The boxes creaked as Nora stood back up, stretching. “Lemme check on Tilly. Maybe see when Atlas will be back and we have to do that stupid dinner.”
Nora left, but Anna kept moving. The room was hers. This life was hers.
She repeated to herself in between broom strokes. “And everything is going to be fine, fine, fine.”
The neurochip wouldn’t hurt her. So, nothing to worry about. Right?
There wasn’t much to clean, only a little residual dust on the ground where the containers had sat, but Anna tried the same, humming the star melody again. And then the one about patting the cake.I’m gonna bake you a cake, my baby girl.She spun around, imagining the shed already decorated.Oh, a kitchen.Can I fit something like that in here?Maybe she’d geta few shelves to organize things at the very least.
One corner had a pocket of settled dust. Sweeping hard, she kicked it up and her eyes watered. She coughed, then doubled over a second later. The same tightening feeling from before took over her whole stomach, forcing her to hunch forward.Ah shit, another one.
“Anna?” Atlas was at the doorway, an uncertain look on his face.
“Oh. You’re back.” She sat back on the box chair.
“What’s wrong?” He walked in toward her, his forehead furrowed.
“Everything is tight.” She pointed to her stomach. “I think it was from coughing. Nora says that’s what a contraction feels like.”
Atlas held his hands out. “May I?”
“Yeah.” She turned on the box toward him.
He put his hands on her belly, feeling the baby kick back.
Heat crawled up her neck for a different reason as his hands clinically felt around the sides of her stomach.Stop it, Anna. He’s checking because of the baby.But more importantly . . . “Is everything still okay? The deal is still on?”
“Yes. Nothing changed.” Atlas pressed in, delicate and firm.
His fingers gently reached around her entire abdomen, touching her softer than anyone ever had before. Her heartbeatmust be going crazy. Hopefully he would think it was because of the contractions and not because of him. Even if it was. . .
Too soon, or not soon enough, his hands left and he pulled her shirt back down. The entirety of her abdomen was soft again.
Atlas picked up the broom from the floor, leaning it against the wall. “It was a contraction. Your body does that to prepare. As long as it doesn’t keep going, it should be fine. You have another few weeks left. Baby girl needs all of them.”
She readjusted her shirt. “I had another one earlier.”
“Anna . . .” His voice softened. “This was too much stress. Sit.”
“Alright, alright.” She stretched her arms backward. “Hey Atlas?”
“What?”
She smiled up at the metal roofing. “This place is just great.”
She loved it already. From the dust still on the ground to the open area cleared in the middle. Her own personal space. Her own home. She grinned from ear to ear.
“I’m glad you’re so happy.” Atlas cupped her cheeks within his hands. “Rest still, okay? I mean it, Anna.”
“Alright.” She flushed where his hand cupped her chin. Soft fingers, again. Especially when his thumb almost trailed on her jawline. She leaned out of his touch and gestured to the room. “See? Mostly all cleared out now. Ready?”
“Yes, I see.” His eyes didn’t leave her face. “I will have Simon help me carry this bed in, then I want you to lie down on your left side.”
Anna pressed the top of her belly. Her entire stomach went hard as another contraction hit.She stayed to the side of the warehouse, hand on her belly, as Atlas filtered in with tons of pillows and blankets and boxes that held lamps and dishes. “Woah, all of this?”
“Zero helped.” Atlas shooed her to the side. “Stay over here; I’m bringing in the big items next.”
He and Simon carried the bed in together and put it right under the windowsill. Followed by a nightstand. And then an air conditioning unit. He was strong. And so much more capable than her. It made sense—he was an android who was built for speed and service, but the efficiency with which he did things. . . Anna just sat and watched. Atlas carried most of the items like they weighed nothing, only needing help with the bed so it didn’t drag on the floor.
