The Visible Woman

Through the window, she managed to see three of them flying by. The sun reflected off their capes, and from the third one, she could see the swaying of the skirt, full of points.

She even tried to stretch her face a bit more, but the nurse scolded her.

"You can see them every day, pay attention to our commands," she heard by way of an argument. It was true, but it was still beautiful. She apologized and leaned back in bed, adjusting her legs.

"Good afternoon, future mother," she heard from the woman in white entering the door. Despite the mask, she recognized the doctor's voice.

"They flew by, Doctor. I saw three of them..."

"My dear, I know you're excited. Why pay attention to the superpowers outside the window when you'll have yours in seconds? But if you don't push, it'll be hours."

They used to say she didn't care much about dating, sex, or love before. Flirting was tedious and time-consuming. It was time wasted when she could be reading comics, watching real cases of superheroes on television, collecting articles about her favorites, and remembering every moment she spent near or even talking to one. She spent $300 to meet Captain Torch, the flash didn't help, and the photo was overexposed. "It's okay," she convinced herself daily, "the memory won't be erased." After much encouragement from her sister and mother, she decided to venture into a relationship. "You can't wait until you're 30 without having sex," her sister would say, "Do you want to die alone?" her mother would ask. At first, he tried to please her with magazines, clippings, events, just to reach the climax. For him, it wasn't about meeting Captain Torch but igniting his own. At his insistence, and given how much he pleased her with little gifts, she gave in. It hurt at first, was even pleasurable, but in the end, she thought, "overrated."

The next day, her boyfriend used his super-speed and fled. In fact, he didn't have that power, but he emulated it so well with his lack of character. He was fast enough that he didn't even see the first signs of nausea and dizziness. Before the exams, her sister and mother were already screaming that they wouldn't take care of a child without a father and that maybe her lack of empathy with "normal" humans had driven him away.

When she met the doctor, she was completely lost. She doesn't even remember who scheduled the appointment, but she's grateful for getting it. It was in that room that she had the exams. They saw her health, her blood type, and the gene's classification. She then found out that Bill, the name she chose on the spot, had the Super Gene. From that exact moment, it seemed she understood her role in that chaos.

She was finally pushing, using all her strength and breathing repeatedly to release the baby and make him see the world. She started to lose her breath at times, but she followed the doctor's persistence with shouts. When she felt his passage, there was a sensation of torn tissues, and the pain was even worse. She just tried to imagine what his gift would be, how he would look. She knew that cutting the umbilical cord would reveal it, but she didn't even have the strength for that, heard the silence in the room, and collapsed on the bed.

Darkness and silence were her companions for the next few hours. Like a beam of light, she saw the image gap appearing, with the incubator next to it. For a moment, she froze, but then she smiled. On the four transparent sides, you could only see the other side. With pain in her back and legs, she couldn't force her body in that direction, but she began to stretch her arm. The wheels were misaligned, but they started to align and yielded to her will.

She put her hand inside the glass dome, but she was scolded again.

"Ma'am, you can't do that!" the nurse warned, wide-eyed.

"It's my son! I can!" she insisted and put her hand in. She was anxious and then shook her hand back and forth, feeling it. The shine in the mother's brown eyes appeared along with her teeth, so rare to show that even the staff was impressed. They were scared.

With him in her arms, she hugged him, afraid of hurting him, but she knew that what she couldn't see was part of her. She felt his warmth. From that point on, nothing else mattered.

The doctor, on her way out of the hospital, approached her as the nurse pushed the wheelchair. She could hardly hear her; her contagious smile made her forget, or even not

need to be polite and keep the basic rules of good manners. She only felt a kiss on her cheek and continued toward the exit.

In the final days of her pregnancy, she managed to get a small apartment near the city center, with old and torn furniture. Cloths hung from the ceilings, brown in color and smelling of mold. She tore some of them before going into labor, but she didn't have the strength to tidy up the place when she returned; she decided to stay on the couch for now.

In the first few days, he would just cry. Until she understood the concept of giving her breasts to him. She tried to find his mouth and placed it directly on the nipple. Seeing the milk flowing, she realized he was hungry.

In the following days, she started to make more effort to improve her mothering skills. She bought diapers, wet wipes, and diaper rash ointments. Slowly, she got the hang of it.

Changing the diaper was done by smell, as just like him, the waste was visible to the eye.

"Maybe it's better this way than if he had super strength or dexterity. He would have destroyed my uterus."

On one of those days, someone knocked on the door.

She held the baby in her arms and approached the door cautiously, still surprised to see him on her doorstep. Upon opening it, she was greeted by a man with a kind smile, dark hair, large muscles, and a radiant cape.

"Good afternoon," the man said, still holding his chest full and his eyes radiant. "I heard there was a special birth here recently. I came to offer my congratulations."

The mother, still surprised, smiled.

"This is my son, Bill," she introduced her baby, with the soft blanket between her arms.

The big man looked closely at the baby, seeing through his fragile form. To his surprise, he found no bones, internal organs, or any biological structure that makes up a human being. It was as if the baby were an illusion.

With his eyes tangled, the superhero turned his gaze back to the mother. Although thick and firm, with a soft voice, he said:

"You are a brave mother, and your love for Bill is true. Even though he is different, he will always have a special place in your heart."

She felt an instant connection with the man, stronger than before. It was as if he knew something that others didn't.

"You seem to understand," she said.

He nodded.

"Well, I understand a bit about what it's like to be different. Sometimes people don't understand that special powers aren't just about flying and facing villains."

She nodded, understanding his words.

"I hope that Bill grows up in a world where he can be accepted for who he is."

The man paused and looked into the mother's eyes.

"Always remember, the love and care you give him will make all the difference. And if he ever needs guidance or support, I'll be here to help."

The mother thanked him for his generosity and invited him in. With a warm smile, he accepted the invitation and spent some time talking to her about the journey that was about to begin.

So, on that unexpected afternoon, a new friendship was born, and Bill's mother felt that, despite the challenges that might arise, there was genuine support and unconditional love at her disposal. With baby Bill in her arms and her new friendship, she was ready to face the future with hope and determination.

After some time, he waved goodbye and flew away, leaving the mother with a sense of relief. She felt that, despite the challenges, there was genuine support from the greatest of all.

Thus, she continued to take care of her child; it was time to breastfeed him.