Caroline lay in her bed on the fateful day, when the door burst open.
"Mommy!" her daughter Chell cried. "Get up! It's 6:30! You're bringing me to Bring Your Daughter To Work Day today, right?"
Caroline smiled. At 9 years she showed all the exuberance of her father.
"I'm coming, Chell," she replied, still half asleep. "Go pick out your clothes and grab a potato from the fridge. I'll be right down."
Chell ran out of the room and pounded down the stairs.
Caroline walked into the kitchen, fully dressed. Chell held in her hands a potato and was dressed in her tiny little Aperture uniform she'd demanded to get from the gift store.
"Oh, Chell," she chuckled. "You look like a test subject! It's perfect!"
Chell giggled. "I'm excited! I'm going to make the best potato battery! I practiced already!"
Caroline laughed again and picked her daughter up, sweeping her into her arms. "Of course you will, honey. Of course you will!"
Chell giggled excitedly again. "And today, I get to see Mommy become a robot! Yay!"
Putting her down, she said, "But robots can't hug you! Come on out to the car. I have your trifold board."
As Chell opened the door and ran out happily, Caroline let her tears fall. It would be the last time she embraced her child.