The way she said his name, the way she stood, hiding in the darkness, he knew what was coming next. She had one hand across her belly, then slid it behind her back, letting him see the darkened patch of skin, the mark of the sickness. “I’ll sleep in the other room tonight,” she said. “Tomorrow, I should go back to the city and you ……” a catch in her voice as she continued, “…. you, my corporal, should go back to your men.”

from A Shattering of Glass

a b&w photo by Ron merged onto a sunrise I took with the HX100V and worked in photoshop