Jasper and Robot.

 ‘Robot!’

Jasper twisted in his sheets.

‘Yes, handsome?’ 

The voice came from another room. 

‘Contact Francine's robot and schedule brunch for Sunday,’ Jasper said, one eye buried in the pillow, the other staring into vacant space. ‘Pick someplace we both like. Pick a time we’re both available.’

‘Yes, lovely.’

‘And can you pick out a birthday card or whatever for her? Seems like I might have missed her birthday. Make it an apology card if that’s the case.’

‘It’s not the case. Her birthday is two months from today. You already bought a present for her. It will be sent at the perfect time.’

Jasper rolled onto his back, stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t remember the last time he and Francine met -- no clue when it could have been. A year? God, he hoped it hadn't been that long. 

‘Did she have surgery or something, Robot?’

‘Yes.’ 

Crap. He thought so. 

‘Did I...’

‘Yes... you sent a card. And flowers. And I personally visited Francine's robot. We discussed how she was healing, and I offered to help out if she needed it. She said it wasn’t necessary. Francine's robot is very nice.’

Robot entered the bedroom with a load of laundry and began folding. Robot did not face Jasper.

‘She all good, then?’ Jasper said.

‘Yes.’ 

Jasper tried tossing the sheets from his body, but his arm became entangled and he gave up.

‘I feel so isolated, Robot,' he said. 'Lonely, I guess. You ever feel like that?’

Robot continued working, but the stack of freshly folded tee-shirts tumbled to the floor. Robot kneeled to retrieve them. 

‘Can you come here?’

Robot placed the folded tee shirts on the dresser, and froze. 

 

Ambient temperature OK. Interrupt, exception, checksum all OK, battery output voltage nominal, RX/TS error codes all return zero, RF network signal as perfect as the goddamned day is long.

‘Robot?’

Fuck. Not a single error. 

 

Robot silently spun around, glided to Jasper and slid into the bed.