Not a Coincidence

Jake exhaled sharply and stood up, pacing the hallway. “That’s the first night,” he said, like saying it aloud might make it less strange. Mia didn’t answer. Her eyes stayed locked on the screen. The timestamp didn’t lie. Nimbus had entered the crib just hours after they brought Ava home.

The snake hadn’t been in the room before that. He hadn’t come days later, sniffing out warmth or food. He came that night at the exact time the monitor glitched. Mia played the moment back again. There he was, looking calm. It didn’t seem like a coincidence. It looked like their pet had waited for her.