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“Is Anabelle okay?” Ethel pushed right past Rowan into the apartment—which she had only ever been fully inside once, back when Rowan had first moved in, before he’d realized how firmlyhe needed to set boundaries. “Are you making progress? Do you think you can save her?”

“Ethel—” Rowan tried to no avail to block her before she passed him, pausing to shut the door, only to turn around and discover her already halfway to the living room.

How did such a frail-looking little old woman move that fast?

“Ethel!” He caught up to her just as she reached the mouth of the living room.

“Ethel, don’t look before—” Milo’s voice preceded him bursting in from the direction of the kitchen but too late to prevent Ethel’s horrified expression.

Anabelle was in pieces all over the living room carpet.

“Please do not worry!” Milo comforted her, rushing to her side. “As is true with many things, sometimes you must take something apart to properly fix and put it back together again. Rowan had to replace part of me recently! I promise you I can fix Anabelle and return her to you whole again. I am so sorry you had to see her this way.”

Milo’s hand on Ethel’s shoulder soothed some of her tension, and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

She rested her hand atop Milo’s and took a few steadying breaths.

Rowan wasn’t certain if he imagined it, but he thought he saw Milo do the same, taking a breath, a moment, to calm himself in solidarity with her. Was it purposeful mirroring or automatic like another human would? It certainly looked like the latter.

“Goodness.” Ethel sniffled but patted Milo’s hand as she turned away from the sight of Anabelle’s parts. “Aren’t you acting differently lately. Calling my Anabelle she and her. Saying you’re sorry. It’s almost as if you really feel those things.”

“Listen, Ethel,” Rowan spoke quickly and loudly to draw her attention away from Milo before she noticed how panicked his expression had become at having given himself away. “I knowyou’re worried about Anabelle, but we saidMonday, remember? All Milo and I are doing today is working on projects like Anabelle. We will get her back to you.”

“Thank you. Of course.” Ethel turned more fully away from the living room and stepped toward Rowan with a look of resolve. “I’m sorry this old woman is so impatient. I just hate being in that apartment without another heartbeat around. You know what I mean.” She chuckled, glancing aside but still not turning to look back at Anabelle. “It’s eerie seeing her in pieces like that.”

“We’ll call you when she’s whole,” Rowan promised, and took hold of Ethel’s shoulder to lead her to the door.

“Thank you,” she said again. “Both of you.”

Rowan breathed relief that Ethel left without further commenting on how different Milo had been acting. His previous due diligence to act closer to how he used to had apparently been completely forgotten.

That seemed pretty human too.

Milo wasn’t in the living room when Rowan returned to it. He found him back in the kitchen, working on a fresh batch of French toast.

“I’m sorry I didn’t act enough like I… should,” Milo said—to the frying pan apparently, because he didn’t turn to look at Rowan.

Like I should.“Milo, it’s okay. Of all people to slip up around, Ethel is the safest. And hopefully, someday soon, there won’t be anyshouldto it, just however you want to act.”

Milo paused and looked back at Rowan finally with such a dazzling expression, Rowan thought he felt his heart stutter. Programming couldn’t cause that, could it? Milo had to be real. He had to be alive.

He had to be.

“Thank you. But please, Rowan, sit down so I can serve you a proper breakfast. Because it is what Iwantto do.”

Rowan obeyed, and this time, the French toast tasted practically perfect. He told Milo as much with the first bite, and after Milo lit up again like a platinum holiday ornament, he returned to the living room to work on Anabelle.

Rowan had plenty to do too, and part of that would be picking up the slack with chores. They were a team now, and even if Rowan was wrong about Milo, even if he was ultimately disappointed and all of this went away, he hoped enough that the alternative was true that he wanted to do all he could for Milo until they had answers.

Starting with the dishes.

Notes:

(I still think Rowan’s eyes are hazel XD)

Notes: