Tilly pulled on Nora’s sleeve. “Listen with me tonight?”
Nora took in her eager expression and then back at Simon cooking, feeling torn.He seems a bit upset?
Simon took the decision out of her hands. “I’ll bring the food in a minute and then listen as well.”
The tugging on her sleeve from Tilly became more insistent and Nora followed, glancing back at Simon frying some of the cut potatoes as well. “Alright.”
Before sitting next to Tilly, already pressed close to the radio, Nora took the leftover money and put it in the nightstand next to her bed. The radio had already started its nightly melody indicating the start of the show. But Nora’s eyes were drawn through the doorway, watching Simon as he moved in the kitchen with his backside facing her.
She shook her head to clear her mind but her eyes couldn’t help just resting on him in the kitchen. At the way his muscles flexed when he moved.What is wrong with me?She thought of what Anna’s reaction would be if she knew what he really was.I’m getting feelings for an android.
The radio’s tinny quality rang out after a chime signaling an emergency broadcast. Nora turned away from watching Simon to focus on the plastic speaker. “An alert is issued for an atmosphere sweep to take place on Sunday, June twenty-third. Please plan and take necessary precautions. It is unwise to travel during this time.”
The speaker droned on and Nora was so focused she didn’t notice Simon coming in. He sat next to her, putting a worn metal plate of eggs and part of a bar on her lap. The place where their legs touched felt on fire and she adjusted herself to the side. She picked up her fork. “Oh, thank you.”
“Of course.” His tone was a bit off as he handed an identical plate to Tilly. “Atmosphere sweep? Four more days?”
Nora answered before eating. “Yeah. Maybe one more scrap trip before it happens. Should be enough time to do that and then get to town.”
“Yes. Your supplies in the kitchen are lower than they should be.” That off tone was still present in his voice.
Nora swallowed the eggs. “You okay? Seem kind of sad.”
Simon pressed his lips together. “It’s nothing, Nora. I think everything is just connecting for me now. And . . . why have your supplies gotten so low?”
A flush went through her. “It doesn’t matter. There’s still enough.”
Simon’s lips pressed together tighter.
The radio announcement played again before switching back over to Tilly’s programming. Nora held up the food and elbowed him. “This is good, thank you.”
Simon gave a small smile to her and then Tilly, watching the little girl shovel the food in. “Food still cooks the same. Even if it is a bit different.”
Nora swallowed. She reached over and touched his leg. “Simon, with you here, we can build up supplies a lot easier. It's okay. Do you worry about running out of things too?”
It was with a hesitant tone that Simon answered, “Not before. There was plenty before. But I do now.”
Tilly scraped the plate and used her finger to get the last crumbs. “But you got your batteries!” A reminder chime came on the radio. “Shh—my show is starting!”
The radio got turned louder, but Nora heard Simon say softly underneath it, making her heart flip-flop, “Yes, but you don’t.”
Chapter twenty-five
Simon
Simon listened to some faraway bird calls as Nora entered the kitchen in the early morning, stretching as she yawned. His eyes snagged on the hair on her head, wild from sleeping. “Good morning, Nora.”
“Morning.” Nora flashed him a smile as she tamed her hair into a ponytail, already changed into her morning clothes.
He replayed the smile she gave before making the choice to commit it to his memory banks.
“Is Tilly ready?” Simon didn’t need to ask if she was awake; Tilly’s voice competed with the birds as she sang loudly in the other room. On the counter next to him he had organized the components they bought in town yesterday. Throughout the night he’d made great progress, fixing most of the broken parts on the little hover.
Nora sat at the table and ate one of the bars with some water. “I told her to get ready. I’ll go hustle her in a minute.”
The cat jumped up on the table. Simon scratched behind his ears as Nora finished up and went back in the bedroom to get Tilly ready. They were soon out, the sun already high in the sky during this early hour. It had rained a bit again the night before, making the air relatively clear again this morning.
Nora commented on it as they walked, pulling on her boots that she’d left just outside the front door. “I could get used to it being so nice outside all the time. I hope these sweeps someday work as good as the rain.”
