"She does, does she?" Raven said, smiling. "I like the sound of that." She'd touched the child empathically during her many checks to make certain everything was well, but she'd never had a conversation with her other than whispers of emotion, and she envied Jono for that.

"I have considered adoption as well," she said, a wistful look coming over her face as she thought about the many children she'd helped, and of the surprise they'd sent her today. "And I expect I will do so once I can arrange suitable quarters in which to care for a family instead of just myself and Philia. But I also wish a child of my own body."

Her expression turned a little more serious. "What do you mean, pretending to be more stable?" she asked. She wasn't sure if that was usual Jono-ness or something else.

And Jono-ness was totally a word.