The Pod Generation -

Everything is fine, she told herself. This is the future. The first crack appeared at a dinner party.

“I want to feel her,” Rachel said. “Really feel her. Inside me.” The Pod Generation

They argued in the pod center’s waiting room, whispering furiously while other couples scrolled through their own fetal dashboards. Everything is fine, she told herself

“That’s her,” Sasha whispered. “That’s my daughter. She’s already stubborn. Already strong. Already here.” Rachel made her choice on a Tuesday. “I want to feel her,” Rachel said

“Why?”

“You’d be putting your baby at unnecessary risk,” Rachel’s own mother had told her over breakfast last week. “I love you, darling, but my generation didn’t have options. You do.”

Rachel looked at the baby sleeping in her arms — no pod, no tubes, just a small, imperfect, entirely real human.