Page 117 of The Restoration Program

“Well.” She folded her hands behind her back. “As you guys know, I’m Bethany. This is Erik. And a week ago, I woke up in this body. This tiny…amazingbody. Nothing could have prepared me for this. Seeing the world like this… SeeingEriklike this.” She glanced back at him with pursed lips. “I know it sounds crazy, but the weirdest part is…walking.”

Her voice caught. She scrubbed her eyes. Erik leaned in and murmured to her, loosely wrapping a hand around her waist. She leaned into him so readily.

“A few years ago,” Erik said, “she developed something that—” He sighed and gathered himself. “It was rare. So rare, that doctors didn’t know what to do to help. She lost feeling in her legs, and the illness was working its way up. Each hospital visit, her chances looked bleaker. When we heard about the Restoration Program, we swore it was a godsend.”

Bethany sniffled. “We’re just—just so grateful.”

Fingers tightening into a snugger hold, Erik gazed down at her like she was a miracle. “I thought our days together were numbered. Now, we can finally have a full life together.”

“It’s excellent to hear the adjustment has gone so well,” Burman said. “Have there been any snags along the way you’d like to share?”

Bethany’s shoulders drooped. “Well, we had to rehome our cat. We didn’t want to take any risks. Other than that, it’s been the most wonderful, strangest week of our life. Marriage never seemed like a good idea until now. We know it wouldn’t be official, but we have a date set in March.”

Murmurs of delight and congratulations flitted through the group after Bethany took a seat.

“This is exactly why the Program exists,” Burman said with fresh vigor. “To renew lives. Death and illness have lost their power. Nicole and Ryan tied the knot a few months ago. I’m sure given more time, NüPrint marriages will be official.”

As eyes drifted back in Nicole’s direction, she was keenly aware of the space she and Ryan had unconsciously created between themselves. She was leaning forward, elbows on her knees, while he was leaning back with his arms crossed.

The knot’s tied alright, she thought glumly.

The rest of the couples shared their wins and losses, though Nicole had a hard time paying attention to anything other than the clock on the wall—counting the minutes until she’d have to be alone with Ryan again.

“You see?” Burman said encouragingly once everyone had shared. “You can hear the positives outweighing everything else more and more with every meeting. But with that, there’s always room for improvement.” His gaze scanned around slowly. “For the rest of the session, I want us to navigate a serious topic: agency. I know it’ll sound like a broken record to some of you, but it’s crucial that we never forget that even the smallest choices impact our well-being.”

Nicole swore that Burman’s gaze kept pausing on Ryan, who stiffened each time.

“I want everyone to keep in mind that this is a safe space,” Burman said solemnly. “We need to trust each other to speak openly and honestly. How else can we expect to move forward if not through communication? With that said, does anyone feel like their agency has been compromised lately? Perhaps even by a partner?”

Burman’s gaze settled on Nicole, sympathetic and pointed.

Her breath caught. She waited for him to look at someone else—anyone else. But he stared so long that many of the others in the circle followed his gaze.

“Nicole,” Burman said gently. “Would you like to share anything?”

Her mouth went dry. Heknew.

“I… What do you mean?” She glanced at Carlos, eyes wide with accusation, but he shook his head solemnly, looking equally disturbed.

Behind her, she sensed Ryan go absolutely still.

Burman paced closer. “Was there any point since our last meeting that you perhaps felt like you weren’t supported in feeling like an equal?”

Bile rose in her throat. “W-well, uh…”

She twisted in her seat and shot Ryan a look—I’m just as horrified as you are, I swear, I don’t know what’s happening—but his stare was unresponsive. The gears were turning behind those lovely blue eyes, wondering at precisely which point over the last few days she had decided to be such a bitch.

“I mean, I guess there was a tiny thing the other day,” Nicole said, facing the front. She forced a smile, hoping to placate the concern that clouded the large and small faces at the table. “Ryan was running late for work and scooped me off my feet a little quicker than I’m used to. It was startling, that’s all. He—he’s usually very delicate.”

“I, er… I think we’ve all been there,” Daisy chipped in after a beat of awkward silence. She offered a small polite smile from the other side of the NüPrints’ table.

Burman shot Daisy a disapproving glance from the corner of his eye. “Let’s not invalidate, please. That must have been frightening.”

“Only for a moment,” Nicole lied.

“I didn’t hurt her,” Ryan said. “There was an urgent call from work, and I needed to get a move on. It was just a little mix-up between me and Nicki.”

Burman peered up at his towering form coolly. “But had Nicole agreed to accompany you?”