Morning light slips through the apartment blinds, laying pale bars across the bed. Mara wakes beside Henry, the old silver ring still fitted around her finger.
On the bedside table, a pregnancy test rests beside an appointment card. The printed date and notes establish her first trimester, with roughly three months remaining until the birth.
Henry Dunn
A family. Her career. My orders. I cannot pretend any of those will wait patiently for the others.
Henry stirs and opens his eyes. For several quiet seconds, he looks at Mara, then at the test and card, his expression settling into careful attention rather than alarm.
Henry Dunn
Good morning. I am happy, Mara. I am also scared of failing you, especially when the Corps asks me to be somewhere else.
Henry Dunn
Your work matters. I know this career is beginning to open for you, and I will not ask you to shrink it for me or our child.
Henry Dunn
We need to be honest about schedules, support, and what parenthood means for both of us. Where do you want to begin?
✓ Quest Accepted
Create a shared plan for the baby's immediate support
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish support for Mara's career and Henry's service
“I will tell you what support I need while you serve. I can take a break from acting for a bit”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled -1)
Mara Dilek
While you serve, I need reliable check-ins, help arranging medical appointments, and a clear plan for the baby when you are away. I can take a break from acting for a while.
Henry listens without interrupting. Morning light catches the silver ring as his hand moves across the sheet, stopping just short of hers.
Henry Dunn
Then we build that plan together. I will call whenever my orders allow, and I will make sure you are not handling appointments or preparations alone.
His phone vibrates on the bedside table. The message carries a reporting date sooner than expected, and the sudden sound breaks the apartment’s fragile quiet.
Henry Dunn
I have been given an earlier departure date. I can still arrange leave for the important appointments, but I will have less time here than I hoped.
Henry Dunn
She is giving up work to make room for us. I have to make my promises practical, not merely comforting.
He unlocks his phone and begins listing dates, contacts, and errands beside the appointment card. The cost is immediate: his leave shrinks, and the morning becomes a logistics meeting.
“I map every appointment and baby preparation task”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +0)
Mara pulls the appointment card and a fresh notebook toward her. With four steady hands, she divides the pages into medical visits, household preparations, and dates Henry may be home.
The morning becomes orderly work. She records the prenatal schedule, questions for the doctor, transportation, supplies, and the practical tasks that must be finished before the birth.
Mara Dilek
The appointment dates fit on one page; the remaining tasks need clear owners.
Henry adds his reporting date, possible leave windows, and contact information beside each entry. Mara marks every appointment and preparation task with a date, priority, and responsible person.
Henry Dunn
This gives us something solid. I can request leave around the medical appointments, and I will handle the calls and errands I can reach from base.
Together they complete the map: appointments, paperwork, a sleeping space, essential supplies, transportation, and check-ins all sit plainly across the notebook pages.
Henry Dunn
You made the plan real before I even leave. I am proud of you, Mara, and I will keep my part of it visible.
Quest Complete
Create a shared plan for the baby's immediate support
Attribute Upgrade: Willpower Good→Great