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Chapter thirty-six

Simon

Simon watched Nora closely, making sure he was not misreading her mood or pressing too fast. He knew how it felt for him to want to be intimate again, after all the echoes of the past he had, but he was more logical. After all, Simon was still an android.

But Nora is not. His wild-haired, gentle Nora was not. So I need to be careful. Human minds were sometimes so confusing in how they processed data, often arriving at illogical conclusions. Simon watched Nora, trying to assess her as they did the routine chores, falling into step beside her as they walked around outside.

When they got to the chicken coop, Nora cooed as he uncovered the coop fully from the spot that Tilly had just brushed aside to check on the chickens.

“They all look fine.” Nora met his eyes and her cheeks became rosy as she turned off the air filter and took it apart. “I’ll go clean this off.”

Simon finished opening up the coop’s panels while watching Nora walk toward the water storage. I’ll need to be very careful. He didn’t want to push beyond what she was ready for, as much as he wanted her.

He wanted her heart more than her body, even though he was curious about that as well. For him, once he decided, the past became less real for him than the memories he was hoping to make with Nora. The present is what matters. It was an easy enough thing to say, but different in practice.

Once their chores and breakfast were done, Tilly led them back outside to watch her wheel around on the emergency scooter from the hover like she did several weeks ago when he first went outside. Only this time it was bright enough in the sunlight that the chipped pink sunglasses from inside were on her eyes as she stood on the scooter, going fast in looping patterns where the street was still smooth enough to travel. The light, actually, was closer to the same intensity Simon remembered back from his time.

Simon made a point to pull Nora close as they watched Tilly scooter around, putting his arm around her as they sat down on the ground together outside the front door. A drone hovered, far in the distance—several, in fact. But for the moment, they had privacy by their little house.

Nora leaned on his shoulder, then in his arms, as they watched together. “It seems brighter? Like the sun?”

Simon squinted overhead. Yes. It did seem like the sun was penetrating through the hazy coating a bit easier. “I was just thinking that. It appears more like I remember. Maybe things will grow better? Besides just the root vegetables?”

Her hand grabbed at the dirt. “Yeah. They got some indoor farms in town that grow other things. Maybe I can get some seeds to try outside. Did you garden before?”

Memories came, unwillingly, at her question. “We lived in tall buildings, many different families in one. They were called condos and apartments. We bought all our goods. There were large farms where plants were grown far away.”

Nora's nose scrunched. “So . . . no?”

A short laugh escaped him. “No. I have the information about how to, but never had the chance to use it. I liked keeping some indoor plants; they were ornamental though.” He picked up her hand, slightly dirty from the ground. “It is different seeing the plants actually grow. The entire process. Besides just being with you, there’s different aspects of life here, now, that I knew of, but it’s different experiencing firsthand.”

Nora settled more fully in his arms. “That’s nice to hear, actually. Everything is always about what we are missing from before, but maybe we still already have most of what we need.”

He rested his head on top of her windswept hair. Yes, exactly.

Nora smiled then, in his arms, making the dimple show in her cheek. Simon couldn’t help himself as he reached out and put his finger over the divot. It was the type of imperfection an android would never have, and yet it was perfection. “There’s a lot we have. I love seeing Tilly’s reaction to the food I make. You too. But there’s something . . . it’s different. Before, there was so much extra you took it for granted, but now through scarcity, you can see the meaning and effort clearer.” He pulled on the collar of his shirt. “This as well. I’ve never had someone personally make me an article of clothing before.”

Nora chuckled on his shoulder, rubbing her cheek into the shirt she made him. “The simple things then?”

Time seemed to slow as he watched Tilly scooter. “They don’t seem so simple to me.”

Tilly rolled up on her scooter, really close, digging into her pockets. “These are the good ones.” She dropped a pile of rocks she’d collected by their feet before going to get some more.

Simon watched, laughing softly. The good ones for what?

Nora picked up one of the rocks from the pile. “It’s really simple, but I understand. That’s why I wanted to live in the desert, besides the obvious. I wanted it quiet enough here to learn about myself too. Be by myself.”

He rubbed down her arm. “It was brave of you to come out here.”

She let out a huff and the rock dropped. “At first I felt so restless, like I couldn’t sit still. Almost went back to town, but I wanted different for Tilly so . . . but then after a while, I changed to where this feels right.”

“Yes. It feels . . . real.”

Nora snuggled into his chest further. “Yes. Real.”

He held her while Tilly scootered, not pressing her. Sometimes, trying to define everything with words wasn’t possible. He gazed down at Nora’s wispy hair. And sometimes things don’t need defining.