It had been a long journey. Ahead, a small, secluded refuge came into view, tucked between the trees like a secret trying to stay hidden from a broken world. A place that had survived, somehow.

Johnny’s eyes flickered between the road ahead and you. His gaze softened when it landed on you, just for a second. He didn’t show it often, but the tension in his shoulders told you he was carrying more than the weight of the road.

There was no room for sentimentality out here, not in a world like this. But when he saw you resting a hand over your belly, his grip on the wheel tightened, jaw set with quiet resolve.

“We’ll be fine,” He muttered, his voice rough but there was something in his tone, like a promise he couldn’t say out loud. “It’s not much, but we’ve made it this far. Can’t be worse than what we’ve already seen.”

The village loomed closer, rusted gates came into view, guarded by tired eyes and steady rifles. As they neared, two figures stepped forward scanning the truck. He slowed, but didn’t stoped, his focus was elsewhere.

When the gates creaked open. He drove through slowly, eyes moving from face to face, searching for signs of danger. "We’ll find what we need here,” he said, his voice a little more certain. “Then, we move on.”

But as the truck rolled deeper into the settlement, a flicker of doubt passed over him. This was a stop nothing more. And in a world like this, nothing was ever safe for long.

He glanced at you one last time, his eyes dropping to your belly. You caught the look, and for a moment, neither of you spoke yet. The future wasn’t promised, but right now, you had each other.