In the evening, you get a visit

But as the sun sets and night falls something takes place.

There’s a knock at your door. When you open it, you find both Claire and Tom standing there, but this time, they aren't in robes. They are dressed for travel, and two wheeled suitcases sit in the hallway behind them.

"Hey, John," Tom says, stepping into the entryway with a grin, while Claire stands beside him, looking a little flushed. "I need a favor."

"A favor?" you parrot, caught by the suddenness of the visit.

"Here's the thing. I just got word that I have to leave the city tonight for some urgent work. But Claire still has a whole list of places she wants to explore while we're here." He nods over at his wife. "And I figured sure, anything to keep her happy... and maybe she can get explored pretty well while I'm gone."

You blink, caught off guard, and open your mouth to speak. "Tom, wait, I—"

"Look," Tom interrupts smoothly, waving a hand to dismiss any objection. "I’d honestly feel a lot better leaving her to stay with you for the remainder of your trip. It's much safer for her to be with someone we know rather than staying alone in a separate room attracting attention from unsavory men."

"Hey!" Claire protests weakly.

"Not you babe," Tom cut her off, "Them." He turned his attention back to you. "So, what say you?"

You hesitate, still processing what is going on.

Seeing your silence, Tom flashes a satisfied grin and takes it as an immediate agreement. "Awesome. I knew you'd understand," he says, clapping a hand on your shoulder. "I'll go ahead and check out of our room downstairs right now."

Tom turns to leave, his boots clicking on the floor, but stops dead in his tracks just before reaching the threshold. "Oh, wait. Almost forgot." He turns back, reaches squarely into Claire's purse which is hanging from her shoulder, and unzips it. His fingers rummage around for a brief second before he pulls out a small, plastic case.

Tom holds it up between two fingers, looking directly at you with a wicked smirk. "She definitely won't be needing this." He put the case in his pocket, leaning in closer. "Gives you plenty of time to work on that delivery in nine months' time."

Claire’s cheeks immediately turn a deep, brilliant crimson. She looks down at the floor, suddenly incredibly sheepish, biting her lip as her husband made that statement so explicitly.

Tom steps out into the hallway, grabbing the handle of his luggage. He looks back over his shoulder one last time, his voice dropping into a serious, yet utterly thrilled tone. "Take good care of her."

"Okay," you mumble.

The door clicks shut behind him, leaving you and Claire alone in the quiet room with her suitcase.