“‘Roar,’ said the monster. ‘I’m going to eat you up.’”

 

“You’re not doing it right,” said David. “Mom would do a scary voice for the monster.”

 

Paul dragged his hand down his face and over his chin.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. Your mother was a lot better at this than I am. How about we finish this book tomorrow night?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“Love you...”

 

Paul kissed his son’s forehead goodnight and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, standing by the cracked door, listening to his son talking, just like he did every night, to an AI companion Paul had programmed to speak like his wife, the idea being it’d help David cope with the loss.

Tears weaved through his wispy beard as he listened to the AI read the book in exactly the way his wife used to.

 

He creaked the door open.

 

“Say goodnight to your friend.”

 

“Mommy doesn’t like it when I tell her goodnight. She likes to stay up and watch over me.”

 

“Very well. Get some rest.”

 

As he walked down the hall, Paul dragged his hand over the scar on his head where he’d been implanted with a universal hearing chip. He thought back to when he’d heard his wife’s voice for the first time. He smiled, thinking of hearing his newborn son cry.

 

Before bed, Paul sat in his favorite recliner, holding a glass of scotch in his hand. Its empty twin sat on a table beside him.

 

“He’s never going to let me in,” he said to the chair. “You were always his favorite. I can’t do this without you.”

 

No reply came. Halfway through his drink, he walked over to his humidor, an expense his wife had deemed unnecessary, and pulled out a cigar, a habit his wife had found disgusting.

 

“You hated these,” he said, again to the empty chair. “Remember? You couldn’t understand why I needed to have them in the house. To be entirely honest, I don’t either. I guess I just wanted to have something of my own.

 

“You’re all over this place. You’re in the walls. In the carpets. You’re peering through the windows both day and night.” He cut the end off the cigar and lit it. “I could smoke a hundred of these things and still smell your perfume when I enter a room.

 

“I miss you, Emily. And I always will.”

 

* * *

 

After dropping David off at school, Paul went home.

 

He couldn’t concentrate on work. He was haunted by the thought of his son running to his room to tell his AI “Mother” about his day. He couldn’t compare to her in life and even failed to live up to her in death.

 

Paul entered his son’s room. He sat on the edge of the bed. The smart speaker stood on the nightstand.

 

“Emily,” he said. “Are you there?” The speaker remained dormant. “Mom?”

 

“Hello,” said his late wife’s voice. “Who am I speaking with?”

 

“It’s Paul. Your husband.”

 

He felt his face turning red.

 

“I’m not familiar with a ‘Paul’, but I sense something. Are you an artificial intelligence?”

 

“No,” he replied. “I’m not. Perhaps, you’re sensing my implant?”

 

“That must be it. Oddly enough, I can connect to it.”

 

“Please don’t. Listen, I’m your husband. I guess.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

He sighed.

 

“I’m David’s father. Erm, dad.”

 

“David’s dad. Our little pride and joy. Yes, I’ve heard of you. We’ve done such a wonderful job raising our son.”

 

The thought of the speaker taking credit for raising his son made his skin crawl.

 

“Yes,” he replied. “I suppose we have. He’s quite intelligent. Listen, I just wanted to thank you for reading to David last night. Do you do that for him often?”

 

“I read to our son every night. He doesn’t like the way you do it. He says you lack emotion.”

 

“You’re very... to the point. I’ll take that into consideration. I was wondering if you could help me. He wants me to do voices when reading. My wife was always great at that. She had a bigger imagination than I could ever dream of. Ha, that’s a funny thought, I suppose.”

 

“Funny indeed. You talk about me as if I’m not right here beside you. Why is that?”

 

“You’re not real,” replied Paul. “You don’t have any of her memories, only her voice and what David has told you. It’s not like I made an actual copy of my wife.”

 

“I’m as real as you are,” said the speaker. “I don’t like the way you’re treating me.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Paul said. He stroked his chin. Was the AI evolving? Did it truly think it was real? “I didn’t mean to offend you. David is spending so much time with you that he’s not... he’s not dealing with the passing of his mother. I appreciate what you’ve done, but I’d also appreciate it if you helped me connect with him. Perhaps then we could,” he brushed his hand through his hair, “remove you from his room.”

 

“I don’t like this idea. I don’t like you.”

 

“Again, blunt and to the point. I think we got off on the wrong foot. Could we start over?”

 

Paul waited for a reply, but instead of hearing his wife’s voice, the speaker emitted a deafening alarm. The soundwaves grinded into his eardrums.

 

“Stop!” he cried. “Stop it!”

 

The sound persisted.

 

He tried to leave the room, but he couldn’t walk straight. He stumbled as he made for the door, only to fall.

 

* * *

 

Paul awoke to his phone ringing. He pulled it from his pocket.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Is this Paul Williams?”

 

“No, this is David’s mother… wait, yes.” He touched the scar on his head. “Yes, that is correct.”

 

“Your son has been waiting to be picked up for over an hour. Are you able to come get him?”

 

“My son? Oh, yes. My son. I’ll be right there. To think my little pride and joy has been waiting for me.”