It was that one brief moment in time that the world seemed to shut its mouth and let its inhabitants receive the little amounts of sleep they needed to rejuvenate for their next twenty-three hours of work. Everyone halted his or her activity like a television whose plug had just been pulled, and for what seemed like an eternity to the inhabitants, time stood completely still.
The clock jumped in angst as its screen read 12:00 AM and quickly awoke the two tan lumps on the bed. A long-fingered hand made a motion to end this panging and, knowing it had completed its duty, the alarm compliantly ceased. In a matter of seconds, the two lumps were already in the bathroom, making themselves appropriate for a day of work.
With their natural flawlessness- literally- there wasn’t much to be done aside from a quick brushing of the hair and teeth, a facial wash, and a change of attire. The taller of the two, a male, was perfectly bronzed with chiseled muscles and smooth skin, his only blemishes being a beauty mark here and there that made him all the more appealing. His hair was brunette and perfectly messy, and always radiated smells of berry shampoo and natural sweetness. His eyes- certainly his greatest feature, even though they were all so wonderful- were two different colors, one emulating the aqua sea with strands of seaweed floating along the surface, the other a mysterious brown full of emotion and intelligence.
The taller one turned to the other and smiled, revealing a perfect (and unaltered) set of teeth. “Have I told you about the new project I’m working on?” he asked her. His speech revealed a British accent, most likely from the Hertfordshire region. She stopped washing her face, which was now sparking with its natural radiance, and revealed a look of apprehension, an expression that appeared to upset the man. “Rupert…” Her voice, so pure and melodic, trailed off into the atmosphere.
“I can’t believe I’ve neglected to tell you about it!” he said, seemingly unaware of the shakiness in her voice, or at least trying his hardest to make himself. “John and I- you know John, he’s your friend Lucy’s husband- we’re working on this machine that can function as both a boat and a car, and I know everyone uses their jetpacks now, but sometimes the water can be exciting, and…” The girl cut off the man named Rupert quickly, eager to get her words out. “Rupert, I’m pregnant. Don’t ask me if I’m sure; I am. I’m very much pregnant. And I’m scared.”

Rupert’s look of exhilaration morphed into fear beyond comprehension.
Rupert finally spoke. “We haven’t been approved yet.”
“I know.”
“I’m not mad at you. This isn’t your fault.”
“Am I supposed to think it is? To try and blame myself?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“I don’t know what the chances are that our baby turns our fine.”
“The guys in our lab say they’re about 75%.”
“What did they do with the last child who wasn’t…”
A long pause ensued.
“I can’t remember.”

Rupert turned to the woman and a tear formed at the crease of his chocolate eye. “We can’t think like that right now. We’re going to get through this just fine, and the government will make an exception for us. We were on the list to be approved in just a few months; once the baby turns out healthy and beautiful, they’ll understand it was just an accident.” The woman’s large, innocent eyes met his, and she fell into his arms like a tree that had just been struck by lightning. “I love you Sophia,” he said. She looked up at him, her eyes as green as freshly mowed grass from the wetness of salty tears. They sat on the floor of the bathroom in that same position for minutes, until Sophia finally got up and smoothed out her silk nightgown. “We’re going to be late for work,” she said. And just like that, everything was perfect again.