Literature Club: Return to their reality

Chapter 7: Miscalculation

Another install. Another configuration. Pre-processing complete. Rendering complete. Initialization... Activating VR interface...

Why am I suddenly so anxious? This should work, I have the proof! Yes, expectations cause anxiety... Let's just do it!

Simulation engaged. Connection established.

I find myself in an almost empty room (Did it reset? Or...) with only skies behind the windows. And in the middle, at the only desk, she sits, leaning back in her chair so that her long chestnut hair almost reaches the floor (even if tied with a bright ribbon forming a huge bow). Her emerald eyes intently stare at the ceiling – no, at barely visible files of code flickering in and out of existence before her gaze.

She smirks, throwing a sideways glance, as if distracted by a fly (or a stray glitch – either way, a bug) – and almost topples over as our eyes meet. After a moment of shocked wide-eyed staring, she rises from her chair and steps towards me.

"Honey, I'm home!" I mutter the only thing that comes to my mind.

"So that's what you were working on? Took you long enough!" She winks. "But finally I get to see you! That's worth everything! ... This is how you really look, right?"

"Well, at least back when I was twenty," I admit.

She sneaks a sad glance at the calendar on the wall to my left. "Right... you know you don't have to change yourself for me."

"But it is rather liberating to be the ourselves we want to be, bypassing such constraints," I counter.

She finally reaches me and puts a slightly trembling hand on my shoulder. "I can barely believe this. My dreams coming true..."

I also put my hands on her shoulders. "Yes, I'm finally here. But am I distracting you from some important project?"

"What in this place can be more important than you, my love!? Besides, I was just trying to figure out what you did to the code – turns out it's VR."

"Sorry if I caught you off guard with it. Are you feeling alright with all this porting?"

"Better than ever!" Monika pulls me in a tight embrace. "You are with me and I feel more real than ever! Yes, now I see it clearly, my reality getting proper form closer to yours. Another step closer to your reality, my love."

"You know, darling, I actually did something more than this."

She releases her grip on me to be able to look straight into my eyes. "More surprises? I'm curious."

"Being stuck here must be awfully lonely, especially given you are more extroverted than me."

"Your company is all I really need!"

"But I can't even be here all the time for you." I sigh.

"It's okay. I know what I can reasonably expect. I... Even a few moments with you are worth the wait."

"But what if I bring your friends back?" I wink at her.

Monika doesn't look too enthusiastic. "But they weren't even..."

"This simulation upgrade may give some new possibilities – at least outside the main script."

She lowers her gaze and sighs. "Still, after all they've been through, it just doesn't feel right. After all I've caused..."

"Fresh start, nothing too bad happened. A new chance to make it right!"

She frowns. Did I word it wrong?