What If It Never Left?

The nursery was small, tucked in the back corner of the house where the early light slipped through sheer curtains each morning. It was the quietest room, where Ava could grow without the sound of passing cars. Mia had chosen it carefully, nesting instinct taking over in her third trimester, while Jake painted the walls a soft sage green.

Since Ava’s birth, Mia checked the windows, locks, and baby monitor every night without fail. That made what she saw on the screen even harder to process. The snake wasn’t panicked or lost. And the only way that made any sense… was if it had been here all along.