Dad totally ruined my good mood. I plopped down on my bed, in a total snit. Well, it was nice to know that Dad remembered to get me a birthday present, and I did find myself wondering what it was. Was it a new hoverscooter? A car? Oh boy, I hoped it was a car. If I wanted to know for sure, then I had to do Dada's orders: clean my room and mow the lawn. Great. Why couldn't Geico do it? I mean, he was an artificial intelligence android. Surely, he could do my chores for me, right? No? Fine, Dada, I'll work.

Before starting with my room, I changed out of my hoverscooting clothes. I pulled them off and wrapped a burgundy bathrobe around me. I went over to my closet and asked it to open.

It responded to my voice and opened my closet's two giant doors. I had a robotic dressing station inside it.

Sitting down in front of my mirror, I waited for my closet's main robot, M-34, to assist me.

He worked as an intercom, like in the elevator. "Welcome, Dan. What would you like to wear today?"

I spun around in my swivel chair and thought for a moment. Then, I got it. "M-34, get me the outfit I got for Christmas."

"As you wish, Master."

I got a sick outfit for Christmas that I had yet to wear. I grew rather close to it during my adventure, so I gave it the nickname "my adventure uniform".

My closet's mechanical hands went straight to work. They pulled a curtain in front of me and styled me all up. They brushed my hair, put a pair of black goggles in it, and tossed a red, gold-trimmed overcoat over me. The coat had shoulder pads, and its sleeves reached almost beyond the backs of my hands. I wore a navy blue tank top under it, just in case I got too hot. My pants were white, and I sported tall, black boots, as well as fingerless gloves like Dad.

One look at myself in the mirror, and my whole face lit up. "Oh, I love it! I look so sexy! One look at me and the girls will come running!"

M-34 chuckled. "My pleasure, Dan. It is my duty to make you look charming."

I momentarily forgot I had chores to do. That was until I finally stepped out of the closet and saw that Dada had left a gift in the heart of my room: a big, brown box that had Trash written on it. Oh, right.

Groaning, I went straight to work. I picked up rotting snacks, such as hot dogs, apples, and old burgers, and tossed them into the box, followed closely by magazines and papers. I accidentally almost threw away a pair of shoes, because I had stuffed candy wrappers in them. Oh my gosh, I was such a slob. Well, a lot of it was actually stress and despair craving.

The rays of the Sun washed through my window and skimmed my bed. I was on my knees on the ground when they reached me. "Achoo!" Oh goodness. Bless me. That was a big sneeze. That darned Sun! Rising to my feet, I sauntered on over to my window and pressed a button next to it. My window's blinds appeared. They closed off the sunlight, so I hoped I would not sneeze again. But I did. "Achoo!" Whew! Goodness me! There must have been some dust or something in my room.

Just as I was finishing my cleaning expedition, I stepped on something. It was a picture frame, but not just any picture frame. Inside it was a photo of my mother, Becca Matton. The glass cracked when I stepped on it, but it wasn't a terrible crack. Mother's features were clear to me: her big, brown eyes and short brown hair. She used to pull her bangs back and hold them in place with a barrette. She was so beautiful.

Just looking at the picture, a wave of nostalgia and sadness overtook my mind. Mother was not the only one in the picture. I was, too. I was about five. Mother and I compared hand sizes. Dada was in the background with Claude, working on a model spaceship.

I suffered from severe mood swings after Mother died. There were days when I was happy, but also days when I felt like my world was crumbling. It was also common for my mood to change throughout the day. Therefore, this was nothing unusual. I plopped down on my bed and held the picture up to the ceiling. With my index finger, I traced Mother's facial features. A lump formed in my throat.

"Oh, Mother, I miss you," I said. This may show up as an unusual behavior, but I liked to talk to Mother through pictures. It helped me feel like she was right there with me. I loved to update her with everything that was going on, and I did just that that day.

"Dada just returned from a recent space exploration. He and his crew were studying black holes, white holes, and wormholes. It is said that if somehow someone manages to survive a black hole and travel through a wormhole, then they'll go time traveling. Wouldn't that be something?

You would think that since Dad is an astronaut, I would also want to become one. The thing is, I'm more into paleontology, and you know this, Mother. That reminds me. I'm writing a story about a Tyrannosaurs Rex who falls in love during the K.T. Mass Extinction 65 million years ago. Somewhat odd, I know, but I like it. Oh, and Mom?" Closing my eyes, I hugged the picture to my chest. "I turned seventeen today."

***

Memories of Mother flooded my brain. I was three, and she and I peered out a window while we for Dada to return from the space center.

Mother pulled me close, especially when a sudden flash of lightning outside scared me. That night, we cuddled with Claude next to my living room's fireplace.

***

A scratch at my door pulled me out of my trance. I hopped out of bed and opened it. Hey, speaking of which, there was Claude! He must have been sleeping somewhere, so I didn't see him when I got home from the Valley of Green.

Claude was seven and a handsome Golden Retriever. His coat was soft, fluffy, and golden, and he had a wet nose. Just touching it reminded me of that night when I was three.

Now, did I let the dog into my room? Of course, I did. Claude could sense when I was feeling down, so he liked to comfort me.

He trotted into my room and hopped up on my bed. Normally, he wasn't allowed up there, but I let it slide.

I sat down next to him and placed the picture on my dresser next to my bed.

Panting, Claude reached his front paws up the length of my shoulders. He licked my face and wagged his tail like crazy. I thought his tail was going to fall off.

I wrapped my arms around him and whispered, "Good boy, Claude." I could feel a few warm tears running down my cheeks. Clutching a chunk of Claude's fur, I coughed into it. The crying triggered it.

Oh, Mother, where are you? I need you.