"You're back." Mona said after she placed the soda in front of Mahony.

"Do I know you?" Mahony blinked at Mona. "Why do I want to call you Mona?"

"Because that's my name."

"How do I—"

"Drink your soda first, then we'll chat," Mona replied in her slightly gravelly voice before heading to serve the tables behind Mahony.

When Mona returned, Mahony eyed her, "Dammit. I messed up, didn't I? Wasted a wish."

"I wouldn't say that," Mona said and picked up the plate of grilled cheese and a bowl of tomato soup from behind her on the ledge of the window to the kitchen. She placed both in front of Mahony. "Eat. It'll settle you." She watched Mahony pulled the plate and soup closer dejectedly. "What happened after you'd returned?"

"I couldn't remember anything. How am I supposed to fix anything if I can't remember anything that'd happened before?" Mahony shot back.

"I don't think you're meant to, hon," Mona said.

"Then what is the point?" Mahony waved his hands in the air. "So ... what? We just keep on making these trips and to do what?" He wanted to slam his hands down on the counter. It's out of curtesy for the other patrons he didn't. Instead, he settled for clenched fists on the counter on either side of him.

"I don't make the rules, hon." Mona shrugged.

"If I couldn't remember Brad and Lisa were having a tryst at the office conference room, I'd inevitably trigger them to—no, it's Lisa, I'd trigger Lisa to kill me." Mahony sighed. "She had it out for me for some reason. Both times, I made it clear her affairs were her own. I have no interest in them. She didn't believe my intentions either time. I don't get it."

"May be your approach was wrong?"

"My approach?!" Mahony wanted to shout again. "What else could I have done? She just wouldn't get it through her thick skull that I don't care about her affairs—I don't care about her, period." Mahony started waving his hands in the air again, "I mean, what a waste of oxygen that woman was. The world wouldn't have felt the difference if she existed or not."

"My goodness, strong words," Mona said, looking amused.

"Sorry." Mahony's fists were back on the counter. He shook his head, "Sorry, I'm just so mad. Why won't she just leave me be?"

"Maybe she couldn't, did you ever think of that?" Mona asked.

"Something I'm not understanding?" Mahony searched Mona's face for clarifications.

"Think about it," Mona began, "an intellectually vapid woman like her still needs to survive, just like everyone else. Don't you think?"

"You're telling me, it's her survival instinct that that compelled her to kill me?"

"Fight or flight," Mona said, "Lisa is pure ego, wouldn't you say?"

"Vapid or not, ego or no ego, it was wrong of her to kill me," Mahony said.

"Right or wrong, very worldly concepts," Mona shook her head. "The universe doesn't care about right or wrong, it only cares if it is or it isn't."

"Don't give me this fortune cookie wisdom." Mahony raked his hand through his hair, making them stand up.

"Choices, hon. Choices." Mona walked away to let Mahony stew in his barely controlled emotions. Existential crisis hits hard.

Mona had no doubt that Mahony was reeling. But then everyone that passed through the in-between at some point among their numerous stop overs would hit that critical existential crisis point. What Mona was more interested in knowing was what Mahony would do with the remainder of his coins. There were only so many of these coins in circulation and in all of her years running Main Street, she'd only seen enough of them to count with her fingers. For three to be in possession in one person, that's very rare. She also wondered what the person that gave Mahony the coins wished for. Whoever that was would pass through Main Street sooner or later, she'd find out then, she just had to be patient—but then ... time had no meaning here or anywhere else but the rides themselves.

Mahony left the diner wondering down Main Street. He could hear the occasional merriment erupting from the various establishments that lined the street. As curious as he was over what made the people within so merry, he wasn't so curious as to compel him to head into them to find out. He walked for seemed like forever, going from one end of the street to the other, his attention was snagged by the rowdy speakeasy where the music was as lively as the people inside them. Mahony stopped and watched the people that went in and out of the speakeasy. Not one of them seemed troubled or bothered by anything which led Mahony to wonder why and how they're able to stay so light and carefree. He, on the other hand, was plagued and weighted down by indecision.

The experiment to go back and fix what went wrong that ended with him dead again was an abject failure. Mahony couldn't think of any further use for the remaining coins in his possession if he couldn't retain his memories; going back to fix things again would be a pointless exercise.

As Mahony stood silently watching the comings and goings of the speakeasy he thought caught a glimpse of someone he knew a very long time ago. He tried to follow but among the throng of people he'd lost sight of her as soon as he had caught the glimpse. Mahony began moving, nearly pushing people out of the way as he searched for her. Then he spotted her again, heading across the way from the speakeasy towards a bar.

Mahony moved after her and began calling out her name. "Dorothy! Hey! Dorothy, wait up," Mahony called as he hurried after her. Dorothy's steps halted as if she'd heard Mahony calling. She looked all around and not finding the source of the voice headed through the door of the bar. Mahony stepped through the door of the bar only a few moments later.

The moment Mahony stepped through the door of the bar he was mesmerized. The sheet elegance of the place overwhelmed him. At first glance, the bar didn't exude opulence but an easy cozy atmosphere. Solid wood, leather, and the warm glow of the lighting felt like a favorite blanket had wrapped itself around Mahony, all he wanted to do was to bask in the comfort the place had offered. So much so that he nearly forgotten about Dorothy. The thought of finding Dorothy gave Mahony the motivation needed to break away from the pull of the comfort.

There was Dorothy, all grown up in a light, ankle length gown befitting of the place. It was strange seeing the adult Dorothy. Mahony's memories of her was of the girl that lived next door that both Milo and himself had played with until Dorothy had moved away after middle school. Mahony hadn't seen her since but yet, he knew for certain that this adult woman that's now settling on a high stool at the bar was Dorothy. It was such a long time ago; he suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. He attempted to straighten his suit only to find himself attired in a tux that fitted him as if tailored made for him. Normally he'd be surprised but after everything that's happened, reacting to something like this seemed trivial.

Feeling less self-conscious, Mahony walked towards Dorothy. "Dorothy? Hi," Mahony opened, "do you remember me? I'm Dave. David Mahony"

Dorothy turned and looked Mahony up and down and tilted her head slightly, a familiar gesture to Mahony. She always did that when she was in some indecision. "Ah!" Dorothy called out and pointed her finger at Mahony's chest. "Dave Mahony! I remember you. Oh my god!" She stepped off the stool and grabbed Mahony's forearms, looking him all over. "I don't believe this, what're the odds we'd run into each other here of all places." Her wide grin lite up her face and she practically glowed. "Come sit down." She gestured for Mahony to sit on the stool next to the one she'd occupied before as she sat down on the edge of hers. "How have you been? Oh—" She gasped. "What a silly question." She giggled before prodding Mahony's arm, "Order something first then we can chat. Oh my god! I still can't believe you're here, right in front of me." She shook her head in amazement.

"I'm just as surprised as you're when I spotted you coming out of the speakeasy across the way," Mahony said, smiling ear to ear himself. He looked down the bar to signal the bartender only to find his mouth hanging, even though he shouldn't have. Mona had told him that she ran these establishments up and down Main Street. He almost didn't recognize her, picture of elegance herself; crisp white shirt and a tie tucked under a black buttoned-down vest, hair pulled into a chignon.

"Well, Mahony," Mona came over and eyed him, "very dashing," she said with a faint smile. "What'll you have?"

Not normally a drinker or a bar hopping type of guy, Mahony was in a bit of loss. "Whiskey?" He turned to Dorothy, "what'll you have?"

"I ordered before I sat down," Dorothy giggled.

Mahony turned back towards Mona, "I thought you'd already know what I want."

"Not if your mind was blank, and it was a blank just now before you made your choice," Mona said.

That word again 'choice', Mahony thought. Mona was certainly big on choices. "Is Ed around?" Thinking about something to eat again even though he only just ate at the diner.

"Finger foods, then?" Mona said first before answering Mahony's question. "Ed's in the kitchen."

"Ed also cooks for all of the places here?" Mahony asked.

"Yes," Mona said simply. "Do you not like his cooking?"

Mahony immediately wave his hands, "Don't get me wrong, I love Ed's cooking. I just couldn't fathom how he does it, must've kept him extremely busy," Mahony said while thinking that the word extreme couldn't began to cover what Ed, for that mattered, Mona, was doing for all the patrons that passed through here. It's nothing short of miraculous.

"I'll get your food in a bit," Mona said before turning towards Dorothy, "would you like anything?"

"I'll have what Mahony's having," Dorothy said easily.

"Very good," Mona said before walking away to prepare their drinks.

Dorothy turned towards Mahony excitedly, "So ..." she looked at him all smiles.

Mahonyshrugged, smiling back, "So ..."