[The past several months have left Aloy outside of her depth. In the absence of a traditional family, she's found herself floundering, trying to figure out how to build one on her own. Observation of others had often been her method, but Zero eschews expected tradition. When Aloy tries to mimic what she's seen of wives and husbands, putting a hand on Zero's back to steady her, or hovering in worried, subdued panic at pregnancy illnesses and mishaps, Zero is resistant and sometimes outright surly. She shies away from her touch like a skittish fox. She seems, Aloy thinks, preoccupied with the changes in her body, miserable over bouts of morning sickness and nausea, how hard it was to get comfortable with the added weight and awkwardness of the life growing inside of her. But Aloy is enraptured by the changes. She thinks she's beautiful; she glows. Zero seems like something born from nature: like the goddess the Nora believed in so ardently.

She doesn't mean to startle her today, but of course she does, and she feels a little crestfallen over it and the hurried motion she sees of Zero tying her robe, like a kid who had just been scolded. Varl had admitted her that during some moments in Zo's pregnancy, he was certain that she blamed him personally for the misfortune of it.

Aloy knows how he feels. ]

Sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you. [In the back of her mind, she scolds herself too, for not thinking to knock.] I got that boar jerky you wanted yesterday. [A peace offering.] Caught the trader just as he was heading north. Feeling up to it today?