Return to your daughter's room.

For the next hour or so, you relax in your office and cool down. It's been a long day. You half expect to wake up and discover that it's all been an extremely realistic dream. Nah, can't be. This has been way too detailed and long. You just need to accept that your reality has shifted in a way that you never thought was possible. For a moment, you think about telling someone about the app. But if earlier in the day was any indication, that's not possible. Hana looked at your computer screen and saw nothing.

Crossing your arms, you fume silently for a bit while thinking about your wife's "work husband," Greg. If she was having an affair, it would explain why she's been so distant. After calming down, you rationalize that being angry right now wont help anything. You need to verify before you accuse Natalie of anything. You'll worry about that later.

You take out your personal laptop and boot it up. Not surprised at all, you find the AMA icon waiting for you on the desktop. You pull up the list of profiles and scroll through them. There are a bunch of your random coworkers that you just don't really care about right now. For the first time, you notice little clickable stars by each name. Maybe you just assumed they were bullet points earlier. You click the one by Hana and get a message that she has been added to your favorites. Quickly, you scroll through the list and find the three other people you are looking for. You click the stars by Jan, Natalie, and Ava. You take a moment to appreciate the profile picture that the app has chosen for your daughter. The app somehow had the good sense to make it a full body shot of her reclined on the bed. You stare at the handful of white pixels between her legs. After shaking your head and trying to convince yourself that you're better than this, you find the favorites page.

Frank Thompson's Favorite Relationships

Hana Sato

Affection Score: 38

Jan Whetstone

Affection Score: -40

Natalie Thompson

Affection Score: 12

Love Score: 21

Lust Score: 0

Ava Thompson

Affection Score: 52

Love Score: 6

Lust Score: 2

You examine the list of numbers. Why did Hana and Jan not have scores for love and lust when Natalie has a zero for lust? You think for a moment and conclude that it's because the two women at work have never felt either emotion towards you. In the past, Natalie felt lust towards you. That's comforting.

Your eyes keep darting back to the 2 next to your daughter's lust score. This app, you presume, will present you with countless sexual opportunities. Why is it then, that the only one you can think about right now is the one that involves your daughter? Maybe it's because she might be the only woman in the world that wants you. Even if it's just barely and buried deep within her subconscious. You can't wait to visit her again later tonight.

You hide and daydream in your office a while longer. With the help of the app, you could have Hana sleeping in here in no time. Oh, and her sister too. Wanting to go check on your wife again, you turn on the real time update feature. You have a couple of things in mind that might help you raise her score a bit before she turns in for the night. You have no intention of confronting her about this Greg guy. For now.

Natalie is in the same exact spot. She looks up for a second as you walk in and then focuses back on her tablet. She has earbuds in so she's probably watching one of her shows. Right above her head is a little green 12. Maybe there aren't live updates for love and lust. Not wanting to linger awkwardly, you think of a way to raise your score without bothering her. On the table in the form of an empty glass is your opportunity. You casually walk forward and pick it up before walking back to the kitchen. Knowing that your wife typically drinks water, you fill it up and put in a few ice cubes just how she likes it. You return to the bedroom and sit it back on the table next to her. Natalie notices your arrival and pulls one earbud out.

With a kind smile, she looks up at you and says, "Thanks, dear. You didn't have to do that."

"No problem at all. I just noticed that you were empty."

The green 12 above her head changes to a 15. Simple acts of kindness...

You continue, "Anything else I can get you before I go?"

She thinks for a moment and then says, "Tell Ava goodnight for me, will you? I'm so into this show right now..."

"Absolutely. I'll give her a kiss for you."

Natalie smiles at you one more time and puts the earbud back in, returning her focus to her show. Just before you leave, you watch the 15 above her head turn into a 17. Thank you, Affection Multiplier.

Now a little after 10, you return to your daughters bedroom. Before knocking, you quickly turn off the real time score updates. You don't want the distraction right now.

"Come in!"

You walk into the mostly dark room. Ava is still laying in bed and messing around on her phone. At least you didn't wake her this time. She's on her side under the covers, facing your direction. As you sit down in the same spot as earlier, she tosses the phone aside and places a hand on your lower back.

Rubbing your back gently, she says, "Did you talk to Mom?"

"No. I need to think about it first. I can't accuse her of something without being sure. If it's not true, it would be devastating to our relationship."

"I could talk to her for you."

"No... Can you please keep all of this between the two of us for now?"

"If that's what you want... I still want to help though. Maybe I could do a little snooping?"

"What do you mean?"

Ava averts her eyes and looks slightly guilty, and then says, "I know the passcode to her phone."

Realizing how useful this could be, you ask, "Do I want to know how you know that?"

She shrugs, "I see her type it in all the time. Eventually you learn it even if you aren't really paying attention. Plus, she isn't very creative."

"What is it?"

"I think it's best if you leave the snooping to me, Dad. It wont be as big of a deal if I get caught."

"Right as always, Ava."

"I'll have to wait for a good time. It could be tomorrow or in a week. It just depends."

"I trust you."

She smiles at you and says, "I trust you too, Dad."

The two of you sit in silence for a minute. Ava rubs your back with a tenderness that you've been missing for years. You look around her room. Your little girl has grown up so much but it's like looking back in time. An idea pops into your head.

You turn to her and say, "Still love the color purple as much as you did when I painted this room."

She laughs, "It's gotten quite old but I think I'm used to it at this point. I swear, sometimes I dream and everything is purple."

"Ever think about doing a little remodeling?"

"Sometimes but it would just be such a hassle. I hated painting in art class at school. I doubt I'd like painting walls any better."

"I could do it for you again."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Whatever colors you want. Everything purple must go."

"Dad... you don't have to... I'll be gone in a few months anyway."

"Don't remind me. Plus, you'll come back for breaks and holidays. Right?"

"Of course, Dad."

"Well we can't have you sleeping in a little girls room now that you're a young woman, can we? It will be one of my graduation presents to you. I'll do all of the legwork. You don't have to do any of it if you don't want to."

She thinks for a moment before saying, "I actually think it would be fun doing it together. Just the two of us, okay? No Mom. She'll just take over and try to make all of the decisions."

That's perfectly fine with you.

"You've got it, sweetheart. Think about what all you want to do. You're the lead designer. We'll start after you graduate. Maybe I can take some time off."

If you raise your score enough with Jan, maybe she will let you take a week off of work. It would allow you to do this project alone with Ava while Natalie is at work. Who knows, with some time to work with, you might be able to raise your score with Ava enough to do a little more than painting.

"Daddy... I'm sorry if I haven't been the best daughter lately..."

You turn on the bed and face her. You're surprised to see that she's crying a little bit. You lean forward and wipe a tear from her eye with your thumb.

Hand on her cheek, you whisper, "I couldn't ask for a better daughter. I love you so much."

Sniffling, she says, "I love you too. But still, I feel like I've kind of ignored you... I'll do better... I'll make it up to you..."

"I know you will."

You lean forward and kiss her forehead. This was from you, not your wife.

She snickers a little bit and says, "I always loved it when you kissed me on the forehead and tickled me with you whiskers."

"I'm sorry that I stopped... I just thought..."

"That I didn't want you to do it anymore?"

"Something like that..."

"Well I was dumb."

You begin playing with her hair, "How about if from now on, every night you're sleeping under my roof, you'll get a kiss goodnight."

"Deal."

You lean down and kiss her again. This time on the cheek. This one is also from you. Natalie would never know.

She smirks at you and says, "Well that's two kisses so you're already breaking the deal."

"Making up for lost time."

You pull back your hand and start to stand up. Ava reaches out and grabs your arm.

She pouts, "Where you going?"

"To bed."

"But I'm not tired yet. Probably shouldn't have taken that nap..."

Not needing convincing, you sit back down. Just as you are about to say something, she sits up against the headboard. Once again, the covers slide off of her and reveal her legs. Like magnets, your eyes are drawn to the little white triangle peeking out from between her legs and under her bunched up shirt. Without her phone to distract her, Ava notices where you are looking.