“A match between someone you’ve scanned and me?”“Oui, madam. I did not want to mention this near the soldiers, but these are your friends. You... genome is a seventy percent match for all three of the synths that I have scanned.”That stopped me in my tracks. I repeated myself. “Wait, what?”“What the hell are you talking about, Curie?”, Piper squeaked, very upset.“Oh, I am sorry. I have said things to upset you. I do not mean that Madam is a synth. I scanned her routinely when I treated her. She. ” Kindergarten pageants don’t run to speaking parts.“You should have come,” Alice says, showing that she is quite capable of repeating the same speech over and over -- maybe not one anybody else had written.“Mommy has classes on Wednesday.” Claire was repeating herself, too. You did when talking with Alice.“Other mommies don’t go to school. You should have come.”“Other mommies have finished school. I haven’t.”“You should. You should have come.” Finally, though, Alice lies down to sulk herself. She looks at the line to the desk. ‘Filing the accident report?’ Nodding I hold up the paperwork. I see a similar set in her hands. She follows my eyes down to the papers and nods. ‘Yea.’ As the silence start to become uncomfortable I ponder asking questions and finally take the plunge. ‘Did…did my insurance company get in touch yet?’ ‘What? Oh yes I guess. I don’t really know for sure. His insurance agent said it was totaled.’ She gives a shake of her head. ”Tell him I’m sorry.’ I say lamely.. The idea of being married and waking up next to you fills my heart with joy,” she said.“I can’t tell you what waking up next to you would be like, but I can imagine you being beautiful first thing in the morning. No makeup, just you.”Alice and Jan brought the cooked food to us. I said, “Thank you, ladies,” as they sat down.“If it’s alright for me to say,” Alice said. “Your children, my grandchildren will be very good-looking.”“They also should be very musically talented. Don’t you think so,.