Well-Bred

Elizabeth lifted the lid of the toilet, retching into it. Morning sickness. It'd been awhile since she had experienced, but she knew the clarion call by now. She went to the pharmacy to get a test to confirm what she already knew: she was pregnant again. Moses had fathered a son in her, Abe had fathered multiple children, and now Leroy. In ancient Greece she'd probably be a goddess of fertility, she thought. She wasn't sure how Leroy would take it, and didn't feel comfortable sharing the news with her ex-husband, so she kept it quiet for now.

Over 700 miles away, deep in the South Carolina lowcountry, Shanequa learned similar news. Wilbur, the chosen bull, had delivered what Shanequa had bargained for, a child to raise with her stag, Will. There were tears of happiness, there was lovemaking between Will and Shanequa, and there was unbridled optimism for their future.