Roxie was at home in her subterranean workshop. Her powerful tail swayed as she tightened the bolts on a rusty pipe, her green scales glistening under the workshop's only working light. Despite the grime and the noise, she found solace in her work. "Just a little more elbow grease," she muttered to herself, wiping sweat from her brow.
Roxie absentmindedly patted her growing belly, attributing it to her love for late-night snacks. "I really should cut down on those midnight sandwiches," she chuckled, turning back to her project. Her friends had dropped hints, but she brushed them off with a laugh and a shrug.
One evening, as Roxie was organizing her tools, a wave of dizziness hit her. She steadied herself against the workbench, her breath coming in short gasps. "What's wrong with me?" she whispered, confusion clouding her mind. Her scales felt tighter, her energy drained.
Roxie sat down heavily, her mind racing. She recalled the conversations with her friends, the knowing looks, the gentle teasing. Denial had been her shield, but now it was crumbling. "Must be indigestion" she murmured, her voice barely audible above the persistent drip.
Roxie rested her hands on her round pregnant bump. Still in denial and ignorance this far. She had set on an adventure to prove she was still capable, that she hadn't gone soft. As she progressed troughher adventure, she began to feel stronger and stronger pains on her stomach.
When she reached the end of her journey, she felt great, liberated. Like she just climbed to the top of the world. But in that moment of joy, she felt a strong pain. Her belly contracting. Stronger than ever before. That's when she realized... She hadn't gone soft. She was pregnant. And aboutto give birth
