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Cushion Me

By Gabrielle Congrave

 

The longer I am pregnant, the more naked I become.

All my life, I have been a jeans girl.  Low rise, bell-bottomed, vintage finds.  The endless racks of Ragstock, Savers.  I like them tight.  “Ass pants” T. and I call them.  Designed to show off the hours I have spent moving from Down Dog to Low Lunge, High Lunge, Warrior II.

The longer I am pregnant, the more naked I become.

All my life I’ve been a shoe girl.  Platforms, fur boots, psychobilly heels.  “Zombie Stompers” and pistol-print Mary Janes.

The longer I am pregnant, the more naked I become.

I start wearing harem pants, blousy tank tops, Vibram toe shoes that turn my feet to Hobbit feet.  My online purchases shift from pin-up style dresses and “Cunt Dracula” boy shorts to wide-leg yoga pants and loose-fit pullovers.  My belly begins to round and swell outward, my breasts spill out of my bras, strain against t-shirts.

I roam the virtual aisles almost mindlessly each night, looking for the perfect shell to cushion this egg that my body has become.

***

The Scent
By Sunny Nyaronge

 

It doesn’t really matter what I wear; the color of my t-shirt is nothing more than an extension of the mood I am in and the dye of my insecurities. But the essence of my disposition is quilted to the scent I wrap myself in. This coverlet gives me confidence like an infectious, poisonous cloud.

Forever Sunshine body mist underneath a hint of Linari Acqua Santa by Maurice Roucel. It’s holy water, like an ocean wave washing around an overheated, sun-bathed rock, reminding the rock of how effervescent and pure the tingling scent of a sun-kissed buttercup can be.

Twisted Peppermint by Bath & Body Works swirling underneath Lemon by C.O. Bigelow. This recipe holds together childish school memories with the prospect of making new friends.  No matter how stressful a day is, the mint from the peppermint pierces through the clean aroma of lemons.

More Twisted Peppermint fused with Kenzo Power for that elusive excitement of meeting a new love. Even though it was not meant to be—nothing worth while ever is—the light scent of roses and musk always hold a hope of what could be.

For you see, grooming is key.
 

Gabrielle Congrave rides a glow-in-the-dark bicycle. Sunny Nyaronge dabbles in minimalism and strives to write realistic fantasy; his writing is heavily influenced by Ursula K. LeGuin.