*Cat*

I glanced at the mirror in the hospital bathroom, staring at the ugly red and swollen scar lining my lower belly. The stitched-up wound would scar something fierce, but I wasn’t quite as worried about the appearance of it as I thought I might be.

It felt more like a battle scar, like the ones on my shoulder and waist that had faded away with time. I was more proud of this scar, a symbol of having brought my beautiful daughter into the world rather than ...