The Names

Bear feels stupid for being melodramatic, but what happened when he was a baby feels so divorced from the life he’s known that sometimes he finds it hard to believe at all. They have clean clothes, plenty to eat, after-school clubs, ballet…” Cora falters at her distortion; the lessons aren’t Maia’s choice. Cora feels that odd momentary wonder that occasionally hits her to find that Bees and Bear are grown-up, independent people maintaining family relationships with no encouragement from her. But they carried on talking and when the carriage finally juddered to life again, she looked disappointed.