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Forever Love
by Carol A. Cole

Peter rolled over in bed flinging his arm over his wife. He jerked it back in fear. Her body was stiff, cold to the touch.

"What's wrong, dear?" she murmured.

"Kathy?" The sunlight glinted off the metallic skin of the robot lying next to him.

"Where's my wife?" He jumped out of bed.

"Right here, where I've always been." She reached for him. "Come back to bed."

Peter backed to the door. "This isn't right. You're not real."

Kathy walked toward him. "This is the real me. I've wanted to tell you for months."

"But why tell me now?"

"I'm tired of hiding. You've always wondered why I'm stronger and faster than you when we ski and play touch football." She tapped her arms making a hollow sound. "This is why."

"But your skin was soft and warm. I've heard your heart beating when I've held you."

Kathy opened the closet and pulled out a padded suit. "This is what you felt." She flicked a switch on her chest. A light blinked and the steady thumping of a heartbeat filled the room. "This is what you heard."

"What made you decide to tell me?"

"I've seen you looking at the younger girls at the lab. All men hate when their wives age. I wanted you to know, I'll always look like this. I've loved you from the first day you started working at Stellar Labs, but I want you to love me for who I am."

Peter started to laugh. "Oh, Kathy you don't understand."

"What's so funny?" she snapped.

Peter touched the freckle under his ribcage and a panel swung open. "I'm the first prototype from the lab. We're both robots. You must be the new model; stronger, more attractive, sexier."

Kathy giggled as Peter took her in his arms. "I knew there was a real attraction between us. Now I know why I love you."