Six years and three months after Bru’s fatal accident, Shasa signed the forms to wipe Bru’s mind from ‘Heaven’. They would have their last session three months after. She needed the three months to sort out her feelings and brace herself for their final goodbye.

  In the short months between the signing of the form and their last session, ‘Heaven’ had crafted a special gift for them. ‘Heaven’ had manufactured a pair of mechanical hands that were the perfect replica of Bru’s hands as they had been in life. The resemblance was remarkable. The olive skin and thick flesh that stretched across the mechanical components looked and felt just like his. Veins, knuckles, bones, hair, wrinkles, those had been carved into the structure of the hands. Shasa guessed that ‘Heaven’ must have taken the data from the body scans that Bru had undergone when they had both subscribed to the service as an optional upgrade in their health and wellness package.

  Bru could operate those hands from ‘Heaven’, controlling them with his mind as he would his own hands, when he had been alive. The hands were attached to a roughly human shaped metallic torso. The officer from ‘Heaven’ had apologised, stating that they had no time to duplicate any more of Bru. They explained that ‘Heaven’ had plans for crafting fully replicated bodies as an add-on service for future users. The gifted hands were part of their beta testing phase.

  Shasa wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea of Bru with a replicated body. She was both intrigued and horrified by the idea. Hugging a robot made to look like Bru felt wrong, somehow. Yet, it could be a beautiful experience. Hadn’t she wanted to cuddle with Bru, stroke his cheeks and kiss him lips, so often before? Still, she was glad it was just the pair of hands available for the moment.

  Bru was waiting for her in the cylinder when she entered the cubicle for the last time. He smiled at her, a warm, sad smile.

  “Hi,” she said, her voice catching.

  She sat down and held the mechanical hands before her.

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  A rush of aching familiarity and comfort flooded in from where their hands touched. It was the first time they had held hands in years. She could tell from Bru’s sharp intake of breath that he felt the same way.

  Neither had expected a mechanical approximation of a handhold to generate such overwhelming sensations of tenderness and painful longing. Bru hadn’t expected to be able to feel Shasa’s hands through the mechanical hands. But he did. The sensors were intricate and precise. Holding her hands through them felt as it had when he had been alive.

  Shasa shut her eyes. With her eyes closed, she could picture Bru seated right in front of her, holding her hands tight.

  They held onto each others’ hands throughout the hour, save the moments when Bru had raised his hands to stroke her cheek, and cup her face.

  They didn’t speak much. Their impending final separation loomed heavy, weighing down the very air in the room, silencing their words. Shasa wasn’t sure what else there was to say, that she hadn’t said in the past years.

  In the last minutes of their time together, Bru took a deep breath, and clasped her hands tighter..

  “I may be gone from here, but I’ll always be there with you. I will always love you. In this life, and after. Live your life fully, knowing how full you made mine. You were, and are, the light of my life. I am forever grateful for every moment of my life spent with you. I love you. Live well, my love, and tell me all about it when we meet again.”

  Shasa choked out a sob, then swallowed her sorrow.

  “I love you, Bru. Always. I will see you again. In the real heaven, I hope.” She cracked a smile.

  Bru brushed her hair from her eyes, and stroked her brow.

  “You were, and are, the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she whispered, placing her hand on his.

  They stayed that way until the countdown of the final seconds started. None of them cast a glance at the countdown. They simply stared into each others’ eyes, inscribing each moment to memory.

  The cylinder powered down, and the hand on her cheek fell still.

  Shasa sat unmoving for a long time, her cheek pressed against the inanimate hand.