Jeff stared at the computer screen and saw an option for "Perfect Spouse". He hovered the mouse over it. An explanation appeared: "This option scans a secondary subject and sets parameters catered to what a perfect spouse would be for that subject."
"Seems like that's a no-brainer for me," Jeff chuckled to himself. He selected the "Perfect Spouse" option with himself as the secondary subject. Without wasting another second, he clicked the "Submit" button. Just as he was going to think about what perfect girlfriend he wants, and what his dad would eventually become, there was a bang on the door.
"Yo, Jeff, it’s almost 6:00. Dad says the pizza will be here in a few minutes," his older brother David says through the door. "And he wants you to come out of your room.”
“Uh…sure, fine,” Jeff said. “I’ll be right there in a minute.” Jeff heard his dad’s muffled voice through the door.
David sighed and said, “He wants you down now.”
Jeff bit his lip nervously. A part of him wanted to see what kind of girlfriend his dad would turn into. But another, slowly growing part of him wanted just to wing it and see how it went. Resigning himself to his fate, he walked out of the room and down the stairs.
“Thank you, Jeff,” his dad said when Jeff and David entered the kitchen. Katie was getting plates out of the cupboard. “I know you were busy messing around with your computer game, but we haven’t all been here at the same time for dinner in a long time. It’ll be nice to have a family dinner again…like we used to.” He added the last part quietly, and Jeff and David shuffled their feet nervously. His dad coughed a little bit and shook his head. He grabbed for a beer from inside the fridge. That was another thing Jeff had begun to notice: his dad’s drinking. He used to be able to go without needing a beer for several days. Now, it was as if he couldn’t have a meal without beer. Jeff hoped that when dad turn into his girlfriend, he would likely see some changes.
The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed 6:00. Jeff took a deep breath and mentally thought to himself of what would his perfect girlfriend would be. What will dad turn into?