about. I’ve been training my whole life, and you know that I’m as good as any Wallenda.”
Thurston had been the first to make a reference to the famed family of wire walkers, especially well-known for the latest generation’s stunt walks in places like the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. The promise of extra publicity from my doing something similar made this a win-win for the Cirque.
“Fine,” Mom said. “I will not stand in the way of this opportunity, if it’s what you want. I trust you, and Emil.” With that, Mom extended her hand to Dad.
I’d won.
Or so I assumed.
Nan cleared her throat loudly enough to command our attention. “I cannot believe you would be so foolish as to attempt this walk, Jules, after everything I’ve told you.” She glared at my parents. “And I cannot believe that you two are considering going along with this.”
Ah, so that was why she’d held her tongue until now. She’d been waiting for my parents to forbid me from moving forward.
“That you would let your daughter risk her life, for what—a publicity stunt? To prove something to people who despise us? Emil, I’ve warned you about the danger here. You should know better. But maybe this will change your mind: Jules fell the other night during practice. Someone here is out to get revenge, and they will hurt us however they can.”
I closed my eyes. I hadn’t wanted to talk about my tumble into the net with my dad.
My parents’ hands unclasped, and Dad crossed the few steps to the table. “Is it true? Did you fall?”
“I was just rattled from the night before. And seeing the net there was strange since I’m not used to having one.”
“She’s not telling you something,” Nan said, looking from me to my parents. She took a deep breath. “I found an object, old and still very powerful, that was planted on the rose she was given. She was wearing the flower when it happened.”
And the storm had blown back in, just like that. What if Dad reversed course now?
“Dad,” I said, “that wasn’t what caused it. I can do this. You know I can.”
Sam peered at me over the edge of his silver laptop, but stayed quiet.
Dad gave a short nod, and turned toward Nan. To my surprise, his voice was raised when he spoke to her, pointing a finger. “It was you that made her fall, don’t you see that? You started putting doubts in her head as soon as we arrived, telling us constantly about old grudges and danger. Now you’re blaming some flower, some old object, and upsetting her even more.” He dropped his hand. “No. We are here now, and we have to stick together and make our way. I know how you were mistreated back then. I know why we had to stay away, and I’ve gone along with it, all this time. But you will not fill my daughter’s head with fears now. Fears are what cause falls.”
Nan stood up from the couch, and raised pleading hands to my mother. “And you, Vonia, you agree with him?”
But whatever Mom thought about the magic talk, she wasn’t easily cowed. “I would never support my child in something she wasn’t capable of. Emil assures me that she is ready.”
“How can you say these things?” Nan asked my father. “I raised you. It was always you and me. You must understand my powers, what I can do. You know there are forces at work in this world that are beyond what can be seen and easily understood. Do I have to remind you of what could happen to her if those forces come into play?”
My dad crossed and put a hand on Nan’s arm, guiding her down to sit beside him on the couch. “I know what Grandmama thought she could do, and what she convinced you that you could do too. But we have to be real here.”
There was a long, quiet moment, and Sam chose it to chime in. “Jules is the one who wouldn’t let us pass up the chance to join the Cirque. She’s already shown that she’s willing to fight for this family. Now she has another big idea, and we should support her.”
“Thank you,
Thurston had been the first to make a reference to the famed family of wire walkers, especially well-known for the latest generation’s stunt walks in places like the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. The promise of extra publicity from my doing something similar made this a win-win for the Cirque.
“Fine,” Mom said. “I will not stand in the way of this opportunity, if it’s what you want. I trust you, and Emil.” With that, Mom extended her hand to Dad.
I’d won.
Or so I assumed.
Nan cleared her throat loudly enough to command our attention. “I cannot believe you would be so foolish as to attempt this walk, Jules, after everything I’ve told you.” She glared at my parents. “And I cannot believe that you two are considering going along with this.”
Ah, so that was why she’d held her tongue until now. She’d been waiting for my parents to forbid me from moving forward.
“That you would let your daughter risk her life, for what—a publicity stunt? To prove something to people who despise us? Emil, I’ve warned you about the danger here. You should know better. But maybe this will change your mind: Jules fell the other night during practice. Someone here is out to get revenge, and they will hurt us however they can.”
I closed my eyes. I hadn’t wanted to talk about my tumble into the net with my dad.
My parents’ hands unclasped, and Dad crossed the few steps to the table. “Is it true? Did you fall?”
“I was just rattled from the night before. And seeing the net there was strange since I’m not used to having one.”
“She’s not telling you something,” Nan said, looking from me to my parents. She took a deep breath. “I found an object, old and still very powerful, that was planted on the rose she was given. She was wearing the flower when it happened.”
And the storm had blown back in, just like that. What if Dad reversed course now?
“Dad,” I said, “that wasn’t what caused it. I can do this. You know I can.”
Sam peered at me over the edge of his silver laptop, but stayed quiet.
Dad gave a short nod, and turned toward Nan. To my surprise, his voice was raised when he spoke to her, pointing a finger. “It was you that made her fall, don’t you see that? You started putting doubts in her head as soon as we arrived, telling us constantly about old grudges and danger. Now you’re blaming some flower, some old object, and upsetting her even more.” He dropped his hand. “No. We are here now, and we have to stick together and make our way. I know how you were mistreated back then. I know why we had to stay away, and I’ve gone along with it, all this time. But you will not fill my daughter’s head with fears now. Fears are what cause falls.”
Nan stood up from the couch, and raised pleading hands to my mother. “And you, Vonia, you agree with him?”
But whatever Mom thought about the magic talk, she wasn’t easily cowed. “I would never support my child in something she wasn’t capable of. Emil assures me that she is ready.”
“How can you say these things?” Nan asked my father. “I raised you. It was always you and me. You must understand my powers, what I can do. You know there are forces at work in this world that are beyond what can be seen and easily understood. Do I have to remind you of what could happen to her if those forces come into play?”
My dad crossed and put a hand on Nan’s arm, guiding her down to sit beside him on the couch. “I know what Grandmama thought she could do, and what she convinced you that you could do too. But we have to be real here.”
There was a long, quiet moment, and Sam chose it to chime in. “Jules is the one who wouldn’t let us pass up the chance to join the Cirque. She’s already shown that she’s willing to fight for this family. Now she has another big idea, and we should support her.”
“Thank you,
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