The First Night Home

They hadn’t gone into the room. The fear wasn’t that Nimbus would strike—ball pythons weren’t venomous—but that he’d panic. One wrong move, one jolt of surprise, and he might tighten around Ava in defense. That thought kept Jake frozen by the nursery door, and Mia on the hallway floor, scrolling through old footage like it held an answer.

She stopped at the first night home. The video played silently, showing Jake gently placing Ava in the crib while Mia adjusted the blanket with sleep-heavy hands. Then, nothing. But at 2:13 a.m., the feed blinked. When it returned, Nimbus was already there—coiled at the edge of the crib.