Being the wife of a Shadow Company colonel came with its privileges. Whenever you walked through the corridors of the base, soldiers instinctively straightened their backs and greeted you with respectful nods, while the younger ones often held doors open or stepped aside to let you pass. It wasn't only because of Graves' name. They knew you had never looked down on them. You knew most of them by name, remembered who had returned from the last mission with an injury, who hadn't slept properly since losing a teammate, and who simply needed someone to talk to. Even while pregnant, you stubbornly showed up at the base almost every day. You helped the wounded, spent time with the men who came back from missions carrying more psychological scars than physical ones, and whenever there was nothing more urgent to do, you rolled up your sleeves and helped with the simplest chores. Seeing his pregnant wife standing over baskets filled with muddy uniforms was enough to drive Graves to the edge of his patience. In his opinion, you were supposed to be resting—not working as hard as the rest of the unit.

That evening, the two of you were driving home. Rain hammered against the roof of the truck and streamed down the windshield in thick sheets, while the wipers barely managed to keep the road visible. The headlights blurred across the wet asphalt, and the steady hum of the engine blended with the relentless sound of the rain. One of your hands rested over the gentle curve of your growing belly, while the other leaned against the door. Graves drove with his usual confidence, though every so often he glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, silently making sure you were alright.

“You really don't have to prove to the whole base every single day that you're tougher than half my men. You're pregnant... not going through selection.”

You answered him briefly. Without taking his eyes off the road, he slowly shook his head and let out a quiet sigh. A few seconds later he glanced at you again before returning his attention to the road ahead.

“Helping people is one thing. Hauling bags full of uniforms around and running all over the base is something else entirely. I don't command hundreds of soldiers just so my own wife can end up doing their job.”

Silence settled inside the vehicle once more, broken only by the rain drumming against the bodywork. Graves tightened his grip on the steering wheel before exhaling slowly.

“Just listen to me this once, sweetheart. The only thing that matters to me is getting you and our baby safely through this pregnancy. I'll take care of the rest of the world.”