Between the Lanterns(51)

Samantha looked at him like August had lost his marbles and said, “And you went with Steve…”

“As gGood a name as any,” he told her. “Now, despite what I just told Steve, he can actually tell me what to do, and often does. Let’s fill him up. I’m thinkin’ we can make some sandwiches and hit Poplar Head Park for a little picnic. What say you, wench?”

“Wench? Don’t go using your fantasy novel lingo on me, sweets,” she said, and then muttered under her breath, “What say you… I swear to the Lord above.”

They laughed together,; with their legs still intertwined on the couch. August got off of the sofa and bowed deeply, saying, “Verily, m’lady.”

He was in the kitchen long before the book flew at him from his wife’s perch.

After lunch, they took a walk down South Foster and over to West Main Street. They walked by where the diner used to be. Standing there, holding hands, they reminisced about days gone by. They talked about Tara, and how much Samantha missed her still. They spoke of the man who brought them together, John.

“He was so sweet in the diner that day,” she recalled. “He was about to cry because he couldn’t pay for his pie. Come to find out that he wanted it so bad because it was his ex-wife’s recipe. I mean… how beautiful is that, sweets?”

August nodded and said, “Man, that old fella was somethin’ else. It had been so long since I had met someone that kind. Not since my granny had passed, I guess.”

“You know, if it hadn’t been for Montek we might not have ended up together,” Samantha regretfully admitted. “They put out the coupon, which brought both you and John to the diner that day.”

August hated to admit it, but she was right. Montek did have a lot to do with their getting together.

“Yeah, that did get us to meet for the second time,” he said begrudgingly. “But I think what truly brought us together was, and I hate to say it, but it was John’s accident outside of the diner. When you called to tell me how he had been hit by an AutoCar and was in the clinic, and then asked me to be there with you to ease his passing? Well, I knew you were good inside. I wanted to be there for John, yeah, absolutely. But I wanted to be there with you, too.”

Samantha looked into his bright eyes. He looked back and squeezed her hand forcefully.

“You’re right, sweets,” she said. “And then to find out he was Cheryl’s ex-husband, and that he was giving the diner to me… and the house, too! It was fate. It was all destiny. God had a hand in everything. I just know it.”

August sighed. He still wasn’t sure if he believed in God. As an inventor, or tinkerer, he had made the SameSoul with science, and it was going to change the world very soon. Most people weren’t very religious anymore, so August was certain a vast majority of the world would love to live forever inside of a robot. But Sam kept holding onto the belief that there was a Heaven, and that a soul should be free to move on. August didn’t necessarily agree.

“Maybe, babe. Maybe he did,” August said, not wanting to argue about faith in that perfectly beautiful moment.

“She, sweets,” Sam said with a wink. “God is a woman.”

Suddenly, August felt something hit him in the shoulder with the force of a truck. He spun around awkwardly to see an old lady walking by with a Montek.Automaton at her side. Her robot was what had clipped August so hard.

He listened as they talked to one another. It was a newer model, one that had his tech in it. Not the SameSoul, though. It was too soon for Montek to have gotten that into production. No, it was the improvements he had made to the body, voice systems, and BrainSave that he could detect just by watching and listening.

The body type was newer and more human-like, suspiciously looking like Woodrow 2.0. The voice sounded less robotic and more like what this woman’s husband. One of the innovations he had made was a vocal capture in the BrainSave that could emulate the deceased’s voice based on a sample. And the way the automaton responded to the old woman; they were having a conversation. It was wonderful to see his work affecting someone in such a positive way. He didn’t even mind his sore shoulder at that moment.

“Sam, do you see that?” he said, pointing to the old woman.

Samantha had not been paying attention to any of it and was still looking at the site of her old diner. Cheryl’s old restaurant. She was still thinking of all the meals she had cooked inside, and all the wonderful smells that used to permeate this area because of that extraordinary old place. It was all gone now and had been for a while. But Samantha could still see it in her mind’s eye.

“Hmm? What’s that, sweets?” she answered dreamily, turning around to look at her husband, and letting go of his hand.

“That old lady and her automaton,” he said, still pointing. “Ain’t it great? That could be us one day, you know, only much better with the SameSoul. If only I could find the damn thing.” Revisiting that frustration, he kicked at a loose stone on the ground… and fell.

Samantha grabbed at his hand, but it was no good. He fell right onto his ass. Hard. She covered her mouth to stifle a gasp, but when she saw the look on his face, Sam burst out laughing.

“Not funny, babe. I think I broke my coccyx,” he said with a stifled laugh and a smile.

His wife laughed even harder now; bent over at the knees, gasping for air and tears streaming from her eyes.