Catalina "I hope you don't mind, I invited Roman...and Emily to dinner?" My face twisted into a scowl. "Emily, why Emily?" Malcolm's Adam's Apple bobbed up and down. "She and Roman did such a remarkable job with the meet and greet today. I thought it would be nice to have them both over." I shrugged, shoving a roll into my mouth. I had an inkling there was more to this dinner by the worried look on his face, but I decided not to pry. My feet were throbbing, my ankles were swollen, and baby girl was doing her usual before-dinner somersaults inside my belly. Talk about a literal kick to the bladder. I was a beached whale and wanted to lie down until dinner was ready. "Sure, why not. Invite them both over." I hadn't seen my brother Roman in a few weeks, and I had missed him. He was currently the mediator between me and my parents; they had accepted the fact I was in a relationship with an older man and was carrying his child, but they haven't reached out much since I broke the news. M

Catalina Getting out of bed at this point in my pregnancy was becoming more difficult by the day; I had gained 15 lbs this week alone. Jesus, am I even going to be able to push this baby out of me? After several moments of struggling around as if I was a turtle turned upside down, I managed to get myself upright and made my way to the bathroom to take a shower. Malcolm had already left for the morning, to tie up some loose ends on campus. I didn't want to be alone today, my brother was working a double shift at the movie theater, so I asked Emily if she wanted to go shopping downtown. She was on her way to pick me up, so I needed to get my ass in the shower. I was exhausted after my shower, and I could barely keep my eyes open. I wandered into the kitchen, half asleep, and found a note from Malcolm next to a Tupperware container. The note said: "My sweetest Catalina, I noticed you have been drained of energy these days, growing our precious baby girl, so I made you these peanut

Catalina The forest was pitch-black, and the further we went in, the quieter it became. "Did you see where they went?" I asked. "No," she said ruefully, "but I think maybe you should go back to the car—I would never forgive myself if something happened to either of us while we were here." I stomped my foot on the ground. "I wish everyone would stop treating me as if I'm some delicate little flower!" I said. "I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself." "We'll see," she said, and we continued our walk into the woods. It was very quiet in the forest, except for the sound of our footsteps on the leaf litter and small pebbles. We walked for about twenty minutes before we came to a clearing. It was lit by moonlight that streamed down through the canopy above us, making it look like something out of a fairy tale. GRRR!!! The sound caused us to freeze where we stood looking at each other, both afraid to even breathe because whatever made that noise might suddenly come out and take us

Catalina "The key to the mystery lies where you least expect it." Those infamous words began to haunt me in my sleep. I couldn't shake the feeling that the solution to my puzzle was right in front of me, but hidden from view. And there was always someone or something trying to harm me or our baby around every corner. My heart and mind were racing as I desperately sought this "key."Panic and confusion followed me everywhere, clouding my judgment and obstructing my vision. Every night, the dreams were getting more intense and lasting longer, and I was starting to think our troubles weren't over. It was just the beginning. It was clear that I had to find the key and unlock the door that was holding us back from freedom. I just wanted it all to stop. Now, I try to avoid sleeping as much as possible. I would go to bed with Malcolm and pretend to sleep until he was off into his dreamland, then I would get up and drink tea and read a book. It was only a matter of time before he caught on to

Malcolm "What does Catalina have to do?" I snatched the book from Roman's grasp and roared. I could feel the color draining from my face as my eyes scanned over the black print on the cream-colored pages. I read it three times more to ensure my eyes weren't deceiving me. Gravity took over, and I slumped in my seat. I held the book in my hands so tightly that it wouldn't have been a surprise to anyone if it ripped apart in my hands. "What does Catalina have to do with this?" My voice shook due to anger and disbelief as I stared into Roman's eyes for an answer. Emily began to cry as Roman hugged her tightly. Despite everything I'd done to keep something terrible from happening, it all seemed to blow up in my face right now. I was in danger of losing two people who meant everything to me. "I cannot afford to lose my sister or niece. We must act now," Roman said before bursting into tears. He seemed desperate for an answer, which I lacked. My heart went out to her brother. We were all i