A high-pitched squeal pierced the cotton of sleep, jarring me awake. "Mommy! Happy Mother's Day!" Before I could even register the words, a giggling weight launched itself onto my chest. The impact sent a jolt of unfamiliar pain through my abdomen, a sharp twinge somewhere beneath an expanse of soft flesh that hadn't been there before. My arms, thinner and lighter than my usual bear-like limbs, flailed uselessly. "Lizzie, honey, be careful of Mama's tummy," a woman's voice chimed in, warm and familiar. It was Sarah, my ex from high school, only older, well older than I remembered her from High school. , softer around the edges, and with a smile that held a hint of something… maternal. I blinked, disoriented. My vision swam for a moment, the room blurry with remnants of sleep. The weight on my chest shifted, revealing a mop of blonde hair framing chubby cheeks. "Mommy! Look what I made for you!" The little girl, Lizzie, thrust a misshapen drawing in my face. It looked like a lopsided sun with scribbles that were probably meant to be flowers. My throat constricted. I wanted to say something, anything, but all that came out was a croak. "Careful, sweetheart," Sarah said, kneeling beside the bed. She took the drawing from Lizzie and gave it a gentle kiss. "This is beautiful, honey. Mommy will hang it up in her office." Office? My stomach lurched. What office? Panic gnawed at the edges of my mind. I glanced down at myself, the sheets pulled high under my chin. My hands, adorned with delicate silver rings that glinted in the morning light, were small and pale. They weren't my calloused hands, the ones that had gripped wrenches and built bridges. My gaze traveled lower, taking in the expanse of a swollen belly that strained against a loose nightgown. A new wave of nausea washed over me. I hadn't eaten anything that would cause this, and yet, the weight, the feeling of a life growing inside me – it was undeniable. "Are you alright, Sabrina?" Sarah asked, concern etching lines on her forehead. Sabrina? This wasn't my name! "Maybe you should sit up. Here, let me help you." She placed a hand on my back, the warmth of it searing through the thin fabric. Her touch sent a shiver down my… spine? My spine felt different, somehow thinner and more delicate. As I leaned back against the pillows, a sharp ache radiated from my lower back, a dull throb that felt alien. Desperate for answers, I tried to speak. "What's going on? Who am I?" The words tumbled out, high-pitched and shaky, a stranger's voice in my own ears. Sarah's eyes widened. "Sabrina? Are you joking? It's Mother's Day, remember? Did you forget?" Lizzie, oblivious to the tension hanging in the air, bounced on the bed. "Mommy, can we open presents now?" Tears welled up in my eyes. Presents? Mother's Day? My mind raced, searching for a foothold in this horrifying reality. Had I been in an accident? Kidnapped? Drugged? The possibilities were terrifying, but none of them explained the physical changes, the alien body I was trapped in. I tried again, this time forcing my voice to a calmer tone. "I… I don't feel well. Maybe we should postpone the presents?" Another searing pain ripped through my abdomen, this one stronger, more sustained. My breath hitched, a gasp escaping my lips. A primal fear, cold and terrifying, gripped me. "Sabrina?" Sarah's voice was laced with alarm. "Are you having contractions?" Contractions? The word echoed in the vast emptiness of my mind. I had absolutely no idea what that meant, but the look of sheer terror on Sarah's face was explanation enough. I was going to give birth. In this unfamiliar, female body. My scream, a mix of terror and confusion, tore through the room as a wave of pain, unlike anything I'd ever experienced, ripped through me.