning her eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Sorry, I guess I'm getting a little emotional." She glanced over to the game board. "Um, whose turn is it now?"

Emily's eyes went wide. She quickly looked at all three players in turn, but everyone seemed intent on playing. Did they...not see that was happening?

"I-I think Evelyn is next," she eventually said. Should she be encouraging this? Emily realized that she wasn't sure. Brooke did look happy...

Evelyn leaned over and picked up the dice. She rolled a two and a four...but nothing happened. She turned to Emily.

"Um, I think the game's broken."

"Oh, um..." Emily examined the game board. And then she realized something - Brooke's game piece had landed on an Event square.

"You didn't pick your Event card," she said to Brooke.

"Oh...right. I guess I got a little distracted."

She took an Event card but frowned when she saw the contents. "You've gained some pregnancy weight! Use the 'Weight Gain' spinner to find out how many pounds you put on."

Brooke let out a sigh. "Oh boy, just what I was looking forward to." She flicked the spinner...and it landed on "20."

Emily watched as the yellow figurine expanded outward, first its belly making a slight curve, and then...its boobs.

"Oooh..."

Emily turned her head, just in time to witness the buttons on the front of Brooke's blouse start to gap and then pull, particularly around her bust. Her boobs suddenly formed a distinct outline through the previously loose top. It was like she had gained two cup sizes, all in the span of seconds.

Brooke looked down in frustration. "And this is one of my favorite blouses too. I'm already outgrowing it."

"Yeah, I'll say," Allison said. "And by the looks of it, you're gonna need a new bra too."

Brooke frowned. "Ugh please, don't remind me."

"So," Evelyn said a bit forcefully, "do I have to roll again?"

Emily nodded. She didn't understand - why was Evelyn still playing? Why were any of them still playing?

Evelyn took the dice and rolled. A two and a one. "Fuck."

Her piece advanced three spaces, still well behind the others.

"You're up again, Brooke," said Allison. "I have to skip my turn."

"Oh goody..."

Brooke picked up the dice and dropped them into the bowl. A five and a six. Her piece moved eleven spaces and landed on an Event.

"Oh no, not again."

She picked up an Event card, and her eyes widened.

"Oh shit, what does it say?" Allison asked.

Brooke gulped. "E-early lactation..."

She let out a sudden exhale and began to breathe heavily. "Oh my god, I'm burning up." Her face was suddenly flush, tiny beads of sweat collecting on her forehead. The gaps on her blouse...the buttons pulled further and further apart until...

pop pop pop

A single button around her bust popped open, and then another. And another. Everyone stared as Brooke's chest swelled. The new opening in her blouse only served to draw attention to the signifiant amount of cleavage she had developed. And it was quite obvious that the bra she wore was not up for the task - her areola was very nearly visible.

"Oh goddammit," she groaned in frustration. "What next..."

"Um," Allison said, "y-you're leaking..."

"I'm...huh!?"

Suddenly wet spots appeared through her top, one for each of her breasts. Right where her nipples were.

"Ugghhh oh my god! I'm...what do I do? What do I do?"

A thought came to Emily. "Evelyn! Someone gave me a box of nursing pads for my shower, go get them!"

Fortunately Evelyn didn't argue. She looked more confused than anything. "Y-yeah sure..."

After a few moments of sorting through the pile of gifts, she brought the square box of nursing pads to Emily. She ripped it open and pulled out two white circular pads and handed them to Brooke.

Brooke didn't need to be told how to use them, she just knew instinctively. She gently slid a pad down under her shirt and then under her bra.

"Ahhh..." She winced as she put the first one in place. "Mmmh...ahhh..." She slipped the second one in.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Emily. And thank you Evelyn." Evelyn nodded, although she was clearly trying to seem uninterested.

"Oh my god, my boobs feel so heavy."

Brooke gently cupped the sides of each breast in her hands. "Whew, and sensitive. God, every little movement, I can feel it."

"Do you want to take a break?" Emily asked.

Brooke shook her head. "No, I want to get this game over with. We still need to clean up."

She turned to Evelyn. "I just went so it's your turn."

Evelyn nodded. She surveyed the board and found that her piece was in dead last. She scooped up the dice. Emily could see that her hand was shaking a bit. Was she that unnerved by the prospect of having to clean up?

She rolled. Two and two. Her piece moved four spaces...onto a square with a toilet.

"Oh no..."

Evelyn's face scrunched as she quickly squeezed her thighs together. "N-not...again..."

And then she was off, racing to the bathroom.

"You know," Allison said, "I'm actually starting to feel kinda bad for her." She picked up the dice and grinned. "Almost."

Allison dropped the two dice into the bow. Five and six. Her game piece moved itself as usual...and then crossed into the "2nd Trimester."

Emily intently watched the blue piece once it had stopped. Sure enough, it started to grow. A little bump formed.

"OK," Allison said with a frown, "this belt has got to go."

She reached down and unbuckled it. Once the clash was off, Allison exhaled. "Ooooh thank god..."

The striped dress accentuated just how much her stomach puffed out. It wasn't a mystery as to where those five extra pounds had gone.

And then, Allison leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She placed a hand over the area below her navel.

Brooke looked at the display with astonishment. "A-Allie? Are you pregnant?!"

Allison still had her eyes closed, but she smiled. "Yeah...yeah I think so."

She opened her eyes and tilted her head up. "I had a feeling earlier. I knew something was different." She continued to rub the area around her stomach.

Suddenly her eyes shot open. "Oh! And...there it is." She chuckled to herself. "Yeah, I 'm definitely knocked up."

"Oh my god...Allie..." Brooke cupped her hands over mouth. She looked like she was on the verge of tears again.

Allison leaned over and embraced her friend. "I guess all three of us are in this together, huh?" she whispered.

Emily felt like she was going to cry too. She stood up and wrapped her arms around her friends, and the three pregnant women all seemed on the verge of crying their eyes out.

"Ahem!"

They all turned to see Evelyn sitting down in her chair. They didn't realize she had returned from her sudden bathroom break.

"It looks like you landed on an Event," she said. "Have you picked your card yet?"

The three friends parted. Emily awkwardly slid back into her seat.

"Oh...right," Allison said, "I still need to do that."

She leaned over and huffed a bit as her stomach was squished. She took an Event card and looked at it. "I got the Food Craving one."

"Take two cards from the Food Craving deck then," Emily said.

She took the first card off the top. "Canned tuna. OK that isn't so bad." She took the second card. "Banana."

Everyone at the table erupted with a collective groan.

"Ugh GROSS!" Brooke said.

"I know right?" Allison said. "It's like these cards are rigged to pick the vilest options."

She sat back on the couch. "Although..."

"No!" Brooke said.

"Hey now, I watched you eat an entire lemon doused in mustard, rind and all. You're in no position to judge."

"But...but...banana and tuna? The texture alone..."

"Yeah but think about - you get that sweetness and creaminess from the banana and then you have the meaty pieces of tuna fish swimming in that all delicious-"

"Stop, please stop."

"Nuh-uh, ain't happening." She turned to the group. "You guys keep going, I'll be right back."

Allison stood, knocking her belt to the ground. Standing straight, Emily could see that she had a much more pronounced belly than Brooke. A few moments later, she disappeared into the kitchen.

Brooke shook her head. "I guess it's my turn now."

She rolled the dice. Three and five. Her piece moved forward, maintaining her commanding lead. Much to Brooke's relief, she landed on a blank square.

Evelyn was about to roll, but Emily stopped her. "You lost your turn, remember?"

"Fuck you're right."

"We just need to wait until-"

"Laaaadies," Allison announced. She entered from the kitchen holding a plate with a spoon in one hand and a can of tuna in the other. "I present to you - the tuna banana split!"

As she approached, Emily could see that Allison had taken a very large banana and split it in half. Placed on top of the splits were three ice-cream shaped scoops of canned tuna fish. She plopped down in her spot, relishing the horrified reaction from Brooke.

"And now for the sauce..."

She titled the tuna can and poured the remnant tuna fish water over the entire thing.

Brooke held her hand over her mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Allison took a big spoonful of tuna and banana and then took a bite. Her eyes fluttered from contentment.

"Mmmph shooooo geewwwdd..."

"Hey, it's your turn now," Evelyn said, seemingly not affected by Allison's antics.

Allison took another heaping spoonful and shoved it into her mouth. Balancing the plate on one hand, she leaned over and grabbed the dice with the other. She dropped them in the bowl. Three and three. Her piece moved six spaces, landing on another Event card.

Her face faltered. She reached over, never letting the plate tilt even a centimeter. She managed to pick up the card.

"Weight gain. Yeaah that checks out."

She flicked the arrow on the Weight Gain spinner, and it stopped at "15."

She leaned back into the couch with a sigh of relief. Emily watched Allison's game piece widen further, and sure enough, she noticed Allison filling out to match. The curves around her stomach and sides became more pronounced. Her face looked a tad fuller. Not that she noticed, of course. Her whole focus was on her delicious (and disgusting) creation.

Brooke held her nose to avoid the tuna smell, and she leaned in closer to take the dice. She rolled a one and a two. A much lower roll than normal for her. Despite that, her piece still maintained a healthy lead.

Evelyn picked up the dice and rolled. Her eyes lit up when she got two sixes. "Finally!" she yelled as she pumped her fist into the air.

The game piece moved a full twelve places down the track - and onto a blank square to boot. She turned with smug satisfaction to Allison, who was just finishing the last spoonful of her "banana split."

"Oh-ho maybe you're not hopeless after all," Allison said with a smirk.

She set her empty plate on the corner of the coffee table and grabbed the dice. She dropped them into the bowl and got a one and a four. She advanced five squares...onto a toilet square.

Her eyes widened. "Wait, does that mean..." She immediately squeezed her thighs together. "Yep it's exactly that!"

Allison hurried herself out of her seat and started hustling to the bathroom. As she moved, Emily could clearly see that her butt and hips looked a tad on the fuller side. Every frantic step caused them to giggle more so than normal.

Evelyn snickered to herself as Allison rushed past. But her amusement disappeared when she watched Brooke lean over to pick up the dice. Brooke's yellow piece was so close to the Third Trimester, practically any roll would get it across the line.

She rolled two fours. As predicted, the yellow game piece slid across the boundary between the Second and Third Trimester. When the piece stopped, it began to grow, developing a much more prominent bump.

POP!

Emily turned to Brooke who had shifted backwards in her seat. Her face went a little red from embarrassment. "Uhh sorry everyone, these pants are not maternity wear."

All the while, her belly grew slowly but steadily, forming a dome under her blouse. As the blouse had been on the looser side originally, it provided enough space for her growing stomach. At least for now.

She reached her hands down and cupped the underside of her bump with both hands. It had gained enough prominence that she could slide both hands underneath it. But despite the growth, her chest remained her biggest feature on display.

"How are you feeling?" Emily asked. If she had crossed into the Third Trimester, then that meant her friend was 28 weeks. A mere month away from Emily's own progression.

Brooke waved a hand. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I just...ooph...my boobs are aching."

"I'm so sorry, that sounds awful."

Emily thankfully didn't have early lactation like Brooke, but she understood from personal experience the uncomfortable changes that pregnancy could bring. And then she happened to glance at the board. Her face faltered.

"Sorry Brooke, it looks like you have an Event card."

Brooke rolled her eyes and tried her best to sit up. She was clearly not used to having a bump to contend with, because she kept finding herself not quite able to bend the way she expected to. Eventually she managed to lean over the board and take the card. She looked quite displeased with what she pulled.

"Weight gain. Just what I needed."

She flicked the Weight Gain arrow, and it spun and spun. She watched it with mounting dread. Finally it stopped...on "35."

"Ohh my g-"

RIPPP

Immediately her breasts forced themselves out through the hole in her blouse, causing actual tearing in the process. The boobs themselves were actively growing, spilling out of the remaining confines of her white bra and exposing the large, dark areola on each breast. Within mere seconds, the top half of the blouse had completely split open, leaving only a few stray buttons at the bottom. And even those were starting to pull.

SNAP!

Her boobs jiggled furiously as the entire bra lost its tension. Her entire chest shifted downwards from the force of gravity, causing Brooke to wince at the sudden drop. With the bra suddenly coming loose, the nursing pads started to slip out as well, allowing wet stains to appear through the bra cups.

"Brooke! Are you OK?!" Emily didn't know what to do. Her friend seemed to be gritting her teeth and bearing it, but she wanted to offer her some kind of support. Anything really.

"I-I'll live," she responded, "I'm just glad my pants were already popped open".

Emily could see that Brooke's face was a little rounder now. Her sides appeared more filled out as well, pushing against the fabric of her blouse and threatening to split it along the seams.

At last the weight seemed to "settle" on her, and she leaned back into the couch, clearly exhausted from the ordeal. She reached up and attempted to adjust the bra to provide some coverage and push the nursing pads back into place. Slouched as she was, her boobs hung down to the lack of bra strap and brushed against the top of her bump.

"Um, Evelyn," she said between breaths. "It's your turn."

Evelyn blinked out of her shock from watching the whole display. "Oh! Right."

She rolled. A six and a four. Her piece advanced ten spaces...and into Second Trimester territory. The figure stopped on an Event square and then immediately began to change. A small bump formed on the woman's silhouette.

"Oh wow, I think this is my first Event!"

Emily turned to her sister who sat in her chair as per usual...but the waistband of her pants started to slouch down a bit. And then a little further. The curve of a small bump peeked out over the top of the pants. She didn't seem to notice it at all.

"You're...pregnant..." Emily found herself saying. It wasn't a question, more of a realization that even her sister had been caught in the enchantment of the game.

Evelyn turned her head. "Well of course I'm pregnant!" She pulled down the waistband of her pants to give a full view of her stomach. "What does it look like to you?"

The bump itself had filled out the area right up to her navel - it was bigger than either Allison or Brooke's bumps at that point. Emily was speechless, not sure how to respond to seeing her sister carrying a baby.

"Y-you look pregnant alright..." she stammered.

Evelyn snapped her pants back over her bump, for the most part. She then leaned over to pick up a card. When she looked at its contents, her brow furrowed. "Oh no! You have swollen ankles!" she read.

She looked at Emily and Brooke. "So, what does that mean?"

Brooke, who had managed to sit herself upright again, couldn't help but chuckle a little. "It means look down, Evelyn."

"You mean I - ow! What's..." She looked down and nearly screamed. "M-my feet are swelling!"

She raised her foot up high enough for everyone to see. She was wearing sandals with an ankle strap, and Emily could see that the top of Evelyn's foot and ankle were swelling outwards. The ankle strap was actively digging into her skin.

"Dear lord, take those off!" Brooke yelled.

Seemingly still in shock, Evelyn nodded and worked to unbuckle the strap which was sinking deep into her ankle. After a moment of struggle, she undid the buckle and let out a sigh of relief. The strap had left a very obvious indent.

"Now that's what I call 'cankles'!"

Evelyn turned to see Allison come up from behind her. She grimaced at the remark.

"It's not funny!"

Allison returned to her seat with a chuckle. Evelyn didn't say anything further, only gazing down at her once-slender ankles and feet. They seemed more akin to plump sausages with toes.

"I think I'm next," Brooke said with resignation. She managed to lean herself over the board to pick up the dice. When she rolled, she got a two and a three. Her piece moved five spaces and landed on a "bathroom" square.

Brooke didn't hesitate - she started to get to her feet. "Ugh I guess it's my turn now."

She pushed herself upright and eventually managed to stand up. As she moved around the coffee table, Emily could see her boobs bounce with each step. There was a heaviness to them that prevented Brooke from moving too quickly. They looked quite swollen and sensitive. To make matters even more complicated, Emily felt like she could see Brooke's belly grow a bit as she passed by. It was small, but enough to further stretch out the fabric over her bump.

"It's your turn, Evelyn," Emily said after a moment.

"Huh? Oh...right."

Her sister was clearly still concerned about her ankles. She had removed both of her sandals and was barefoot.

Evelyn reached for the dice and rolled them. A three and a four. Her piece advanced seven squares into a blank space, which caused her to breathe a sigh of relief.

Without prompting, Allison grabbed the dice and then threw them into the bowl. Six and four. The piece landed ten squares later onto Event square.

"Oh boy here we go."

She pulled a card from the top of the deck. "Weight gain..." She turned to Emily. "Were you supposed to, like, shuffle these or something first?"

Emily shrugged. "It didn't tell me to do anything different with those cards. I just put them out as-is."

Allison sighed. She flicked the arrow, and it landed on "20."

Immediately there was a creaking sound from the couch - the area directly under Allison. Her sides seem to spread out further, reaching the limits of what her dress could comfortably accommodate. It was starting to appear tight. Her face became rounder, full enough to form a double-chin at certain angles. Her belly and boobs seemed a little bigger as well. Emily realized that the biggest change wasn't visible to them - when she looked at the blue game piece, the posterior of the female silhouette had doubled in size.

"Evelyn, your turn," Emily said after a moment.

Her sister took the dice and surveyed the board. "I feel like I'm starting to catch up," she said, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Go ahead," Allison said, "I'm sure there's a Weight Gain card with your name on it."

Evelyn gulped. She clearly wasn't in a rush to put on any extra weight. She rolled the dice and got two fives. Much to her relief, she landed on a blank square.

"Hey everyone..."

The group turned to see Brooke walk, or more accurately waddle, her way back to the game table. She had re-secured most of the buttons over her bust, although there was one that was left open, showing a peek of her bra.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked as she sat down.

"Oh, y'know just me getting fatter."

"Oh c'mon Allie, we're all getting fat."

"Hey!" Emily and Evelyn said in unison.

"Ah heh sorry everyone...um, whose turn is it?"

Allison rolled her eyes. "It's my turn, again."

She leaned over with a huff and rolled the dice. Two sixes. The blue piece advanced the full twelve spaces and landed on a blank space. But she crossed the Third Trimester boundary.

As soon as the piece stopped, its belly grew.

"Well at least it's a blank...ooph..."

She pressed her hands to her stomach ,and Emily watched as Allison's hands spread further and further apart from each other. Her ballooning bump grew out onto her lap and forced her to sit back. The couch underneath her creaked ominously.

"God I'm getting so big," she said.

The seams on the side of Allison's dress started to pull apart. Her growing belly combined with her weight gain was proving too much for it.

Brooke regarded Allison's increasingly round stomach and then picked up the dice. "OK, let's see what's in store for me."

She rolled, getting a one and a six. Seven squares later, her piece landed on an Event card. As before, her belly grew slightly, causing the buttons around her bump to pull.

"Oh god I hate these things..."

Brooke picked up the card from the top and read it out loud. "You have a bad case of pregnancy brain!" She turned to the group. "What the heck is pregnancy br..."

Her words trailed off, and she blinked a few times. Then she shook her head. "Sorry, let's keep going, I forgot what I was going to ask."

All eyes turned to Evelyn who had been steadily gaining ground. A good roll and she'd be in Third Trimester territory with the others.

Evelyn took the two dice and rattled them in her hand for a second. She dropped them into the bowl, and they bounced back and forth until they settled. A five and a six. They all watched as Evelyn's pink piece zoomed past Allison's. It landed on an Event square.

And when the piece stopped, the belly on the game piece started growing. Emily looked up at Evelyn, who was trying to play it cool but started to wince noticeably when her stomach pressed up against the very fitted waistband of her pants.

"God I can't believe I have to do this," she muttered to herself and then pulled down her pants enough that her whole belly could grow unimpeded. It seemed to literally pop out from its confines and immediately asserted itself, pushing the waistband to slide further and further down.

"Damn," Allison said, "the girl's all belly."

She wasn't exaggerating. Evelyn had yet to pull a Weight Gain card, so her protruding ball belly seemed practically bolted onto her slender frame. Eventually when the growth stopped, Evelyn could easily rest her hands over the top curve of the bump.

There was sudden movement, a very small bump appearing and then disappearing on the side of her belly. It made Evelyn flinch. "Ahh...that's a lot of kicking in there."

Emily swallowed. It was one thing for her sister to have a small bump, but now that she had a very obvious pregnant belly, there was no denying, or forgetting, what the game was doing to her. It made Emily lightheaded. Why wasn't she stopping this? Was there a way to even undo it?

"Hey, um, you need to pull an Event card," Allison said. Evelyn had been too preoccupied with her new girth to remember.

"Sorry, I...ooph" She tried to reach over the table and found the weight of her stomach to be much more than she anticipated. With some effort, she managed to take the top card. "Food cravings..."

Allison clapped her hands. "Yes! This is gonna be good."

"Huh? What's going on?" Brooke asked, suddenly awoken from her daydream by Allison's clap.

"Take two cards from the Food Craving Deck, Evelyn."

Her sister looked mortified. "Oh god please don't be something gross..."

She took the first card and read it out loud. "Grape jam." She shrugged. "That sounds OK."

She reached over and took the second card. Allison watched with rapt attention. "C'mon, c'mon..."

Evelyn read the card, and her eyes went wide. Her hand started visibly shaking. "S-sardines..."

Allison hooted. "YES! Oooh that's so perfect. Some salty, oily fish to go with your..." She chuckled to herself. "...grape jam."

Evelyn crumbled the card in her hand and threw it to the ground. "No! I'm not eating it! I refuse!" She sat back onto her chair with a huff and crossed her arms.

"Evelyn, you don't have to eat anything," Emily said. "It's just food craving, it's totally nor-"

Emily stopped talking when she noticed tears starting to roll down her sister's cheeks.

"This...this isn't fair," Evelyn said. "Why does this keep happening to me?"

The hormones were doing a number on the poor girl. Emily turned to her friends. "Hey guys, would you excuse us? Evelyn and I are going to take a break in the kitchen for a bit."

"Sure, Em," Allison said with a smile. "Take all the time you need."

~

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

Emily began to root through the pantry. "Anything you want in particular?"

Evelyn leaned against the island in the center of the kitchen. She looked around to make sure no else was listening.

"Can you make a PB&J, the way Mom used to make it?"

Emily turned to her sister. "You mean where she alternated peanut butter and jelly on the same piece of bread?"

Evelyn nodded. "Yeah, except...um..." She looked down, obviously ashamed at what she wanted to say.

"I got it. Say no more."

That got a big smile from Evelyn. "Thanks, sis."

She pushed herself away from the counter and then cupped her hands under her pregnant belly. "God I'm so not used to this, carrying all this weight around. I feel like my back is constantly getting arched forward."

Emily fetched the white bread, grape jelly...and a can of sardines. She placed them on an empty space on the island.

"Oh yeah, you get used to it."

She was pulling out two pieces of bread when it struck her how utterly bizarre her response was. "You get used to it?" Her sister was pregnant and now in her third trimester in the span of an hour. Emily wanted to say something, wanted to do something to stop this insanity, but she felt compelled to at least feed her sister before she tried to figure out a solution. She knew firsthand how hazardous it was to be around a pregnant woman with low blood sugar.

Emily spread rows of grape jelly onto the two pieces of bread. Normally this was where she'd put the peanut butter in between the rows of jelly, but instead she went for the sardine can. She looked up to Evelyn to gauge her reaction, but her sister was too focused on herself to notice.

After pulling back the lid, the briny smell of the fish immediately hit Emily's nose. She got a fork and pulled out individual pieces of whole sardines and placed them, one-by-one, between the rows of jelly. As quick as she could, she pressed the two sides together. It made a bit of a mess with some excess jelly spilling out, but she managed to keep it relatively contained. And then, as Mom always did, she sliced the crust off and cut it in half diagonally.

After fetching a plate, she presented the "PB&J" to her sister, who looked surprised. "Oh wow! You did that so fast!"

Evelyn then looked down at the plate and gulped. "Y-you put the...um..."

"Yup, it's all in there."

Evelyn took half of the sandwich and brought it close to her mouth. She seemed to hesitate for a moment when she caught a whiff of the sardines, but then she took a bite. There was a squish sound from between the bread, and some of the jelly came out the side. Evelyn's eyes rolled up, and she let out a moan.

"Fuck, this is good," she said after a swallowing the first bite.

"Really hits the spot, huh?" Emily said. She started putting away the ingredients. Evelyn didn't say anything but nodded vigorously.

Eventually Emily finished putting everything away and cleaned up her mess, although it seemed hardly to matter considering the state the kitchen was in. She leaned against the counter of the island, feeling her own bump pressed up against it. The little one she was carrying moved a bit.

"I'm really sorry about this, Evelyn."

Her sister looked up. She had finished one half and was working her way through the second.

"Uhbowht whaht?"

"About this game. About how you're pregnant. I should never have agreed to play this."

Evelyn swallowed. "Hey, I was the one who pushed for this, remember? I knew what I was getting into."

Emily was at a loss for words. "No...no, you absolutely did not know what you were 'getting into.' You're telling me you knew you would actually get pregnant from playing this?"

"Well..." Evelyn stood there for a second in thought. "I guess not, but...that's just the way the game is played."

There was no point in mincing words anymore. "Evelyn, what happens if we finish this game and you're still pregnant? What happens if there's no way to undo this?"

Evelyn was about to take another bite but stopped. Her countenance changed. "Undo it? You mean like, I wouldn't be pregnant anymore?"

"Yes! Going back to the way you were!"

Evelyn continued to mull Emily's words. She looked down at the sandwich that Emily had made. She looked down at her bump.

"I think...that would make me really sad."

~

After Evelyn finished eating, the two headed back to the living room. Emily was completely flabbergasted by Evelyn's reply and couldn't come up with a counter to it. Shouldn't she want her sister to be happy? There was a concern in the back of her mind that the game was making her want this, but there was no way to prove it one way or another. In the end, Emily decided to let it be.

As they returned, Emily saw both Allison and Brooke on the couch, giggling. They had their hands on each other's bellies.

"Oh! There's another one!"

"I felt one too!"

"Oh my god, they're like, synchronized!"

The two friends weren't aware that Emily and Evelyn had come back. Brooke had her top completely open now, giving easy access to her pregnant bump, although her overtaxed bra was plainly visible as well.

"Hey guys..." Emily said.

The two turned to the sisters and smiled.

"Oh hey, Em!" Allison said. "The babies both started kicking at the same time! Isn't that crazy?"

Emily and Evelyn both sat down in their chairs.

"Hey wait a minute, the game pieces have moved," Evelyn said.

"Oh right, we took our turns while you guys were gone," Allison responded. "Surprise, surprise, I got more weight gain, although only ten pounds."

Emily couldn't tell much of a difference from Allison's appearance, although her face certainly looked fuller. The seams on her dress seemed to be pulling a little more.

Brooke looked up. "And I got...um, what did I get again?"

"You had to go to the bathroom again."

"Oh right, that. And I've lost my next turn."

Evelyn nodded. "So, that means it's my turn."

She looked down and surveyed the board. The yellow and blue pieces were still ahead of her, but with Brooke losing a turn, Evelyn had a chance to gain some ground. She picked up the dice and dropped them in the bowl. The rattling of the dice seemed to break Allison and Brooke out of their shared activity. They both turned their attention back to the game.

Three and three. The pink piece moved forward six spaces, stopping on an Event square. Evelyn leaned over as best she could, finding that her belly filled more of her lap than even before she rolled.

She picked up a card. When she read it, her face faltered. "Fuck me, weight gain."

Allison shook her fists in the air. "Finally!"

Evelyn spun the Weight Gain spinner, and it landed on "25." She shifted in her seat as her butt and hips seemed to widen in response. Her sides, exposed for all to see, looked a little less lean and much softer. Her face looked a little rounder.

Allison shook her head. "Ugh are you kidding me? She just looks slightly less skinny now. I was really hoping to watch her blimp up."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up. The only blimp here is you."

"Oh-ho getting salty, huh?" Allison scooted herself right to the edge of the couch cushion, as she was unable to lean over to get to the board. Her belly hung between her open legs as she leaned over to grab the dice.

"We still have a few more rounds left. Plenty of time to pack on the pounds."

She chuckled and then dropped the dice into the bowl. She got a six and a three. After her piece advanced nine spaces, it landed on an Event square. Emily watched the bump on Allison's game piece grow. In reaction, Allison's own belly grew further downwards between her thighs.

"Ah, my favorite." She plucked an Event card and frowned. "Weight gain..."

Evelyn smirked but didn't say anything. Allison flicked the arrow of the Weight Gain spinner. It spun over and over and then landed on..."40."

RRRIIIIPPP

The seams of Allison's dress popped clean open, and fat from her sides started to squeeze out from between the openings. The couch creaked loudly as Allison's butt ballooned outward, forcing the dress up and over the curve of her massive glutes and exposing her black panties, which were now firmly wedged between the butt cheeks. The dress rose up higher and higher, her widening hips forcing it to make room.

Her upper arms widened as well. As the dress was sleeveless, there was nothing holding it back. Her boobs grew fuller, and her face especially became rounder, now giving her a permanent double-chin.

When the dust had settled, she sat there blinking. Her thighs, her butt, her hips spread out over the couch cushion, completely free from the dress. The dress itself was bunched up around her middle, with plenty of split seams down the sides.

Evelyn snickered. "Well now you're really not beating the blimp allegations."

"I...I..." Allison appeared stunned.

"Wow," Brooke said, leaning over to get a good look at Allison's rear end. "Now that's what I call a pregnancy butt."

She gave the side of Allison's butt cheek a little slap, and it rippled from the touch. Brooke literally giggled at the display. "And some child-bearing hips too!"

Allison turned to her in surprise. "Oh c'mon! I expected this from Evelyn but not you too!"

Brooke chuckled again and then shrugged. "Guess your teasing is just rubbing off on me!"

"Hey, it's my turn now," Evelyn said.

She quickly picked up the dice and threw them into the bowl. A two and a three. Her piece landed on a bathroom square. She didn't swear this time, her head just slunk down. She immediately got up and headed towards the hallway. Her quick walk transformed into a quick waddle as she went. With her belly actively growing, her center of gravity was quite literally changing as she moved.

"My turn..." Allison said. She had tried to pull down her dress to better cover herself, but her lower half was simply too wide now to have any hope of being contained.

She leaned over and rolled the dice. A four and a two. The piece landed on an empty square, but the game piece still grew, seemingly with great intensity the closer it got to the "FULL TERM" end point.

"Oh fuck..."

Allison suddenly had to reach down and pull up the dress to get her belly room. It swelled outward onto her lap and she exhaled sharply from the sudden relief. She let the dress go and settled over the curve of her stomach.

She turned to Emily and Brooke, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry guys, I didn't expect that this dress would be so completely useless. I thought it would last me a lot longer."

Emily and Brooke shared a look. "It's fine, Allie," Emily said. "Once the game's over, I'm sure I can find you something to wear."

"Thanks, Em. Alright...Brooke, you're up."

Brooke tried to get to the dice and found that she needed to scoot herself to the edge of the couch cushion as Allison had done. As she leaned, her milk-filled boobs sagged lower and looked ready to slip out of the bra at any second.

She rolled the dice and got a five and a three. Her piece moved eight spaces, a mere eight spaces more until "FULL TERM." Unfortunately for Brooke, the piece landed on an Event.

She sat there for a moment, as pregnant belly expanded outward. She had her blouse completely open and her pants undone, so there was nothing impeding its growth. Once it was done, she gave it a quick rub and then picked up a card.

"Swollen ankles..."She shook her head. "First my boobs, now this."

Fortunately she had discarded her heels many rounds before, so she didn't have to deal with tight shoes or straps. It was cold comfort when her feet suddenly turned puffy and uncomfortable.

"Here," Allison said, patting her thighs. "Put your feet up here."

"Really? You'd be OK with that?"

"Sure, I have plenty of cushioning." Allison gave her a wink.

Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Brooke managed to twirl herself around and lay her feet on Allison's lap while she leaned her head against the couch arm rest. Just like Evelyn, Brooke's ankles were badly swollen.

"That already feels better, thanks Allie."

"Don't mention it."

Emily turned her head towards the hallway to see if Evelyn was on her way back. As of yet, she was still in the bathroom.

"Evelyn's turn is skipped so...Allison you're up."

"Oh...OK, hold on." With Brooke's feet on her lap, she began scooting herself forward.

"Do you want me to get up, I -"

"No, no, I just need to reaaach over and..." She managed to stretch her arm over to take the dice, and she quickly dropped them in the bowl. They eventually stopped at two and two. The blue piece advanced four spaces, onto an Event square.

Allison's belly grew multiple inches in the blink of an eye. It ballooned outwards so rapidly that it brushed against the side of Brooke's feet.

She exhaled sharply. "I feel like I'm going to pop," she muttered. "I don't think I can take another weight gain."

Reaching again, she managed to take a card and she read it. "Oh, this is different...'You have Braxton Hicks contractions!' What is..."

Immediately Allison dropped the card. She began to breathe heavily, in and out. Brooke could sense the tension in Allison's body causing her to suddenly tilt her head up in concern. "Allie? Allie?"

Brooke immediately turned to Emily. "Is she going into labor?!"

Emily shook head. "No, Braxton Hicks are like practice contractions, they're not the real thing."

"I-I'm fine Brooke," Allison said with a wince. She placed a hand on her back and another at the very front of her belly. "I'm...I'm getting through it."

"Hey, are you...OK?"

The group turned to see Evelyn waddling back. She legitimately appeared concerned.

"Yeah...just...Braxton Hicks...con...ooph...I'll be alright..."

"Whose turn is it?" Evelyn asked as she sat down.

"It's mine," Brooke said. "Can, um, someone hand me the dice? I really didn't want to get up."

Emily bent over and placed the two dice in Brooke's hand. While still in her position on the couch, she tossed the dice gently onto the board and managed to get them directly into the bowl. She got a four and a one and the piece moved within two spaces of "FULL TERM."

"Oh thank goodness that wor-"

Her words were cut off and her eyes widened. Her hands went straight to her belly as it suddenly expanded outward, causing her navel to pop out. She was big. Allison mentioned how she felt ready to pop, but Brooke looked more than ready to give birth.

The bra that had held her boobs back for so long started to leak again, and she looked down at them with despair. "Oh great and now I've soaked through the nursing pads..."

Thin rivulets of white liquid began to drip down along the bottom edge of her bra. They found their way down the deep divide between her breasts and belly, eventually landing on the inside of her open blouse.

Allison, who seemed to have recovered from the Braxon Hicks contractions, gave Brooke a reassuring pat on the (non-swollen) part of her leg. "You're almost there, Brooke. Soon one of us will win this damn game." She turned to Evelyn with a wink. "And then we can sit back and watch the preggo princess here clean up all by herself."

"Oh god that's right, I forgot about cleaning up," Brooke said, resting her head back onto the couch armrest. "Feels like a lifetime ago."

Evelyn looked at the board with intense focus. She leaned over in her chair, her pregnant belly causing her back to arch significantly. She was twenty spaces away from the end, and Brooke was only two spaces from the goal, Allison only five. Even if Evelyn rolled a twelve, Brooke or Allison were guaranteed to win the game next round.

Her eyes drifted downwards, to the spinner than had been all but forgotten. She quickly reached for the dice. "I'm using the Multiples spinner!" she announced.

Before Emily or really anyone could react, she flicked the arrow. It spun and spun, past "4", past "5", and slowed down.

"Holy shit!" Allison exclaimed.

The spinner arrow slowed, but it still went past "6"...and then past "1". It moved even slower, seemingly ready to stop at "2"...but it had just enough momentum to finally land at "3."

"Three! That's a three times multiplier!" Evelyn exclaimed.

She tossed the dice into the bowl. Everyone stared at the dice rattle back and forth...finally settling onto a six and a four! Her piece zoomed past all the other pieces and stopped at "FULL TERM."

"YES! I WON! I FUCKING WON!" Evelyn screamed, standing up to her feet.

Emily's mouth was wide open. Her heart was beating like a jackhammer. She turned her eyes to the game piece. It rattled into place as the belly grew to "full term" size and then doubled and then tripled.

"E-Evelyn..."

Her sister had stopped yelling in celebration and had suddenly grown quiet. She held the sides of her belly as it quivered noticeably.

"Um, I-I think I overdid it..."

The hands on her stomach began to spread apart. Emily had guessed Evelyn was 32 weeks along before using the "multiples" spinner, but now that she had won the game, she rapidly approached full term. While Allison and Brooke had slow, gradual growth to her belly, Evelyn's transformation appeared to be massively fast-tracked.

The heft, the size, the weight of her stomach grew larger and more prominent with each passing second. Evelyn had to quickly adjust her stance to keep herself upright. The growth seemed to taper down once her belly had swelled out many inches out further in front of her. Evelyn immediately placed her hands on her back for support.

She gulped and let out a breath. "That...that wasn't so bad." Suddenly her eyes shot open. She reached from one spot to another on the taut, smooth skin on her stomach. "Oh my god, I feel them....there's two more babies...and..." She swallowed hard. "They're...they're getting bigger..."

The whole group watched in alarm as Evelyn's belly began to balloon outwards, accommodating the growth of another pair of babies. Babies that were rapidly growing to full term.

Evelyn gritted her teeth and braced herself, placing her hands under the gargantuan gut of hers. "Oh god I can feel them...it's so crowded in there..."

Bumps and impressions on one side of Evelyn's belly were joined with another set of kicks around the top...and another set on the other side. It seemed like all the babies were pushing each other about to make space, sending Evelyn's stomach into turmoil.

"Ooohh god oooh god..."

She groaned and swayed back and forth, feeling her stomach push out further and further. There was no room, no space left in that womb and yet still, it grew. Emily could see the skin underneath Evelyn's hand shift underneath. It had become so big that Emily wasn't if Evelyn could even reach around it.

And then the expansion stopped. There was silence in the room. The group was too stunned to say anything.

Evelyn wobbled on her feet, struggling to keep her balance. She carried three full term babies in her belly and that womb of hers dwarfed literally anything Emily had seen in her whole life. Evelyn waddled about a bit, and the babies inside her moved. Everyone could see the bumps that appeared and then disappeared along the surface of her round form.

She made a faint smile. "Y-yeah...yeah, I think I overdid it..."

~

For the first time in quite a while, Emily felt happy. She hummed a tune as she worked to put away food from the kitchen and load the dishwasher. There were still pots to scrub but she'd handle that later. She needed to check in on her very pregnant friends.

She exited the kitchen to find Allison sitting on a chair right next to the table with the remaining platters of food from the party. She had taken it upon herself to "clean out" the trays, and she was working her way through a plate of mesquite barbecue chicken breasts. Fortunately the steam trays had been closed, which managed to keep the food itself warm.

"Mhm oh hey!" she said as she noticed Emily approach.

Allison had removed her striped dress, or rather what remained of it. In its place, she wore a cotton tank top and some stretchy jersey pants. Stretchy on Emily, that is. For Allison, her round butt, wide waist and thick thighs made those pants anything but "stretchy." But they fit her, a victory in itself.

She sat the chair with her thighs partially opened, leaving room for her pregnant belly to nestle between them. Ironically, she probably had the smallest bump of the group.

"How're you feeling?" Emily asked.

"Oh I'm great!" Allison said, her smile accentuating the new plumpness in her face. "I finished off that platter." She pointed to an empty tray with remnants of mashed potatoes along the side. "...and now I'm working my way through these chicken breasts."

Emily's eyes widened. "You...ate all the mashed potatoes?"

"Yeaah, I gotta say, I've developed quite the appetite." She gave her belly a pat. "This little one just keeps wanting more!"

Emily couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "That's fair, just don't overdo it, alright?"

"Heh no promises!" Allison picked up a whole chicken breast with her fork and took a massive bite.

Emily chuckled and then walked further into the living room to check on Brooke. She found her friend sitting on the padded chair in the living room, where Emily had spent her entire time watching the board game. She had switched out of her original outfit into a black leggings and a loose cotton- shirt. Unfortunately for Brooke, her huge boobs didn't fit any nursing bras that Emily owned.

Brooke had the shirt lifted up over one of her boobs and she had a manual breast pump attached to the nipple. She sat there breathing in and out as she repeatedly squeezed the handle on the pump. It pulled multiple drops out with each squeeze, with the attached bottle being nearly half-way full. As Emily approached she could see three full bottles sitting on a nearby table.

She brushed her hand along the top of the chair. "Hey Brooke, just wanted to check in."

Brooke looked up, surprised to see Emily suddenly appear. "Oh! Hey Em! Sorry I had kind of zoned out there."

"It's OK. Um, are you doing alright with the pump? Do you need anything?"

"I am feeling better, getting some of this milk out has been such a relief." She continued to squeeze the pump rhythmically, drops of milk continued to fall into the bottle.

She let out a mournful sigh. "It's really not fair that you're cleaning up for your own shower. We were supposed to help you."

Emily shook her head. "I'm just happy to have you guys here. Besides..." She leaned down and patted her friend's very pregnant belly. "You've all had a very busy day and you need to rest."

Brooke chuckled at the remark. "Heh speaking of rest..." She turned her head over to Evelyn dozing on the couch.

"How long has she been sleeping?"

"Oh, she goes in and out."

"Mmm...Em...Emily?"

As if on cue, Emily's sister started to stir. Her eyes fluttered open. Emily quickly moved over to the couch and knelt down next to her.

"Heey, I'm here." She took her sister's hand.

"I'm good, I just...oooph" She winced. The babies, the triplets she was carrying, all moved. Emily watched Evelyn's mountain of a stomach jostle and sway in reaction. Evelyn reached up and held both sides, as if she was trying to keep herself from tipping over.

"You've got some active little ones in there," Emily said. S

he rested her free hand on the top of her huge pregnant belly. Rising up from Evelyn's relatively thin body, it looked very much like she had swallowed a medicine ball. Kneeling down where she was, Emily wasn't even able to see over it.

"Very, very active ones. I try to sleep and they keep kicking me awake." She smiled weakly. "It's nice though. I can't wait to meet them."

Emily rubbed her hands along the smooth, shiny skin of her sister's stomach. "I'll book you a doctor's appointment and they'll do an ultrasound, so we'll find out how close you are to delivery."

"Oh, can I go too?" Brooke asked. "I want an ultrasound!"

"Mmph me too!" Allison said from the back.

Emily chuckled. "It might be hard to schedule something for all of you, but I'll do my best."

"Thanks, sis."

"You're welcome. Now try to get some sleep while you can."

"OK..." Evelyn's eyes fluttered and she was soon off to sleep again.

Emily stood up, feeling renewed excitement. What would it be like for her friends and her sister all to have babies at the same time? Soon to be followed by her own? She imagined play dates, picnics at the park. All kinds of fun activities...together.

She felt giddy in the realization that she wasn't alone anymore. It had come about in the most unusual and unexpected way she could have ever imagined. But those bellies didn't lie. All her friends and her sister were about to have babies. They were all taking the plunge now.