the overactive mind of a believer

Avantika nodded as Art described the Ashen pack. Proud and noble didn't sound bad.

"Can I ask you something, Tika?" Avantika's head tilted in confusion but she nodded. "Are you happy?" She was quiet for a moment. She didn't want to blow him off with some "duh, yeah, I'm fine" -- she'd already done that and he hadn't given up on trying to get her to open up. Clearly he cared, even just because he was a nice guy. "I'm not... unhappy," she replied hesitantly. "I don't know, I'm doing what I have to do, I think. There are places where I need to improve, of course, in, you know, work life balance, but it's not that bad, is it?" She didn't know if it was a good thing that she pronounced that as a question. Art continued, asking her if starting a family would make her happier. Heck, he really was piling on the serious questions. "I do want to. I think the benefits would outweigh the stress of, you know, having more I have to protect." Puppies were so small, so vulnerable. You could step on them if you weren't careful. She didn't want to accidentally hurt them. That brought her to any other worry, one she hadn't even consciously considered before. "Art? Do you think I'd be a good mom?"

"Speech"