The first time I saw her was early that morning. The clinic opened at 6am sharp for its "advanced" terminations, in hopes that fewer protesters would be willing to wake up that early. When the clinic first announced that it would accept patients up through 34 weeks, there was a flood of early-morning activity, but that only lasted until the reporters left.

Today, nobody was there but a young, pale girl in a yellow dress. At first, I only noticed how badly the color washed out her complexion. It would have looked much better on my own dark skin. It took me a moment to notice, as she bent over to retrieve a protest sign, that she was pregnant! Big enough that I could see her belly from two blocks away. I rubbed my 8-month bump and realized that I had picked the perfect day for my abortion.

The clinic encouraged patients to enter through a basement level, accessed by entering an office building on the next block. I didn't take the back way, though. I walked straight up to the stringy-haired brunette, still bent over her trunk gathering her group's signs. "Good morning, sweetie!" I said. The poor girl jumped and squeaked like a mouse, but then she saw my big smile and huge belly. That seemed to put her at ease.

"How far along are you, sweetie?" I asked.

"Uh, se-seven months" she stammered.

"Oh, how wonderful!" I smiled. "Can I touch your belly?"

She looked confused, then realized that I was asking her instead of just sticking my hand out. "Oh! Sure, of course!"

I stepped closer, and placed my hand gently near her navel. Pressing firmly, I slid around her curve until the baby kicked and we both said "oomph".

"That was a hard one," I said. She nodded in agreement. Keeping my right hand on her belly, I took her right hand in my left, and guided her to my own belly. She didn't notice the little piece of paper I held between my fingers.

"Oh wow!" she said, as my baby launched a round of kick-kick-kicks at her hand. We stood like that for a moment, feeling the life in each others' wombs.

I stepped closer, and pressed my belly into hers. Both babies started rolling, wrestling with each other. The pale girl was transfixed by the sensations inside her as I leaned in closer. I whispered a little secret in her ear. Her eyes grew wide as I spoke.

As I turned away, I slipped the paper scrap into her hand, and curled her hand around it. "Call me," I whispered. Then I walked past her to the clinic door, punching in the one-time code that gave me access. As I entered the clinic, I snuck a look back, and saw the yellow dress girl still standing in place, dazed.