So, Erin, what do you think of my story so far? Pretty far-fetched, right? I mean, I can definitely see how you’d be in disbelief, but I can assure you that even though it feels like a fairy tale, all of this is true.

Now, I’m not going to break down what happened on every single day I was there, so for the sake of time I’m going to fast-forward the story to… exactly 24 days later.

Saoirse and I were standing at the shop of the town blacksmith, Aodh. The townspeople still stared a little, but by now had gotten used to me and so left me alone for the most part. I’d also picked up just enough of the language to understand it now.

“So,” said Aodh, in his gruff, blacksmith voice. “This is what ye asked for.”

He handed over the parts I’d ordered to Saoirse: copper wiring and some small screws.

“Thank you, Aodh.”

“I been wonderin’ though, Mairéad… the things ye've been askin’ fer... it’s like nothin’ I ever made before. What is all this?”

Saoirse and I glanced at each other.

“Never you mind, Aodh,” said Saoirse. “Just know that we need them.”

“Aye… I’ll be gettin’ back to work then.”

Saoirse handed the parts to me and we started making our way back to the cottage.

“Speedy-Aodh,” I said. “Gotta love how fast he does his thing, despite knowing nothing about what he’s doing for me.”

“Indeed,” said Saoirse. “Speedy.”

We were about halfway back when I already started feeling tired from the walking, clearly an effect of the 17th-century Irish peasant diet I’d been consuming these last few weeks. I’d lost weight, and was now paler. But at least the daily physical labor helped build up a little muscle, which, even before transitioning I never really had.

Once we got back to the cottage I set the parts down on the table and got back to work. Saoirse was heading back out to gather seaweed with Maebh.

Although, before she left she made a… lingering stare at me. I’d noticed her doing that quite a lot lately, and I wondered what it meant. That wondering made my heart race–

No, Radha! Focus on the task at hand. I need to get home, and once I’m gone I am never going to see her again. I need to stop entertaining this… well, whatever this is.



By sundown I’d finished all that I could for today. I got up from the stool and stretched. The parts and tools that Aodh had been making for me were a little crude, but they were getting the job done.

And at that moment Saoirse returned with a basket full of seaweed.

“Good haul?” I asked. She nodded.

“Did you get any work done today?”

I headed over to help her with the seaweed.

“Yeah. And with the final part coming in tomorrow, it will be mostly ready… but still only ‘mostly’. I still need to figure out what to do with the caesium core.”

“Caesium…?”

Right, of course she doesn’t know what that is.

“It’s a type of metal, but probably not like any you’ve ever seen. It’s very dangerous, and will actually melt if you hold it tightly.”

Saoirse smiled. That’s another thing I’ve noticed her doing a lot more lately.

“If it’s so dangerous then why did you use it?”

“Well… it has certain properties, which, in my time, helps people to figure out the time. And it’s for those same properties that I used it in my device.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” said Saoirse, shaking her head. “Here we use the sun. But I don’t know if we can get a metal like caesium here.”

“Yeah, I figured. Even in my time it’s actually really hard to get. But I need to figure this out soon, like, within the next few days.”

Saoirse began preparing dinner while I twiddled my thumbs anxiously. What if I don’t repair this before my meds run out? I might be okay for the first couple days, but after that–

“Radha,” said Saoirse. I snapped out of my anxiety.

“You still haven’t told me why you must repair the device in one month.”

I hesitated.

“Ah... I’m... not ready to tell you that yet,” I said. “Sorry.”

Saoirse nodded slowly, then got back to her cooking.

Maybe I should tell her. She was able to grasp time travel a few weeks ago, maybe she’ll be able to accept the trans thing as well. But do I dare risk something like that…?

My heart was pounding just thinking about it. Coming out to my parents was painful enough, I just don’t think I’ll be able to handle that kind of rejection from someone I love again.

… wait, what?

Did I just–

WHAT…???

I looked at Saoirse, and it hit me just how much we actually had in common. We both lost our families, her physically and me emotionally. We’re both somewhat reclusive. And we’re both quite lonely. But despite all that she’s somehow still so strong. And she’s a genius, in a time when women were actively discouraged from being geniuses.

My heart was throbbing now. I don’t think I can deny this anymore.

I’m in love with Saoirse!