us when we join the Family.” Cora shifted to face him. “How did you remember Soothsayer was your mother?”
“I came here as a child with her. I must’ve only been six years old. I remember Momma getting pulled away by Maestro. He touched her shoulder, and I…watched her age. Dad suddenly couldn’t remember her. I started screaming. When we left, everyone thought I was nuts. I got put in a home for a long while.” He stared down into the neck of his beer. “I was the only one that remembered her.”
“Wait…you watched her age?”
“Sweetheart, do you think I had a beard when I came here?” Bertha snorted. “Or all this ink? The Faire makes us into what we need to be. Like Simon and his eyes. Rudy and his shapeshifting. The Twins were turned into one person out of two. Hell, Mechanic is more machine than man.”
“Wait—whoa—what?” Cora blinked.
Bertha laughed. “Yup. Clockwork in a bag of flesh, that’s what he is.”
Cora shook her head. Man, she lucked out. She was just super bendy. “I got off easy, I guess.”
“That you did.” Bertha smirked. “None of us mind the view, though, so don’t worry about it.”
Cora laughed. It didn’t shock her that Bertha swung both ways. It didn’t shock her that most people around here did. There were only so many of them, and they did have a lot of time on their hands. She looked back to Jack. “Then what?”
He shrugged. “I lived my whole life thinking I was nuts. I came back here to the Faire only to find it abandoned. Everybody told me it hadn’t been in operation for decades. But it wasn’t possible. I remembered it. I knew what had happened.” He sniffed dismissively. “It was 1933 when I came back. And the Faire was real. I had spent twenty-three years of my life thinking it was madness. I walked inside…and I found Mom. And she offered me the chance to join her. I had no life outside worth living. This place had already ruined it. It might as well have the rest of me. I said yes.”
Cora put down her drink, turned to Jack, and threw her arms around him in a hug. She pulled him tight to her, and felt his shoulders go slack, the tension leaving them, as he tentatively hugged her back. “I’m so sorry, Jack. I’m so sorry. To live your whole life like that…”
He nodded weakly, before resting his head on her shoulder.
She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like. She had only gone a few days grappling with the impossible suddenly being possible. She didn’t have to live twenty-three years thinking she should be in an asylum. She hugged him tighter and kissed his cheek. “I’m so sorry.”
“Careful,” Aaron warned teasingly. “Leave any lipstick on him and Simon’ll rip him apart again.
“Simon can deal.” Cora chuckled and eased up on Jack. The Rigger sat back and smiled warmly at her before picking up his beer and sipping it. “Just because he doesn’t have friends doesn’t mean I don’t want them.” She paused. “I guess I didn’t realize how easy I had it. I lost my friends, sure…but. Nothing like that.”
“We all have our terrible stories.” Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her into his side. It wasn’t sexual. It was just affection. She smiled and leaned against him. “Louis lost his baby brother. Mechanic lost his wife. Pierre his whole family. Then there’s the Twins.” Jack shuddered. “They’re…they’re the ones I feel for the most.”
“I can’t imagine.” Cora winced.
“They’re happy, I think, and that’s what matters.” Bertha pointed at Jack. “The way they are isn’t wrong, Rigger. Just different.” She tugged on her beard. “So watch yourself.”
“No, I mean. I just feel terrible that they can’t be together.”
“They’re glued together, Jackie-boy.” Aaron snickered. “Just because they can’t fuck each other anymore doesn’t mean they’re not together. I think they’re of one mind, anyway. They wanted to be that way.”
“Love does weird shit to people.” Cora looked off thoughtfully. “And in this case, I guess it’s literal.”
“Wiser words have never been spoken.” Aaron smiled. “How’re you doing, Cora? Things have been nuts for you.”
“I’m all right. I’m still getting up to speed, but I’m all right. I can’t wait to be out of this void. I’d like to see the stars again. And clouds. And more than just you pack of weirdos.” Cora grinned back at him.
They all chuckled. It was Jack who spoke first. “I