Page 28 of Everdoll

She reached out, careful, and the butterfly settled on her fingers. She raised it to eye-level, examining every detail.

“Woah… Just like in the book… It’s a miracle…” When the butterfly fluttered up and landed in her hair, she blinked, patting her head and searching for it, giggling to herself.

I studied her, then approached, unable to control myself. I took the butterfly from her head, and handed it back to her.

“It seems to like you.”

Her eyes sparkled as she beamed at me. “Didn’t you design it to like me?”

“No. Not at all.”

It seemed to be under Mina’s spell, as she was altering everything to make it her own.

So illogical.

She watched the butterfly in her palm for a moment, then brought it to her chest, pressing it against her heart. “Then I’ll love it very much, my beautiful butterfly… I’ll take good care of you.”

Opening her palm, she let the butterfly flutter back around her head. She kept giggling, and I silently joined her. But when she flung her arms around me, my little smile vanished, replaced by a tense breath. I went rigid, the tickle of her curls against my nose was the only thing I could feel.

“After all, it’s Remi’s gift. I’ll protect it very well!”

“You don’t have to. If it breaks, I’ll just make another one.”

“No, Remi! I don’t want you to get tired. I’ll take good care of this butterfly, so there won’t be any problem! Don’t worry, I’m a very responsible girl.”

“What else are you responsible for?”

She stepped back, her face fell. She focused intently on her clasped hands, trying to blink away glossiness, smiling, but the trembling of her chin gave her away.

What a bad actress.

“My mom.” She forced her head up. “I’m responsible for my mother’s death.”

“Who says that? Your father?”

“But he’s right. If I hadn’t been born, my mother would still be alive.”

“If you hadn’t been born?”

Anger flared in me. Mina was still smiling, yet indignation rose on her behalf, too. Something about this was wrong. Terribly wrong.

“You don’t know because you’re a robot, Remi, but being human is very difficult.” She sat on the bed, the butterfly returning to her fingers. “Sometimes I wish I was something else instead of a human. A butterfly, maybe. I’d be so cool! What do you think I would be, Remi?”

I took a deep breath. Even though the anger still lingered, I couldn’t leave her without a response.

“I don’t know. I’ll think about it carefully.”

“Think, then!” Puckering her lips, she feigned deep thought. “You’d be a butterfly, Remi. I’m sure of it! You’re as beautiful as a butterfly, free and gentle. Your eyes are as blue as the sky too, ready to fly. You’re really like a butterfly!”

I wasn’t free or gentle, but she said it with such confidence perhaps I didn’t know myself.

“Do you have a mother or father? Do robots have family?”

“No, we don’t.”

“What about your favorite color? Your favorite dessert? You don’t have these either?”

“No, I don’t.”