It was not said sharply. It was not a command. It was a simple request from a woman nearing the end of pregnancy, hoping for a small moment of support.

Before he had a chance to answer, my mother in law spoke.

Her voice was sharp, impatient, and loud enough to cut through the air. She looked at me with open irritation and said words I will never forget.

“The world does not revolve around your belly. Pregnancy is not an illness.”

I stood there, stunned. The bags felt heavier in my hands. I waited, instinctively, for my husband to step in. To say something. To acknowledge that what she had said was unkind, or at the very least unnecessary.