The dawn light shone straight into the eyes making Lam Thanh Moc slightly squinted, she stretched once then only slowly opened eyes. The smooth feeling of the soft mattress.

  For so long now she never lay on a soft mattress throughout a whole year; she only lay on a wooden bed lined with thick leaf layers made by Thuong Sinh for her.

  She turned around looking at Thuong An still sleeping deeply, small lips slightly pouting out looking extremely cute.

  But the right position was already empty.

  She slowly sat up, looked around the room. Thuong Sinh was not there, but Thuong An's belongings had been arranged again neatly; the dirty diaper also had been cleared.

  "Woke up?"

  Thuong Sinh's voice rang out from the balcony side. He stepped in, on his body still was a black set of clothes usually familiar; he went the kitchen side beside, he took out a plate of food, that he had made, these ingredients were available in the refrigerator beside, perhaps were due to Tran Tinh Gia telling people to prepare for them.

  "Clean up your face then eat."

  Um

  Lam Thanh Moc slightly nodded, looked at him then went into the bathroom.

  A while later she went outside, already saw him making hot milk coffee; the coffee smell faintly in the air made her slightly awake.

  He pushed a milk coffee cup to the front table, signaled her to sit down.

  Lam Thanh Moc sat down the chair, received the hot coffee cup from Thuong Sinh's hand. The warmth spread from the palm, making her a bit dazed. How long already she had not enjoyed a morning like this; from when the apocalypse hit, she never experienced a moment like this once more.

  She sipped a small sip, the bitter sweet taste blended making her spirit alert clearly. Looking at the food plate prepared by him, she slightly asked: "You woke up from when? Did Thuong An early morning fuss you?"

  Thuong Sinh did not look up, hands still were drying those Thuong An's milk bottles, indifferently replied: "The boy woke up early. I have changed diaper and soothed him to sleep further."

  Lam Thanh Moc slightly nodded, ate food on the plate; the bread piece with egg on the plate, a simple breakfast but for a long time she had not eaten this way.

  Thuong Sinh sat opposite her, he also took out his part similar like her; both both ate no one said anything with each other anymore.

  Knock… Knock… Knock…

  The knock on the door outside, made both in the room both flickered look toward the door; Thuong Sinh he stood up signaled her to continue eating, he stepped to opening the door.

  Before him was Lam Tich Khanh wearing normal clothes, a light blue T-shirt of the military, the marks of time haggard on the face of him; if others looked in only thought he only a normal man.

  "Greeting sir."

  "Um, I enter okay?"

  Okay

  Thuong Sinh he leaned tight body to one side to let Lam Tich Khanh enter.

  Lam Thanh Moc she at this time also stood up curiously looking at the door side, she saw exactly was her father knocking door, walking inside.

  Father

  Lam Tich Khanh slightly nodded with daughter, eyes flickered through the eating table still dangling then stopped the large bed, where Thuong An still sank in peaceful sleep. His appearance in normal clothes made the atmosphere less of the military solemnity.

  He slowly stepped to near the bed, stood quietly looking at the grandson for a long while. The hands of him slightly squeezed a bit.

  "He looks like you when young." Lam Tich Khanh lowered voice saying, not turning head back.

  Lam Thanh Moc heard father recount old stories, heart suddenly sagged. She stood beside the table, both hands clasped each other a bit awkward: "Father ate breakfast yet? Let me tell Thuong Sinh make one more part."

  "I ate at the central cafeteria already." He turned around, pulled a single chair near there sitting down, signaled for two people also to sit.

  "I came here only to ask about you, and conveniently visit my grandson."

  Lam Thanh Moc shyly looked at him, then looked at Thuong Sinh sitting beside.

  "This room okay?"

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Yes, very good, are you recently healthy?"

  "I am normal."

  The atmosphere in the room at this time became lighter clearly compared to the tension at the office last night. Lam Tich Khanh still kept the stern face, but the way he sat leaning back in the chair; eyes occasionally flickered looking toward the boy sleeping showed he truly appreciated this reunion moment.

  He looked at Lam Thanh Moc, then again flickered look at Thuong Sinh sitting quiet like a statue.

  "Ah… ah…"

  At this time Thuong An suddenly woke up, the boy looked around emitted sounds to make everyone pay attention to him.

  Lam Thanh Moc hurriedly stood up going to near the bed, holding the boy up.

  Thuong An looked at her laughing, giggling.

  The innocent laugh of Thuong An like a cool breeze made the dryness of the room fade. Lam Thanh Moc held the boy, gently swayed, eyes filled with gentleness.

  Lam Tich Khanh could not suppress anymore, he slowly stood up, each step moved near the mother and son. The man always decisive in all matters now again had a bit of awkwardness when standing before the tiny grandson.

  "Let... father hold him a bit okay?"

  Lam Thanh Moc smiled nodding, carefully transferred Thuong An to his hand side.

  Lam Tich Khanh held the child in hand carefully, Thuong An not at all fearful; the boy blinked eyes round staring the strange old man before eyes, then unexpectedly reached out the tiny hands, intended to grasp the silver stethoscope sparkling on his neck.

  "Ha ha... this boy, courage also big!"

  Lam Tich Khanh burst into laughter, an infrequent hearty laugh making Lam Thanh Moc also stunned.

  Thuong Sinh sitting beside, quietly observed that scene not saying anything.

  After a while playing with the grandson, Lam Tich Khanh returned Thuong An again to daughter, his face returned the stern look but eyes had softened much more. He turned to Thuong Sinh: "Thank you."

  Thuong Sinh also a bit surprised looking at him.

  "For what?"

  "I know in throughout that road, you have protected my daughter."

  Thuong Sinh looked at him, for a while.

  "That is the natural thing I will do, Thanh Moc decided to follow me at that time I must have responsibility for her."

  Lam Tich Khanh he did not speak further, his eyes no longer had the investigative look like before; only slightly twitched eyebrows once then smiled lightly.

  He slowly nodded.

  Lam Tich Khanh turned to looking at daughter, saw her holding Thuong An face lighter than before; Lam Tich Khanh lowered voice: "Afternoon, you guys can go down the medical room check health for the boy."

  "I have told people already."

  "I'm leaving now."

  Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc nodded looking at him.

  After speaking finished he turned body stepped toward the door, strode out of the room. The door closed dully, returning the quiet space for the three people.

  Lam Thanh Moc breathed a sigh of relief, she sat down the mattress on hand holding Thuong An, suddenly the boy tried clutching her shirt collar.

  "Ah… ah…"

  Lam Thanh Moc understood, she gave Thuong An food.

  Thuong Sinh also understood, he stood up cleared the remains of the meal of two people.

  That afternoon.

  The family all three people began to go down the ground floor of the building; when going across the corridor, there were several soldiers male have, female also have going across seeing three people then curiously looked after.

  In this military area having children not lacking, but the air of Thuong Sinh beside made everyone unconsciously look after him.

  Not looking after infatuation, but the feeling of cold spine; the curious gazes at first quickly shifted to wariness when Thuong Sinh went across them. He did not do anything to anyone, but the empty silence in the eyes of him like a bottomless abyss, made others unconsciously avoid him several meters.

  They strode out of the white building, they just like that went out a sand yard, went to turning right has a three-story building hospital, specialized in treating wounded soldiers.

  When stepping to the entrance gate, the specific disinfectant smell hit straight into the nose.

  They stepped into the main lobby. A female nurse at the main counter was checking again the files suddenly she looked up intended to ask according to procedure, but when touching Thuong Sinh's violet-black gaze, words suddenly choked in the throat. She trembled hand, dropped even the pen down the table surface.

  "Greeting, I am Lam Thanh Moc already have appointment, can you check for me?"

  Lam Thanh Moc holding Thuong An beside saw her astonished looking at Thuong Sinh, she immediately spoke waking her up.

  "Ah, you wait a bit for me to check… exactly has appointment, please follow me." The female nurse stammered, hurriedly led the way to escape from the invisible pressure pressing heavy on her chest.

  They were led to a specialized examination room for pediatrics on the second floor. Inside, an old doctor with white hair, was sitting resting, saw someone pushing the door in he hurriedly wore glasses looking at Lam Thanh Moc then looking over the child.

  "Doctor Tran, I brought people here having appointment."

  "Ah, you worked hard already."

  That female nurse heard his words, hurriedly left.

  The old doctor, called doctor Tran, slowly stood up. He did not hurry checking the child immediately but brought kind but full of life experience eyes observing all three people. When his gaze stopped at Thuong Sinh, he slightly froze a bit then that was it.

  "Greeting doctor, I come here to check for my son."

  Lam Thanh Moc looked at him, politely said.

  "Um, place the child up here."

  Doctor Tran slightly nodded, signaled her to place Thuong An on the examination table having white mattress lining.

  Lam Thanh Moc gently placed Thuong An down, Thuong An originally was dozing asleep just touching the strange mattress immediately opened wide round eyes, looking around. Seeing doctor Tran bringing hand near, the boy dazed looking at the old man before eyes; the boy did not cry but again reached out the tiny hands, intended to grasp the silver stethoscope sparkling on his neck.

  "The boy is quite brave." Doctor Tran smiled, his voice low and warm. He began to perform the specialized checking steps, from heart rate, respiratory rate to natural reflexes of infants.

  The room sank into silence, only remaining the machine sound calling "beep beep" gently and doctor Tran's mumbling writing. Thuong Sinh still stood there, right beside Lam Thanh Moc. He said nothing, but violet-black eyes always fixed on each movement of the doctor.

  "Health is very good, developing perfectly compared to age, even is more sturdy than children of same months." Doctor Tran while speaking while pushing the glasses frame; his eyes occasionally revealed surprise when looking into indices on the screen.

  "Under apocalypse conditions but nurtured like this, you two certainly have worked hard already."

  Lam Thanh Moc slightly breathed a sigh of relief, she flickered look at Thuong Sinh, in heart rose a feeling of immense relief.

  "But..." Doctor Tran suddenly hesitated, he looked at Thuong Sinh then again looked at the boy.

  "Has an abnormal point. The biological energy index of this boy is a bit abnormally large…"

  Thuong Sinh raised eyebrows, not replying, gaze still deep as before; he slightly guessed the reason.