Chapter One: Nicha

Nicha spends most of her days combing through the frail realities of her past relationships. Nicha is only 28 but feels her days are numbered. She recalled Matt, boyfriend-soon-to-be-fiancé to her best friend Ellie, once mentioned in the sudden manner to which he delivers his every thought, “Did you know women after 30 have a higher rate of having children with Down’s Syndrome?” Nicha remembered it to be 40, but that is besides the point. Matt is after all a doctor. He was directly facing Ellie when he raised the non-question but that doesn’t stop Nicha from feeling that it might have been a slight pass at the both of them. Ellie has recently gave up her savings to help out with their new home’s down payment. The one where they hope to live out the rest of the remaining years once Matt finally propose to her, which he will, she’s quite certain despite the fact that this is the 8th year they’ve been together.

“What’s that you’re looking at?” Ellie asks Nicha when she noticed her friend has given up on their conversation about two minutes too long. “I just got this weird itch, a little below my belly, just about there”, she motions to the space between her chest and her belly. A space that keeps stretching wider with each passing year. This body is not making anything easier, she thought. “At this point I’m surprised if it’s not an STD and even if it is, I hope it’s the friendlier one, you know, something like Chlamydia. They’ve got pills for that”.