Mission comes home from farm work and cleans up while Allie finishes preparing an unusually rich dinner. As he removes his tight ring and notices the lit candles and the pork roast, Mission starts to worry about the expense and the impropriety, since such things are usually saved for emergencies or special occasions.

Before Mission can object, Allie reveals the reason for the celebration: a doctor has confirmed that she became pregnant during their approved time window. Mission immediately feels overwhelming relief that the pregnancy is legal, then embraces Allie and shares her happiness. The two sit down to dinner, and Mission begins thinking ahead to the practical demands of fatherhood, such as growing more food or taking extra work.

During the meal, Allie says that if the baby is a girl, she must be named Allison, following her family tradition. Mission agrees and proposes Cam as a name for a boy. But the name unsettles him, because it seems familiar in a way he cannot explain.

The chapter ends with Mission dwelling on his fragmented memory. The name Cam, a vague thought about water purification, the mark on his neck, the scar on his stomach, and even his missing birthday all remind him that parts of his past are inaccessible. What should be a joyful domestic moment is shadowed by signs that Mission’s identity and history have been obscured.