FO4 | Book 1: Bombs on Monday Morning ✔️

Ch 2: Monday Morning

Taking care of a baby was hard and thankless work, but it was worth it. My baby boy was born happy and healthy at exactly seven and a half pounds. He favored Nate in most aspects — his eyes, hair, and completion were the most noticeable features — but he had my small face and my nose.

Nate insisted on getting a Mister Handy bot to work around the house for us. I finally said yes because he was going to do it with or without my permission anyway. He had been itching to spend money on something expensive and shiny for a while now.

We ordered the Mister Handy from the General Atomics company, and he turned out to be a blessing. We called him Codsworth.

Codsworth, like all the other Mr. Handy robots, had a large, round frame made of polished metal and a jet underneath that allowed him to hover above the ground. He had three sensors that served as his eyes, and they protruded from the top of his rounded body like a snail's. Three appendages were attached to his frame, the end of each one serving a different function. One was a miniature flamethrower, to what purpose I wasn't sure. The others were a buzz saw for trimming hedges and small trees and a grappling or grabber of sorts that allowed him to easily pick up and move items. There was a hidden compartment on the back of his body, allowing him to store a multitude of items like bottles of water, first aid, or keys.

Not only was he a babysitter, but he could cook, clean, and garden for me. he was even better than a watchdog when it came to protecting the house. I didn't have a care in the world; I could prop my feet up and let Codsworth do all the hard work while I enjoyed the more comforting moments with Shaun, like holding him and rocking him to sleep and talking to him. I would have been able to go back to work without having to worry about being tired.

Codsworth had a distinct British accent, used proper grammar at all times, and was very polite. I'm sure it was a part of his programming, but there were times when he could be a bit snarky and opinionated — mostly about the neighbors, which always provided entertainment.

Eventually, he caught on to all the routines and goings-on around the house. He would be my listening ear when I was upset, and he could always keep a secret. I was beginning to worry about my own mental health, however, being such good friends with a robot.

One day, in particular, Nate was at work, and Shaun was asleep. So it was just me and Codsworth in the living room. He hovered next to me as I watched TV. Two of his sensors were directed toward the TV, and one focused on me, as I had noticed it usually was. He would make comments every now and then about the show I was watching. It was some game show, nothing special. I didn't like watching the news like Nate did. It was too depressing; our economy was in such horrible shape. Codsworth made hot chocolate for me to chase away the chill and gossiped about the neighbors. Then, out of the blue, Codsworth said, "I feel a great deal of affection for this family, Mum." That's when I realized he had become just as much a part of the family as any of us.

It had been about a month since Shaun was born. It was a crisp Monday morning in October, and the leaves were changing color. All the Halloween decorations were out in the neighborhood. I got out of bed and heard Nate in the bathroom taking a shower. After I got dressed, I met him in the bathroom, where he had already dried off and was fixing his hair in the mirror.

"War never changes," he mumbled. He seemed to have been rehearsing some lines for his speech tonight.

I grinned at him. "You're gonna knock 'em dead at the veterans' hall," I assured him.