26.
After a shower and a quick change, Milly heads three floors down. The front door of a condominium unit stands ajar.
Inside, Meghan leans upon the slick polymer countertop as she watches coffee drip into a tarnished old pot.
From the front door comes: “Hello?”
“Oh, Milly!” Meghan hobbles across her kitchen’s tile floor and peeks around the corner. “Come in, thanks for dropping by so often.”
Milly walks forward, closing the front door behind her. “Always.”
“Most young people don’t want to know someone old.” Meghan pours an overfull cup of coffee. “They blame us for everything, but we’re only human.”
Milly sits down. “What was life like, before the world started going downhill? Really. Without ‘Sins of the Old World’ propaganda.”
“Life was”—Meghan exhales—“nice. It’s sad to think now how easy it was then — to travel, just to eat — and hard to talk about.” She sets down the cup with a wobble. “How much this time?”
Milly shows her a receipt.
“Ugh, inflation.” Meghan hands over a new shopping list, on paper, and looks for her purse.
Milly sips, wrinkling her delicate, pointed nose as she wipes the coffee ring off the table. “You don’t have to give me extra.”
Phone in hand, Meghan returns. “Tell me about you. What are you up to, tonight?”
Milly brushes her athletic tights. “Going to a new gym.”
Meghan presses her knobby thumb. “Phone! Pay Milly!”
Her phone brightens. “Pulse, Oxygen, Print, Temperature, DNA — pass.”
“You know, Meghan, you can silence those announcements.”
“Why?” Meghan laughs. “I’ll take every reminder I can get that I’m still alive!” Her shaking fingers type the dollar amount.
Milly chuckles. “And you can give your AI a name …” Her phone dings.
“I know, but it’s not a real person — not even a pet.”
Eyes falling, Milly nods.
Meghan slices her hand through a flower bouquet. “It’s hard to tell what’s real anymore.” The hologram flickers, struggling to retain shape. “Talking to AI, it listening to me all the time? No, thanks. I shut that feature off.” Meghan raises her thumb. “At least this is tangible.”
“Fair point.” Milly rubs her bracelet. “Actually, I should go.”
“Oh?” Meghan pats her hand. “Have fun.”
Milly snaps her fingers. “Just remembered, I got you something.”
“Really?”
Milly sets the envelope on the table. “Wait ‘til tomorrow to open it, OK? Unless I don’t make it …”
Meghan giggles.
“Promise?”
Meghan nods.
Milly twiddles her fingers goodbye and leaves.