The room was quiet, the soft hum of the night settling around them. Prentice lay beside her spouse, the warmth of their shared space a soothing balm to the exhaustion of the day. Her centipede body stretched across the bed, her human upper half leaning into them, as she absently traced patterns on the blanket with her fingers.

"You’ve been quiet," her spouse/you said, setting their book aside. "Something on your mind?"

Prentice hesitated, her voice soft. Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing enough... if I’m making a difference."

Prentice’s gaze softened, but a flicker of doubt remained. "Do you ever get scared? About the future… about me?”



Prentice closed her eyes, leaning into their warmth. "I don’t know what I’d do without you." In that quiet moment, surrounded by the comfort of their love, Prentice allowed herself to rest. Whatever the world held, y’all would face it side by side.