No, that wasn’t right. She’d seen it for herself–Finn had a certain coldness deep in


    his bones.


    Growing up in the Lockridge household, it was understandable, really.


    Just as she was mulling this over, Finn sighed regretfully. “It’s a shame I can’t just drop everything at the Lockridges. If only I could be in two ces at once and take care of you, too.”


    Evangeline listened to him, only half–interested, forcing a small smile as she prepared to say something polite. But just then, a sh of inspiration struck her.


    “What kind of present do you want? I’ll bring you something when I get back,” Finn


    asked.


    Evangeline’s thoughts had already drifted elsewhere. She brushed him off, replying, “Just make sure you look after yourself while you’re abroad. I’ve got something to take care of here, so I’ll let you go.”


    As soon as she hung up, an idea took shape in her mind.


    She realized she’d been thinking too narrowly.


    Until now, she’d focused on making the robot more versatile, hoping broader functionality would win people over. But Finn’s mention of “taking care of you” gave her a new angle.


    What if, instead, they made the robot excel at a single thing–caring for people? Why not create a specialized “caregiver” model?


    Without hesitating, Evangeline jotted down her ideas.


    Once she’d sketched out the concept, she sent it to Theo.


    A few minutester, Theo replied, saying the idea had potential. But, he warned, a robot designed to care for different kinds of clients would need a lot of


    fine–tuning–things like how much force to use when supporting someone frail, or the right technique for giving a massage…


    This would require expert input, months of work, and a whole lot more data.


    We don’t have time for this, Theo finished bluntly.


    We do, Evangeline shot back.


    She’d spent five years as a homemaker, and back then, she’d taken extra courses


    <b>1/2 </b>


    <b>10.24 </b>


    just to care for Soren properly. She knew exactly how to strike a bnce.


    Plus, being in a hospital meant she had plenty of people to observe and interview.


    And with five days left, as long as nothing unexpected happened, she could make it work if she put her head down and focused.


    After Evangeline exined all this to Theo, there was no reply for a long while.


    She figured he was sticking to his usual stance. But less than an hourter, Theo showed up at the hospital.


    He set a fruit basket down on her bedside table, looking awkward. “You’re really working yourself sick to prove how dedicated you are, huh?”


    “Glenn already talked to me. About that bet I made with you–fine, I lost. You can stay at thepany. There’s no need to go overboard like this.”


    Evangeline paused, then realized what he meant.


    “That’s not why I’m doing this,” she said quietly.


    “Then what? Don’t tell me you actually care about UME,” Theo scoffed. “If you really cared, you wouldn’t have left UME for some guy–for your marriage.”


    He’d already heard bits of her story from Glenn.


    Though he still doubted how good Evangeline really was, one thing was certain: she had left UME for her marriage.


    Evangeline pressed her lips together, saying nothing.


    She’d given up so much for Soren.


    There was nothing she could say to counter Theo’s usation.


    He was still waiting for an answer, stubbornly refusing to let the matter drop. After a moment’s thought, Evangeline replied, “Let’s just say I’m doing this for myself.”


    For the woman who had once been mired in the mud–she wanted to climb back up, to see all the vistas she’d missed before.