Oh! Hello there. You are coming home with me.

Kayla felt slight guilt as she knelt down and picked up the Philodendron piece from the floor of the home improvement store.

It's technically not stealing, right? I mean, scraps like this are just going to be swept up at closing time and tossed in the trash, right? What a waste. I'm actually rescuing it if you think about it. Yeah.

She carefully tucked the heart-shaped piece into her hoodie pocket.

On the drive home to her tiny apartment, she placed her passenger on the dashboard and excitedly brought her up to date on all things Kayla.

“…and I am soooo close to graduating. And when I do, I'm definitely gonna land a kick ass job somewhere — maybe even in one of these places,” She gestured upward toward the towering glass buildings as she drove through the medical center streets. “And you're coming with me, of course. You are going to have your very own spot on my desk!”

Kayla prattled on, feeling excited for the future and surprisingly, a lot less lonely all of a sudden. It felt good to speak her hopes and dreams out loud— even if only to a drooping leaf.

When they got home, Kayla placed her new roommate in a glass of water and set her on the kitchen window sill. She made a mental note to pick up some potting soil soon.

It will be so nice to have someone to talk to for a change. Now, she needs a name. Hmm…

Kayla smiled as it came to her.

“I hereby dub thee Philomena. For it is a strong name and a good name for a friend.”

Eyes of terror 

Broken and tattered 

Strays of past years 

Unseen, 

Even before you. 

Walls to celebrate what we 

Hate. 

Fermented cabbage, 

Kimchi kisses as we passed

Days that left,

Just as our fathers did,

But yours paid. 

Mine went across that wall,

Handcuffed and bloodied,

I stayed back and studied,

Made my family proud,

Just kept awards coming

Let my mental shatter,

Anxiety on my morning 

Platter,

34×32, 7/11 booze, 21

Growing fatter,

Eating decadent sweets, 

Outrageous eats on unwinding 

Streets. 

Overflowing like soju 

Running down my lips,

Bar hopping, 

Killing the kid that never lived.

Calls with my mother every month

Or so…

Pick up where we left,

Tell me, 

Why did he leave? 

Did you know that I remember 

The last fight you two had? 

That at 19 I wanted to…

Some thoughts crawl 

And make you remember,

Make each cinder brick 

Weigh a bit less,

Walls

Seemingly

Indestructible.

A quiet scene

A sudden scream

Then all are shown on their porches.

A shout for help

A gurgling welp

Silence is moved with torches.

Sirens appear

To the listening ear

Nothing seems to make sense.

Someone's hurt

Policeman's work

The rally was peaceful now it's tense.

I’m so blessed

To know someone like you

Who excitedly asks

“Did you see the moon?”

Why yes, my friend

You know I did

And when I looked up

I thought of you too

"Engineer?"

"Yes. Our team of geneticists along with our bio and reproductive technologists have perfected artificial insemination. The short version is we have developed biotechnology that allows us to ensure genetically perfect semen and ovum..."

"Genetically perfect?"

"Yes, Mr. Guyton. Our babies will never suffer from any genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, Huntington's disease, hemophilia, Down syndrome. Nor will they ever get any diseases associated with vaccines - polio, mumps, rubella, for example. They will not be susceptible to the common cold, the flu or any of the coronaviruses. They will be above average in intelligence without being geniuses since that leads to an imbalance. Similarly, they will be attractive but not, let's say, gorgeous since that also brings with it its own issues. And they will be both artistic and athletic but without any extremes that might cause any kind of..."

"Imbalance," Frankie says, interrupting. "Seems a tall order. What's your rate of success?"

"We started placing our babies with couples five years ago. Thus far, we have a 100% success rate."

"And before that?"

"My father and his team began their research some 30 years ago. We have several wings that, in addition to our research labs, include a: private hospital; K-16 school; library with an extensive collection for both study and recreation; maternity ward; orphanage; and, psychiatric wing. We are always working to ensure the best outcomes."

"Not sure you answered my question."

"There are no failures, Mr. Guyton, simply unexpected outcomes. And we deal with them accordingly. In-house. It wasn't until five years ago that we felt our results were consistent enough that we could introduce our product, that is, our babies, to the world.

"I see."

"Let's discuss how this works, shall we? We take the sperm from you - a painless procedure - and analyze the DNA in order to remove any red flags, while fine-tuning code as needed and giving you certain choices - eye and hair color, for example. Next, we inject this into an equally genetically perfect egg - again, one of yours which we analyze and perfect. Then we implant the fertilized egg inside a healthy young woman who we thoroughly vet to ensure excellent health and virginity."

"You have got to be kidding. Virginity?"

"Yes, Mr. Guyton. We ensure perfection from conception to delivery."

Frankie looks at Rose who is still smiling at Mrs. Mortimer. "A moment, Rose?" He touches her hand to get her attention. "In the hall?"

"Oh, okay. Sure. Please excuse us, Mrs. Mortimer. I mean, Evie."

"Not at all, Rose. Becoming a parent is a big step and should not be taken lightly. Especially not with one of our perfect angels. If you are not on the same page, you should probably reconsider."

"Oh, we're on the same page."

There's a knock on the door.

"Yes?"

The door opens and a tall, black-haired man steps into the room. "Mrs. Mortimer, a moment of your time, please."

"Dr. Randolph, Rose and Frank Guyton. Dr. Randolph is our lead physician and an integral member of our research team over the last decade. He ensures our clients receive the healthiest babies possible."

Dr. Randolph nods at the couple, clearly preoccupied. "Mrs. Mortimer?"

"Yes, of course. Mr. and Mrs. Guyton, would you like coffee or tea? I'll have some sent in while I take care of this. I shouldn't be long."

"No, thank you. We'll be fine," Frankie responds before Rose can say otherwise.

"Yes, Randolph? What couldn't wait until I finished speaking with our prospective parents?"

"The new girl, Luna? She's pregnant."

"That's what we do here, Randolph. Is there a problem with the embryo?"

"Not that we know of...except that we had not yet implanted the embryo."

"What? That's impossible. She was thoroughly tested: She's a virgin."

"She is a virgin. She is also pregnant. More importantly, it is not one of ours."

Mrs. Mortimer stares down the hall a long moment before responding. "Give me half an hour. I'll be there as soon as I finish with the Guytons."

"The red room?"

"Half an hour."

"Right."

Meanwhile

"I don't think we should do this, Rose."

"What do you mean? This is our chance, Frankie! Finally, I'll be a Mommy."

"It just seems unnatural what they're doing here. I don't know. I don't feel right."

"Please, Frankie. Please let me have this," Rose says, eyes filling.

Frankie is silent. As Mrs. Mortimer opens the door to re-enter the office, she hears, "Okay Rose." He takes a deep breath, shaking his head. "I just hope you, we, don't live to regret this."

a diamond, cold, hard,

her smile doesn't reach her eyes

except for the boy-

wild, rambunctious, curly-haired

sweetly naughty, full of life

for him, sunshine, warmth

endless fun, boundless joy, love,

unconditional

hope where once there was despair

dreams of a bright tomorrow

I thought i was gonna die last night

I looked at his face and memorized every feature

His loving blue eyes and the light that recently left

The small smile on his face that he mustered up to tell me i’m pretty

I thought i was gonna die last night

I cried in his arms, feeling his caring breath inhale and exhale

And his heart beat that's so clearly tired.

I thought about his tears that would leave the eyes where the forest meets the sea

All because of my departure

But made him think the ocean that left my eyes was because of his

I just have to go to bed

I just have to go to bed

I repeated out loud to the both of us

As the over-the-counter death taunted me from our medicine cabinet

I thought i was gonna die last night

But i just went to bed

I just went to bed

I thought i was gonna die last night

But i just went to bed.

Float above

Sea of fog

Suffer in

Emotional bog

Helpless child

Full of fears

Has no hope

Shedded tears

Always thought

It’d never end

Broken spirit

Unable to mend

Persona non grata

Called a liar

Labeled weak

Psychic misfire

Trust no one

Wasted breath

Stuck performing

This living death

Anger consumes

Pent up hatred

Start to realize

Nothing is sacred

Mental scars

Never healed

Time passes

Pain concealed

Growing old

Full of anxiety

Try to fit

Within society