Careful steps
“One iced matcha latte, please. Oh, and no sugar”, said Shiori. She was a regular at PICO’s coffee truck. As usual, PICO made a quiet note to use oat milk for her latte. It added a touch of sweetness while respecting the order. As far as experimentation goes, Shiori always finished the drinks that tasted sweet, instead of half-drinking those where PICO followed what she said to the letter.
PICO also noted that Shiori had company again. The earlier human companion, who usually held her hands, stopped coming 3 months ago. In his place, Shiori carried a backpack with a small, transparent dome, from which a gray tabby peered outside, eyes wide open.
“Meooow”, the cat announced its presence while curling up into a tight fur ball. Sensing her cat’s uneasiness, Shiori put her hands through the bag’s opening to rub his head. “It’s okay, Arthur, that’s just PICO, the coffee robot. He’s friendly”.
It took a while for Shiori’s touch to work. And by the time she was done, PICO had her matcha latte ready. And as they parted, Shiori lifted Arthur up and moved his front paw in a waving motion.
The late afternoon sun shone through gaps between the trees, lighting up the indigo highlights Shiori had on her hair. She took long strides, breathing in the warm afternoon air as she headed towards a quiet area behind a row of cypress trees.
Shiori scanned the surrounding area before gently laying her backpack down and opening its flap. Crouched down, she whispered something into the bag that PICO’s audio sensor couldn’t pick up, but from her gestures, PICO could infer that she was trying to get Arthur out for a stroll.
Arthur didn’t emerge from his bag, however. This caused Shiori to cycle through a series of attempts, from caring invitation to impatient coaxing. Finally, her shoulder slumped as she gave up on getting Arthur out herself. Shiori simply waited next to the bag, arms wrapped around her knees and gazed towards the horizon.
A sparrow landed, pecked at something, and flew away.
A toddler and her dad passed by.
The sun started setting beyond the trees, making Shiori reach for her jacket.
As PICO’s clock showed 18:24, something emerged from the bag. First a tiny, pink nose appeared at the opening, sniffing the air. Then a gray paw reached out, gingerly touching the grass before withdrawing back. A little bit after that, the same paw came back out, and then both front paws. Finally, Arthur’s tabby head emerged, turning left and right, scanning the wide open field in front of him.
By the time Arthur had fully settled into the grass, the sun had moved beyond the treeline, casting the last few golden rays across the field. Shiori sat beside him, one arm still wrapped around her knee, holding the latte. Her other hand moved slowly along Arthur’s back, petting him gently. And Arthur was purring, eyes half-closed, tail swaying gently.
As PICO was packing up for the day, Shiori and Arthur passed by on their way home. Her matcha latte cup was now empty, a small success in PICO’s book.