Forever Love
by Carol A. Cole
Peter rolled
over in bed flinging his arm over his wife. He
jerked it back in fear. Her body was stiff, cold
to the touch.
"What's
wrong, dear?" she murmured.
"Kathy?"
The sunlight glinted off the metallic skin of the
robot lying next to him.
"Where's
my wife?" He jumped out of bed.
"Right
here, where I've always been." She reached
for him. "Come back to bed."
Peter backed
to the door. "This isn't right. You're not
real."
Kathy walked
toward him. "This is the real me. I've
wanted to tell you for months."
"But why
tell me now?"
"I'm
tired of hiding. You've always wondered why I'm
stronger and faster than you when we ski and play
touch football." She tapped her arms making
a hollow sound. "This is why."
"But your
skin was soft and warm. I've heard your heart
beating when I've held you."
Kathy opened
the closet and pulled out a padded suit. "This
is what you felt." She flicked a switch on
her chest. A light blinked and the steady
thumping of a heartbeat filled the room. "This
is what you heard."
"What
made you decide to tell me?"
"I've
seen you looking at the younger girls at the lab.
All men hate when their wives age. I wanted you
to know, I'll always look like this. I've loved
you from the first day you started working at
Stellar Labs, but I want you to love me for who I
am."
Peter started
to laugh. "Oh, Kathy you don't understand."
"What's
so funny?" she snapped.
Peter touched
the freckle under his ribcage and a panel swung
open. "I'm the first prototype from the lab.
We're both robots. You must be the new model;
stronger, more attractive, sexier."
Kathy giggled
as Peter took her in his arms. "I knew there
was a real attraction between us. Now I know why
I love you."
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