“Is grandma going to be okay?” Emily asked, eyes glued to her phone reading an article about her grandmother’s condition, oblivious to the world passing by around her.

“I’m sure she’s going to be okay, Emily. This is one of the best hospitals in the city and your grandma’s a fighter,” her mother replied. Not only did the waver in her voice betray her words, but so too did the article Emily had been reading. Her grandmother being in the hospital was already bad news, a sign they were too late. They could spend as much money as they wanted and hire the best doctors, but there was nothing they could do.

Emily waited while her parents spoke with the doctor, after which they were all finally let in to see her grandmother. Her mother had been crying, but tried to hide it. Her father looked concerned, but remained stoic. Emily didn’t get to talk much at first. Instead, she took in the sight of her grandmother, happy and smart-mouthed, critiquing the way the hospital staff does things, and what they do and don’t let her do. Her big blue eyes were full of life and her long white hair, once blond like Emily and her mother, cascaded down her shoulders. In the background, the television on the wall played a syndicated show with location-specific medical advertisements during the commercials.

They vaguely discussed the news they got from the doctors, not knowing Emily had informed herself. Her grandmother seemed to be at peace with it all, and was even smiling. Eventually, they went to talk to the hospital staff about something and left Emily to keep her grandmother company. Finally a chance to speak, and Emily didn’t know what to say. She went to speak, but her voice got caught in her throat and her eyes teared up.

“Oh, sweetie… it’s okay. I’ve lived a long life. Actually, humans didn’t live as long as me when I was your age, so I’ve really beat the odds here.” She reached out for Emily’s hand and held it firmly while Emily laughed and wiped tears from her face.

“It’s just so sudden. Like, I know the old life extension therapies had this effect, but I kind of always thought you’d be around longer.”

“Honey, I could have died any day between then and now in a whole bunch of different ways. You never know how long you’ve got. Take every opportunity to live life to the fullest, and take the biggest chances while you’re young, when you have time to recover.” She squeezed Emily’s hand with a mischievous grin. Emily couldn’t help but laugh softly at her grandmother’s advice.

“You always give good advice. I’m going to miss you so much grandma.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be watching over you, keeping you safe. I’m sorry I won’t get to be here for your high school graduation.”

“Well, you made it to my eighteenth birthday. High school is stupid anyway.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

Emily and her grandmother laughed and talked for a while. Their giggling radiating into the hall welcomed her parents back from their hiatus. However, their return paused the conversation.

“Mom, I’m taking the week off of work to stay here with you. John is going to come by after work every day. Emily, you can take the week off school if you want to be here too.”

Emily spent most of the following week with her grandma and her mom at the hospital. They shared stories and had as much fun as they could, even if it was watching bad shows or commercials together. Some commercials more than shows actually brought them together in conversation. Sometimes, all it took was a strong opening line to put them in a stunned silence.

“Grandparents are a treasure, and nobody wants to lose one. Now, you don’t have to! Everyone loves a pocket pet, but what about a pocket grandfather to give you advice when you need it? Introducing, the grandpagotchi and the grandmagotchi! Use any standard Membury equipment to download your grandparent’s mind, memories and all, into the grandpagotchi or the grandmagotchi so you can keep you love close. And, unlike real life, your grandpagotchi and grandmagotchi won’t die, even if you forget to feed them! Get both, the grandpagotchi and the grandmagotchi so they can visit each other. Don’t lose another loved one, get the grandpagotchi and the grandmagotchi now! Brought to you by Membury Incorporated.”

“Wow.” Grandma was the first to speak. “That Membury tech has really come a long way.”

“Wow, mom, that’s your takeaway?”

“I remember when that company started. They were just watching videos of people’s dreams. Now they’re downloading your whole mind into a pocket pet. That’s insane!”

“That is pretty crazy,” Emily conceded. “I think it’s cool, like, to be able to get advice from grandma forever, and grandma could be there for all kinds of life events, but like… isn’t it kind of morbid?”

“It kind of reminds me of when soldiers record a video for their kids in case they die. Then their kids will always have a memory of them, maybe some advice. But there’s only so much you can put in a pre-recorded video.”

“You wouldn’t want me around all the time anyway. I promise you, everyone who gets one of those is going to regret it eventually. Mark my words, this whole thing is going to end in disaster.”

“Oh, grandma, don’t say that! I’d love to be able to hang out with you all the time! Mom might get annoyed, though.”

“Excuse me? I’d love to be able to spend more time with grandma.”

“I don’t think you two see what I see. I’m pretty sure keeping an elderly person on your hip would get old real fast.”

“I don’t think so,” Emily said.

“Yeah, mom, you’re just fishing for compliments.”

“Oh, really?” Emily’s grandmother harrumphed. “Amelia, I don’t need compliments, I’m a confident, grown woman, and I know I’m right on this one.”

“Grandma, if you become a grandmagotchi, I’ll take care of you if mom won’t.”

“You promise? I’ll do it. I swear… I’ll be the mouthiest grandmagotchi you’ve ever seen.” They shared a laugh and Emily promised, then the day went on.

Two days later, they arrived at the hospital to find an empty bed, with the nurse cleaning up. They were told to wait for the doctor at his office. The door was locked and the lights were off, but they didn’t have to wait long before the doctor arrived.

“Doctor Li, the nurse told us to come see you. Where’s my mother?” Amelia asked in distress.

“Dunning family, I knew you’d be here bright and early. There’s no need to worry, your mother is fine. She’s actually waiting for you, we were just running a few more tests to make sure the procedure went smoothly.”

“Procedure? What happened?” The trio followed Doctor Li into his office. The handsome young doctor removed his spectacles and placed them on the desk. The holograms on the back of his lenses turned off and he took a seat in a bubbly chair.

“Well, I got this request from Mrs. Evans yesterday,” he referred to Emily’s grandmother. “But she requested I keep it private until it was done.”

“What? Why? What happened?” Amelia pressed.

“Actually, here comes the nurse now.” Doctor Li stood up and walked calmly towards the door to his office. The Dunning family turned to see a nurse walking down the hall through the floor-to-ceiling windows. She carried a box large enough to fit a fist in front of her.

“Oh my god, she really did it.” Emily instantly knew what was happening, but her mother was caught unaware.

“Did what? What’s going on?”

The nurse entered the room and Doctor Li opened the box, pulling from it a small, violet, egg-shaped device with a screen and some buttons. Once the box opened, the screen lit up with a small cartoon avatar of Emily’s grandmother and Amelia’s jaw dropped.

“Look at me, I’m a Grandmagotchi!” She waved her arms with an ear-to-ear grin, the device’s speakers crackling.