This'll be the best menu springtime lunch has to offer. I'm the menu gal, so of course I design the best meals in New York. Today's menu starts with apricot-glazed ham bites, apricot-jelly doughnuts, or apricot muffins for hors d'oeuvres—

Another glitch.

My boss flicks my virtual reality goggles until I pull them from my head. I need them to render my imagination's version of the appetizer menu, though...

Shrugging dramatically, he asks, "Apricots, again?"

How do I respond?

(a) "When did we do apricots?"
(b) "Yeah, apricots. Deal with it."
(c) "Oh crap! I'm so sorry!"

a.
"When did we do apricots?"

Flustered, he sputters an apology I don't quite understand, then he storms off to HR. I have eerie memories of him barreling into HR, his face as red as a tomato.

"Look," he stammers, "I understand she's protected under the ADA, but this Alzheimer's...yes, I understand it's harder on her than us, but..."

b.
"Yeah, apricots. Deal with it."

After opening and closing his mouth several times, my boss storms to the other side on the building.

So I slip on my virtual reality goggles. Lately, I've been craving apricots. Is that really so criminal?

c.
"Oh crap! I'm so sorry!"

Somehow I'd forgotten about the apricot theme the day before, when I told him to get over it, and he left my workspace huffing and puffing.

I'd also forgotten about him going to HR—going to HR—going—to—HR—

How many times had this happened?

I suppose I ought to visit the mechanic to have my memory upgraded. It's been so long since my last update. To think my bioware would develop Alzheimer's this quickly.

♦️

First draft: October 18
Word count: up to 347
Inspiration: I originally meant to submit this to the #WritewithZo contest, located here:

https://www.wattpad.com/643984314-writewithzo-writing-contest-let%27s-write

I'm not using this story for my entry, though; it felt too bizarre. I think I'm processing feelings I had about DNA testing. Anyway, here's the conversation Zo and I had on Twitter: