October 18, 2032

Hank watched his son from the rearview mirror of his car. The six-year-old was excitedly rocking back and forth in his booster seat as he recapped the entire story of the movie he had just seen.

"And then, the—the big monster went RAWWW, and he was gonna squash the big brotder, but, um, the little brotder shot his magic arrows and it went, BOSHISH." His cheeks puffed out as his tiny hands demonstrated an explosion. "And he saved his brotder and then..." Cole continued breathlessly divulging every detail he could remember.

This was Hank's favorite part of the day, hearing his son's happy voice after picking him up from a friend's or a babysitter always lifted his spirits. Not even the double homicide that was dumped on him earlier that day could knock the smile from his face.

"That's awesome, pal," he said as he pulled into their driveway. "I'm glad you had a good time with your friends today."

"Yeah. Can I have one?"

"One what, bud?" Hank asked, throwing the car in park.

"A little brotder." Hank's hand froze over his seatbelt. He deflated like a balloon four days post-party.

Cole was undoubtedly the greatest thing in his life. The day he became a father was the day everything changed for the better, and while the idea of Cole teaching a little one to skip stones up at the lake or having two squeaky voices call out "I love you daddy" made his heart ache in the best way, he knew it would never happen. Taking care of one child on his own was difficult enough both physically and financially. On top of all that, where would he...? Who would he...? He couldn't.

"I'm sorry, but no." From the mirror, he could see Cole's warm sunny smile melt away.

"Why not?" Cole whined.

"Because... because a little brother isn't like a toy or an android. I can't just go to a store and get you one," he said, hoping there wouldn't be a follow-up question as to where baby brothers do come from. He stood up from the driver's seat and walked around to the back to unbuckle his son.

"But, but," Cole stammered. Hank recognized that tone as a sign that the child was about to have a meltdown. Tears were already filling his earthy brown eyes. "Who's gonna be my best friend? Who's gonna play with me?"

"Me, bud. I'll always be here for you," he assured. When he lifted his son up, he let out a guttural groan. Everyday, Cole got a little heavier and he got a little older. It was a bad combo.

"But you're always working." The boy pouted. He kicked at the loose gravel of the driveway, his light up sneakers twinkling red and blue in the autumn twilight.

"I know, but somebody's gotta make the doughnuts."

"You don't make doughnuts," Cole giggled. "You eat them." He poked Hank in the belly, which indeed was currently home to two late-afternoon doughnuts.

"Okay. You got me there," he said with a chuckle. He unlocked the front door and the two of them stepped into their silent home.

'Maybe I should call that guy back about the puppies. I bet that would make him forget about the brother thing,' Hank thought as he watched a dejected Cole slink over to the couch. He belly-flopped down with a sullen expression. Hank sat down next to him and gently rubbed circles into his back.

"I know it's not the same, but no matter what, I'll always be your best friend, kiddo."

"You promise?" Cole asked, lifting his head from the cushion.

"Only if you promise to always be mine." Hank held out his pinky finger.

Cole wrapped his pint-sized pinky around his father's. "I promise," he repeated quietly. "Forever and ever."

November 10, 2028

Hank watched as his preteen son brought his empty dinner plate to the sink. The boy was still sulking and hadn't said a word since the big brother comment. Although that was just how Anderson dinners were lately. Quiet.

' Did forever and ever already come and go?' Hank thought as the boy trotted off to his room where he would probably lock himself away to play video games for the rest of the night.

Hank wasn't going to let the night end this way. This was the first time in too long that they felt like family again, instead of like roommates. There had been too many days lately where Cole would only emerge from his solitude for dinner. He could tell his son was struggling with a lot, but the boy never really wanted to talk about it, and Hank knew better than to push it.

Depression? Anxiety? Or was this just what growing up without a mother and capable father looked like? He couldn't be sure. He was no expert, but what he knew with certainty was that today Cole seemed happier then he had in awhile. He'd like to think it had something to do with the deviant currently doing the dishes, or it could just be having the day off from school made him less tense. Whatever it was, Hank wanted to make the most out of it while it was here. He stood from his chair and followed down the hall after his son.

"Hey, Cole. How about the three of us watch a movie?" he asked.

"I'm good, thanks," Cole said before swinging his door shut. Hank folded his arms over his chest then leaned his shoulder against the wall opposite Cole's door.

"Oh, really," he said arrogantly. "Not even for that new space warrior movie?" There was no way his boy could resist the tempting chance at an R rated movie, no matter how bitter his mood was.

The door slowly reopened, revealing a puzzled-looking Cole. "You said I wasn't allowed to watch that," he said suspiciously, as if he thought he was being set up for something.

One of the great advantages of being a parent in the 21st century was having the internet to answer all your questions. The blog Mommy's Movies was a great ally to Hank. It broke down all different kinds of movies and what exactly gave them their rating. This one particular movie had heavy swearing and violence, but Cole was accustomed to that. It wasn't anything that Hank knew was in the video games he was playing.

The one and only reason he had forbade his son from seeing it was the sex scene. The blog described it as brief and tasteful, but still, he was reluctant to let Cole see it. He knew his little boy was already on his way to manhood, but Hank wasn't ready for that yet. He wanted to hold on to that youth and innocence just a bit longer. Of course, that was just denying the inevitable. Pimples and The Talk were coming at him full speed, whether he wanted them or not.

"Well, I changed my mind," he said with a shrug. Cole raised his eyebrows so high Hank feared they might fuse with his hairline. "What? I'm allowed to change my mind." Why was the boy being so damn skeptical. All he wanted was a nice night on the couch like a normal family. Plus, he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to see the movie himself.

"Can I have some more soda?" Cole asked timidly.

"You can have a soda," Hank said, emphasizing the amount so the boy knew where his limit was. The grin on Cole's face was enough to tell Hank he was victorious.

"Remember when we watched that girly movie, and you made that awesome popcorn with all that spicy stuff on it? Can you make that again?" Cole proposed, already stepping over the threshold of his bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

"Sure," Hank said contentedly, not at all surprised at his son's relentless metabolism. "Go help Connor finish the dishes and I'll start it up, okay?" Cole practically sprinted back to the kitchen. "And Princess Bride is not a girly movie!" he called after him.

"Dad. Come on, it's called Princess Bride," Cole said, giving Hank the side-eye as he took the saute pan from Connor to dry and put away. "That's like, the two girliest words in the human language." Hank just shook his head in disappointment before turning to the barren spice shelf to search for the chili powder.

***

R: Restricted, Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian.

Strong Violence, Language, Sexuality, and Some Nudity

Hank read the MPAA warning under the movie he was about to rent, but all he could see was. R: Really Bad Idea. Under 17 Requires A Much Better Parent. Language You Scold Him For Using And Questions You're Not Ready To Answer. He tried his best to muffle the voice in the back of his head telling him this would come back to bite him in the ass. Instead, he just took in how ecstatic his son was to finally be watching the movie he had been begging Hank to let him see for months.

It wasn't fair. Being a single parent meant he always had to be the bad guy, always the one who had to say no. Well, not tonight. Tonight he was cool dad with secret spiced popcorn and an R rated action movie. Cole sat on the floor with the popcorn and soda within his reach. Hank chose the more old man with a bad back friendly option and sank onto his side of the couch.

'It'll be fine,' he thought as he hit confirm purchase on the remote. 'You saw Freddy Got Fingered when you were his age, and you turned out fine.'

"Hurry up, Tinman," Cole called out. "It's starting." Connor emerged from Hank's room wearing the clean pajama shirt and pants he had dug up for him. When he stepped into the living room to join them, he hesitated. The android's eyes shifted between the sofa and the empty space next to Cole on the floor. He looked thoughtful, as if carefully considering the pros and cons of the very simple dilemma of where to sit. Eventually, he settled down on the floor next to Cole. The boy let out an irritated grumble before scooting a little away.

Not long into the movie Hank, the film snob that he was, had mentally declared it trash. Pure style over substance, action-drama bullshit. The dialogue was shallow and the characters were tropes he had seen time and time again. The only good bits had already been shown in the trailer. He had completely lost interest around the beginning of the second act. Instead, he found himself more captivated by the scene in front of him unfolding.

Watching the enjoyment the boys displayed as they watched the action and explosions, or the way they laughed at the lead character's dry wit, was far more entertaining to him. As far as Hank knew, neither of them had seen a Star Wars or a Star Trek film, so they had no benchmark for what a good epic space battle should look like. They had also never seen Malcolm Reynolds, Han Solo, or Peter Quill, so they weren't sick of the cocky roguelike space outlaw character. It was all fresh and interesting to them.

During a particularly boring scene where a council of old men gave exposition, Cole began tossing kernels of popcorn into the air and catching them in his mouth.

"You gonna share any of that bud?" Hank said, prodding Cole's back with his big toe. He eyed the half empty bowl but was far too lazy to get up for it himself.

"Sure, heads up." Cole said, throwing a kernel his way. He was caught off guard and it landed on his chin, leaving tiny butter stains as it rolled down his shirt.

"Wait, I wasn't ready. Try again," he said, sitting up straight. The boy tossed him another one, and with a wide mouth and a strained neck he caught it.

Cole gave him a sarcastic golf clap then, unprompted, he took another kernel from the bowl and flung it to Connor. The android threw his head back and was able to catch it despite Cole's sloppy throw. He smiled as if he had just won the olympic gold in catching popcorn, only for that look to fade away as he removed the kernel from his mouth. Hank watched him stare down at the snack in his fingers looking seriously disheartened. The poor kid must have been wondering what it was like to eat and drink things.

His smile wasn't gone for long. The android puckered his lips and let out a sharp whistle, calling out for the dog who was sleeping in the corner of the room. Sumo jolted awake and looked to Connor eagerly. He lobbed the kernel to the dog who snatched it from the air with a loud snort.

"Careful Connor," Hank warned. "If you start feeding him he'll never leave you alone."

"Good," Connor said as Sumo lumbered over to him looking for more. When no more treats were presented to him, the mountainous hound began lapping at Connor's face, settling for the salt and butter left on his mouth. Connor laughed, enjoying the gentle tickling of dog kisses without having to deal with the pain of dog breath or the concern of where that tongue had been. Lucky bastard.

Hank had reached the pinnacle of relaxation. That moment when you can no longer tell where you end and the couch begins. He tried to focus on the movie to keep himself from drifting off, that's when he noticed the alien princess giving the hero what could only be described as 'fuck me' eyes.

"Oh, brave space warrior. You saved my life and my planet. How can I ever repay you?"

"Do you boys, um, want some more popcorn?" Hank asked, grabbing the bowl which was still considerably full and walking off to the kitchen.

Yes, leaving the room was the cowards way out, he wouldn't deny that, but he also remembered what it was like to be that age, and how the awkwardness of seeing a sex scene with your parent was nearly unsurvivable.

He hit the button marked popcorn and the microwave timer started counting down from three minutes, more than enough time to be away from the room. He had a fleeting thought to use this time to disappear into his bedroom and take a pull from the whisky bottle he had stashed away, but he chased that thought off.

'You didn't have any last night so you're already off to a good start.' He gripped the edge of the counter top a little too hard. 'You owe the boy more than that.' Even with the humming of the microwave and the rapid popping Hank could still hear the exaggerated kissing sounds coming from the tv.

"What are they doing?" Connor asked.

"Shut up." Cole hissed.

"Oh, I see."

"Seriously dude, shut up." Hank had to slap his hand over his face at the realization that he had just in fact left two children alone with an R-rated movie.

'Great, father of the fucking year over here.'

The rest of the movie was about what Hank had expected. Bad guy shows up and knocks the cocky hero down a peg, hero selfishly gives up on the conflict, only to return when he finds out the princess is in danger, big space fight, "badass" one liners, victory, set up for sequels.

"That was freakin awesome!" Cole shouted as the credits rolled. "That part with the ship crash, or that gross alien!" Hank couldn't remember the last time he saw his son so worked up over a movie, or anything for that matter. Cole sprung up from the floor and began pointing a finger gun at Connor. He repeated a line the villain had said in the deepest voice his young vocal cords could manage. Connor pointed back at him and replied with the line the hero gave, only it wasn't Connor's voice. It was perfectly matched with the tone and inflection of the actor, as if they were still watching the movie.

"Wow. How'd you do that?" Cole asked, lowering his finger blaster.

"I have a complex memory system that captures audio and visuals at a high quality, then saves them to my memory banks." He tapped two fingers to his temple where his LED once was. "From there, it's just a simple task of rerouting the memory to my outward audio processors."

"Cool, so you're like... a living bootleg?"

"I-" Connor froze. "That was not my intention."

"It's cool dude. We won't call the cops on ya, right Dad?" Cole said turning to Hank with a smile so genuine he couldn't keep himself from mimicking it.

"Alright kiddo, bedtime." Hank said with a groan as he got up from the couch. His back and joints clicked and popped and he couldn't believe he had actually reached the point in his life where that was the most satisfying feeling he could have.

"What? Come on," Cole whined. "I didn't even get to play any video games today."

"I don't care, it's after midnight."

"What does it matter? I still don't have school tomorrow," Cole pointed out, as if Hank could have forgotten that their city was a ticking time bomb.

"No, but you'll have school eventually and I don't want you getting a fucked up—MESSED UP sleep schedule." He caught himself, but it was too late. The damage had been done, the cat was out of the bag, and the fat lady had sung.

"That's two points for you," Cole nearly yelled, "and if it's bedtime, then I guess that means I won tonight," he said smugly, holding out his hand expectantly.

Hank considered giving in and letting him stay up another hour, knowing that it would only take till his first loss or lag out for him to start swearing up a storm, but it would be best to just man up and admit defeat, again. He pulled out his wallet and handed the boy one of the several single dollars he kept in there for this reason. Cole took the bill and shoved it into his pajama pocket. Hank was curious what the boy would end up doing with the 61 dollars he had accumulated so far.

"Alright, night Dad," Cole said. He made his way to the edge of the hallway, where he hesitated for a moment. "Hey, Connor." The android turned to look at him. "I um, probably should have said this sooner but," Cole rubbed the back of his neck as he fumbled with his words. "Thanks. You know, for saving me and junk."

"You're welcome," Connor replied, smiling, "but you were right last night. At the time, I was only following my programming."

"Well, whatever your motivation was, you saved me, so I am grateful." Cole said in a robotic voice while doing hurky-jurky hand motions. Connor chuckled and Hank felt like he was missing out on some kind of inside joke or something.

"Guess that means we're even," Connor said.

"Yeah, I guess," the boy replied with a shrug and the slightest of smiles before turning back down the hall.

Hank poured the remaining popcorn into a zip lock bag. Even though popcorn was never as good the next day, he was determined to be less wasteful from now on. He left the bowl in the sink where he'd deal with it in the morning. He hadn't even taken three steps away before Connor walked over to the sink and began washing the bowl.

"Connor, you really don't have to do that."

"I want to be useful."

Hank plucked the sponge out of his hands. "You've already done plenty. How 'bout you just sit down and chill." He gestured to the kitchen table. Connor nodded then sat down in the chair he had claimed earlier at dinner.

Hank rinsed the sudsy water from the bowl. He really appreciated not having to do the dishes for once, but something in what Connor said wasn't sitting right with him. 'Useful', like he still thought of himself as a machine or tool. How could he, when every second he expressed so much life? He made choices and mistakes. He had desires and his own opinions. "So what did you think of the movie?" Hank asked, genuinely curious.

"I enjoyed it. It is certainly the best movie I've ever seen."

"Aha, and how many movies have you seen?"

"Two."

They both laughed and Hank found it even funnier that Connor understood the irony of that. Hank compulsively started making a list of much better movies for him to watch. He wondered if Connor would be interested in something set in the past like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly or if he'd prefer syfy. He seemed to like rock music, maybe Spinal Tap. Aladdin or Blade Runner.