I forced a Robot to make this - BARBARA HOWARD X MELISSA SCHEMMENTI

The ai picked 'Something More'

Barbara Howard had always been a woman of tradition—her faith, her family, her values. She carried herself with poise, deeply rooted in the belief that life had a rhythm, a certain order. But lately, her world felt slightly off-kilter, like something wasn’t aligning the way it once did. And that something—or rather, someone—was Melissa Schemmenti.

It started with small moments. A lingering glance in the teachers’ lounge, a laugh that lingered just a little too long after Melissa’s sharp wit hit the mark, or the way her heart quickened whenever the fiery South Philly teacher entered the room. Barbara tried to dismiss it, telling herself it was nothing but admiration for Melissa’s no-nonsense attitude and fierce loyalty.

But admiration didn’t explain the flutter in her chest.

One afternoon, Barbara found herself alone in the staff lounge, grading papers while the sun cast golden light through the windows. She had a meeting to prepare for, but her mind kept drifting, her attention scattered.

“Hey, you good?” Melissa’s voice broke through her reverie.

Barbara looked up to see Melissa standing in the doorway, holding two cups of coffee. Her red hair was slightly tousled, and her warm, mischievous smile sent a shiver down Barbara’s spine.

“Oh, yes. Just—just a bit distracted, I suppose,” Barbara replied, straightening herself.

Melissa sauntered over, setting one of the cups in front of Barbara. “It’s been a long day. Figured you could use a little pick-me-up.” She took a seat across from her, folding her arms on the table and giving Barbara that focused, attentive look she always did when she cared—really cared—about something.

“Thank you, Melissa. You’re always so thoughtful,” Barbara said, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through her at the gesture. “I appreciate it.”

“Hey, someone’s gotta look out for you. You’re always lookin’ out for everybody else.”

Barbara sipped her coffee, its rich aroma filling her senses. For a moment, neither spoke. The usual lighthearted banter between them felt absent, replaced by a heavy tension that neither seemed to know how to break.

Melissa shifted in her seat, her usual confidence softening. “You’ve been... different lately. Not in a bad way. Just, I don’t know, quieter. Is something bothering you?”

Barbara hesitated, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her coffee cup. She had always been able to talk to Melissa about anything—school matters, life’s little frustrations—but this? How could she even begin to explain?

“It’s nothing, really,” Barbara said, her voice quieter than she intended. “Just... processing some things.”

Melissa leaned back in her chair, studying Barbara with those sharp, perceptive eyes. “You’re a terrible liar, Barbara.”

Barbara’s lips twitched into a small smile. “Am I?”

“Yep. So why don’t you tell me what’s going on in that big, beautiful head of yours?”

Barbara’s heart skipped a beat at the compliment. She glanced down at her hands, then back up at Melissa. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m a Schemmenti. I deal with complicated every day.”

For some reason, that made Barbara laugh—a soft, genuine sound that seemed to lighten the weight in her chest. Melissa’s eyes softened at the sound, and in that moment, something shifted between them, something unspoken but undeniably real.

Barbara sighed, setting her cup down. “Melissa, have you ever felt... something you weren’t expecting? Something that made you question the way you’ve always seen things?”

Melissa tilted her head slightly, her eyes never leaving Barbara’s. “Yeah. I think everyone has, at some point.”

Barbara nodded, her fingers tightening slightly around the cup. “It’s just that, lately... I’ve found myself feeling things I don’t quite know how to explain. About you.”

The room seemed to grow quieter. Melissa’s face didn’t change, but her eyes flickered with something Barbara couldn’t quite name. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, before Melissa finally spoke.

“Barbara,” she said softly, her voice more tender than Barbara had ever heard it, “I’ve felt that too.”

Barbara looked up, her breath catching in her throat. “You have?”

Melissa nodded, leaning forward slightly, her gaze unwavering. “I didn’t know how to bring it up. I didn’t want to make things weird between us. But yeah, I’ve been feeling it too.”

For a moment, Barbara didn’t know what to say. Her mind raced, filled with a thousand questions, but in that moment, none of them mattered. What mattered was the warmth in Melissa’s eyes, the quiet understanding between them, and the gentle, almost imperceptible shift that had taken place.

“I’ve spent my whole life following certain rules,” Barbara said quietly, almost to herself. “And now, I don’t know if those rules apply anymore.”

Melissa reached across the table, her hand brushing against Barbara’s. It was a small gesture, but it sent a wave of warmth through Barbara’s entire body. “Maybe it’s time to make your own rules.”

Barbara’s eyes met Melissa’s, and in that gaze, she found an answer to the questions she hadn’t even known she was asking. Maybe it was time to embrace the unexpected, to let herself feel something new, something deeper.

“I think,” Barbara said softly, her voice steady but her heart racing, “I’d like that.”

Melissa smiled—soft, genuine, and filled with something Barbara had never quite seen before.

“Good,” she said, her thumb gently stroking the back of Barbara’s hand. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”

And in that quiet moment, Barbara felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time—peace. Peace in knowing that maybe, just maybe, this was exactly where she was meant to be.