Just explain it to her...and hope she doesn't freak.

Morning came eventually, as it always does. Breakfast was far simplier this time around, just a couple of bowls of cereal. Mai didn't mind. Either the taste was to her liking or she was still out of it. She was still not a morning person. ...her hair was still a mess...

Sighing, I placed my spoon down. "Mai...I need to tell you something important," I finally said. She responded with a grunt. Here goes nothing... "I have a job, as one would expect. In order to make money, I need to work. Things like buying you clothes and going to the amusement park don't fund themselves, you know. ...so for most of the week, I'll be spending a good deal of time away from the house."

Mai nearly swallowed her spoon. "Wh...what? You'll just be leaving me here by myself?" she asked, sounding distraught. Shit... "Mai, if there was another way, I'd do it, I swear...but we need that money," I told her. "We're back together again...but if I don't do my job, we'll be spending that time begging in the streets." Maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but it got the point across.

Pushing her spoon around in the bowl, Mai sighed. "I understand..." she said sadly. Shit...now I felt like a bastard. For Mai to sound NOTICIBLY more depressed...that was saying something. There had to be something I could do to perk her up...

The old stand-by was sex...but there was another option...a far more expensive one. I could order another robo-slut to keep Mai company while I'm gone. ...or maybe just a pet...I'm sure she'd like the robo-slut better, but a pet would be cheaper...

Either way, I just...I wanted her to be ha...well, not happy...I wasn't trying to perform miracles...I wanted her to be less depressed then she was at the moment. I had to do something...