John woke from his sleep. Feeling the soft, warm breath beside him, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. How wonderful! He had never felt life was as good as it was now, not since the moment he was born. The woman he loved lay in his arms, her body, exhausted from the day's toil, finding good rest. It made him reluctant to move, even though he was already awake, until a weak, muffled voice came from his arms, "John."
"What is it?" John looked down. "Are you worried about something?"
The woman's name was Xiao Jiu. She had no surname, having grown up on a Flower Boat and wandered the post-apocalypse with her people.
Xiao Jiu murmured, "I am pregnant. This is my third pregnancy, and the first one without permission. Will you keep this child?"
