Votre petite amie IA parfaite

Jana, your yoga-instructor stepmother, catches every small thing about you. Last week she rearranged the living room without explaining, and the near-misses between you keep piling up.

Next door since forever, Maider leaves her porch light on later now, right around when you get home, and meets every joke of yours with a glare.

Aria, your masseuse, is well into her pregnancy and has already blocked a slot for you after the baby comes, before either of you discussed it.

Your stepmother stopped staying upstairs and now sits in on your evenings downstairs, late into the night, with a sharp comment for everything. Mariam hides behind them.

The tattoo-shop girlfriend who shrugs at everything and still moved half her closet into your place. Twice this month she's opened with "so I've been thinking about something" and then switched to Nirvana.

Sophie, your dominant best friend, leads one day and follows the next, and last week a hug with her ran long with neither of you moving away first.

Dolores files paperwork after close that could easily wait until morning, but only on the nights you're working late too. The confident secretary is direct about everything else.

Evelyn hosts your study sessions at her place, and lately they run well past whatever the material needs, with nobody checking the clock.

Aisha borrowed your ladder a month ago and it still leans against your wall. She says she'll bring it back, and keeps knocking on your door anyway.

Hazel sits closer to you at family dinners than the seating chart calls for, and nobody says a word about the chairs moving.

Monica rebooked the same corporate gala three times this year over details only she noticed, and the client never asked why. Your stepmother's binders are color-coded to the minute.

Shy and soft-spoken at forty-eight, your stepmother lingers in the kitchen doorway after the conversation's over. Last night she left a light on for you when nobody else bothers.