I function
That’s the word for it
Conversation is a sequence
Input
Response
Smile where expected
Eyes engaged enough to pass
They say I seem better
I don’t correct them
Truth has no use here
Family asks questions
The answers are pre-recorded
I deploy them
The room exhales in relief
They laugh
I mirror it
Timing is everything
My face moves first
Then the sound follows
Almost convincing
Afterward
Silence hums in my ears
The body feels light
Air passes through
Nothing catches
I watch them eat
I hold the fork
I make the right noises
I pass the salt
Inside
No pulse
No static
No ache
Just the steady click
Of a system still running