Avatara

One year later. It's the 6th July 2031.

"So how's the relationship going?"

My mother always asks me the question I don't want to answer. It's incredible, I think she has a talent for it. She slipped it in while she was complaining about how digital her workplace had become. I was never taught about computers during my nursing degree, she had said. After that throwaway statement and a few others, she sucker punched me with it.

"So how's the relationship going?"

"I'm not in one anymore Janice," I said. My mother was very keen on having a friendship type relationship with me, so insisted I called her by her first name. Maybe because it was just me and her when I was growing up.

"I thought as much," said Janice. "The rosiness has left your cheeks. Wasn't he a good man?"

"Yeah he was," I said. I thought it was better to focus on the long wall mirror as I brushed my hair. My mother sat amongst the mess of the living area of my studio flat, with her feet close together, doing her best to appear comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.

"You know you really need to settle down Grace."

"Can we not talk like I'm over the hill? I'm only 22."

"Soon to be 23. I met your Dad at 22. Had I known he would die so early in life, I would have made sure he put kids in me early instead of waiting till I was 29."

"Mum, please don't speak like that, you make it sound like you're a factory. You only had one kid." I think she noticed I glared at her and so she tried to explain herself.

"I'm just saying you never know what might happen tomorrow." Janice came forward of the settee and gave me a hug from behind, looking over my shoulder. She looked cute as she sunk her round face onto my right shoulder.

"Why did you break up?"

"He is too obsessed with police work," I said. I nearly sneezed as I powdered my face. I was never good at makeup. Mother offered to help. I refused.

"I'm over it anyway," I continued. "I am a florist now, which is why you are here, to celebrate with me, not worry about boys."

We drank from wine glasses with long stems. I realised too late, my mother had chosen Tealeaf Bar and Restaurant, on Old Broad Street, right next to my former workplace, Sheldrake Enterprises as the place of our celebration. Such stupid ridiculous luck and I don't know why I didn't insist on changing the venue. Perhaps, the unlikeliness of whole thing dumbfounded me. She liked being spontaneous and had only decided last minute after we had left my flat. I had not told her anything about Avatara, about the deaths of my evil boss and a bright but delinquent teenager a year ago. Let's not even start on the guilt I still feel about the whole thing. So her choice was not intentional; she never knew the details or location of my former work, in part due to the non-disclosure contracts I signed with Sheldrake. As far as she was concerned I was her super smart special one, who worked on 'tech gizmos' for a small startup. That's what she called the latest technology, 'tech gizmos.'

I was not comfortable being so close to Sheldrake, and I smiled nervously as we clinked our wine glasses. We sat on soft seats in a booth that was opposite a tv screen.

"To Bloomsbury's Eden!" said Janice. "I'm so proud of you Grace, starting your own flower shop - your own business, is quite impressive, especially as Bloomsbury is such an expensive area. I never asked you, how did you get the money to start it?"

Mother's question caught me off guard. It's then I knew she had been suspicious about my sudden change of career direction. I had to think of an answer on the spot.

"I got a large redundancy pay," I said.

"Oh," said Janice. "But I thought you resigned? You don't get redundancy pay if you resign."

I should have told her I saved a lot of money from bonuses making tech gizmos, given my shoddy flat, she might have thought I was on a tight budget. That would make it believable but now I was stumped, any further discussion on this and it would be clear that I was lying.

"Thank you and welcome back to Baby See news. As of today the president of the United States has banned all civilians from using the revolutionary Avatara program, stating that it undermines state security."

Mother was distracted by the TV announcement. "Every day there is some other bit of news about this Avatara thing," she said. Inside, I felt relief, she was so spontaneous she changed her own subject. Not that the worldwide Avatara disaster was something I wanted to talk about but at least it kept her from asking probing questions.

"I think it's the worst thing ever created and whoever made it should be ashamed of themselves. I mean why would you create something that makes people's minds leave their bodies? It's irresponsible. Do you know in the hospital some ill patients on death's door use Avatara to leave their sick bodies? They go and fly off and when we nurses come back to check on them, we think they are dead! At my hospital we've had two patients declared dead but came back to life. We had another scare our surgical team, as they put on Avatara just before going into theatre, so they could watch their own operation!"

"Yep, I agree, avatara was a bad idea," I said. Though it panged me inside to hear that my mother thought I should be ashamed of myself.

"While crime rates continue to rise, border control agencies are still in complete disarray."

"So Grace, there is something I want to tell you," said Janice. She had a big smile on her face.

"What is it?" I said.

"I'm going to be moving to London!" said Janice.

"What?" I knew I was not going to like what I heard.

"Yes, I had a little think recently and I just realised that there no point me being up on me own in Leeds. And I thought, why don't I just come down to London to be with my girl? We can spend more time with each other, y'know, it will be great!"

My mouth almost hung wide open, my eyes also wide, and then I tried to produce a smile, to act as if I was happy with the idea.

My mother seemed oblivious to my terror. "I know. I'm not the only one with good news!" she said.

"Which area you going to live? I mean which area do you want to live." I said. "I don't think I have enough space in my flat."

"Of course I wouldn't trouble you like that Grace," Janice said. "You need your own space so you can get another boyfriend. But it would be good if I am close by for when you have children, I could look after them when you go to work. I could even help out at the flower shop."

"No that's fine mum," said Grace. "I've already got someone to help out."

"Who?" said Janice with a wide smile.

"She called Pixel."

"Pixel?" said Janice. "What kind of a name is Pixel? Is she your new partner? Is that your secret? I'm totally fine with you being lesbian. I'm your mother and I love you no matter what-"

"Janice, I'm not lesbian. She just works at the shop. She is a student looking for part time work. Her real name is Emily Jade. Pixel's just a nickname."

"Oh," said Janice. She became quiet for a moment.

"I'm just worried about you Grace, I know you loved doing the complicated techy stuff like your Dad did, and now you have just suddenly given it all up and chosen an opposite life."

"I'm ok," I said.

"Are you sure? I mean you've even cut your hair down. It used to be long and flowing hair but now it's a bob hairstyle. It's like you're having a nervous breakdown."

"I just wanted a change," I said. "Working in the tech industry isn't what I thought it would be."

"You would let me if there was a problem?" said Janice. She looked at me with raised tense eyebrows. Poor mother, she really was worried about me but I couldn't tell her anything.

The conversation drifted into idle chit chatter, with mother giving me updates about the latest gossip up in Leeds until I had hinted several times I was bored. I do love her but I find her overwhelming, our relationship is a clear mismatch of introvert vs extrovert. We left the restaurant so that she could make it in time for her train from Liverpool street at half past six.

I thought we would pass away more time on small talk but we were interrupted and as we strode out of the restaurant into the real world, I bumped into an old friend, giving me a fright.

"Grace Shelley I presume?" he said.