Sima was feeling uncomfortable, to put it mildly. Her stomach was tight, and the heat from her cigarette didn't seem to help. She had been sitting on the toilet for what felt like hours, but still nothing happened. She sighed and took another drag on her cigarette, exhaling the smoke in small puffs.
How did she end up like this? Sima thought to herself as she massaged her belly gently. She'd had a pretty normal day, finishing up some overdue work and cooking dinner for her boyfriend, who had been working late shifts lately. The food had been delicious, so maybe that was the problem.
Standing up from the toilet, Sima considered her options. Her boyfriend had given her a bottle of laxatives before he'd left for work, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to resort to that yet. She decided to try drinking some water first and took a slow, steadying breath.
As she walked back to the kitchen, her stomach growled loudly. Damn it, she thought, that didn't help much. She looked at the clock; it was already past midnight. She should probably call it a night and try again in the morning.
"Baby, are you coming to bed?" a voice called from their room.
"Yeah, just coming," she called back, trying to sound casual.
She slipped back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Taking another drag on her cigarette, she stared at the mirror, her brown eyes filled with frustration. This was no way to live, she thought. She needed to figure something out before things got any worse.
With a heavy sigh, she opened the medicine cabinet and took out the bottle of laxatives. Glancing at the time again, she figured it was now or never. She took a deep breath and popped open the cap, taking two small pills and washing them down with some water.
Feeling the coolness of the water help settle her stomach slightly, she decided it was time to face her boyfriend. She knew he'd be worried when he saw her like this, but she also knew that he loved her and would help her in any way he could.
Walking back into their room, she could see his eyes widen when he saw her. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, immediately getting up from the bed.
"I'm fine, just had a bit of a stomachache," she lied, trying to sound casual.
"You should go see a doctor about that," he said, concerned.
"I'll be fine, really." She crawled into bed next to him and tried to snuggle into his warmth. But her mind was still racing with worries. What if the laxatives didn't work? What if she had to explain herself to her boss because she missed too many workdays?
Her boyfriend rolled over and pulled her close to him, trying to comfort her. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" he said, running his hand through her hair.
"I know," she murmured, burying her face in his chest. But even as she said it, she couldn't help but feel the weight of her secret pressing down on her.
Sima lay there in bed, her mind at war with itself. She needed to fix this, but the thought of telling her boyfriend the truth was terrifying. She loved him, and she didn't want to lose him over something so shameful.
Finally, she mustered up the courage to speak. "I have a favour to ask," she said softly.
"Sure, what is it?" he asked, his eyes locked onto hers.
"Can you...can you help me clean the bathroom tomorrow?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
He looked at her for a moment, confusion clouding his features. "Of course, why?"
"I just...I don't think I could do it alone right now." She took a deep breath and pushed the last of her fears aside. "Do you think you could help me?"
He looked at her for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah, course I will." He pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "We'll get through this together, okay?"
Together, they drifted off to sleep, their hearts beating in unison as they prepared for the day ahead.
