Page 18 of Our Own Light

“Sorry, Roy,” Oliver said with a simpering smile. “Just luck.”

Roy turned to Floyd with his hands on hips. “You ought to have warned me!”

“I told you he was good,” Floyd said, some of his earlier upset falling away. He was thankful that this silly squabble had interrupted his nervous thoughts. “What more do you want?”

After that, John and Oliver played for a bit, while Roy and Floyd talked about their families. Roy’s wife was pregnant with their third. Floyd wondered if folks ever questioned why Effie had never fallen pregnant after Josephine. No one ever said nothing to him, though. Throughout their conversation, Roy never brought up the problems over in Mingo County either, which was a relief.

Not much time passed before Oliver and John were finished playing. Oliver had won. Again.

Afterward, Floyd and Oliver started toward home. They walked side by side through the town as the sun started to set, passing the company store and coming to the first houses—the smallest ones in town, more like shacks than houses, all lined up in a row. Soon, they came to the larger houses, ones like the home that Floyd lived in, homes that had both a combined living room and kitchen area as well as a back room or two. When they came to the bottom of the road, Floyd ought to have veered right while Oliver turned left, but instead, Floyd took the left road, too. He wanted to spend some more time with Oliver.

“You really won’t mind me shadowing you tomorrow?” Oliver asked. “I promise I’ll try not to be annoying.”

“Don’t talk like that. You ain’t never been annoying.”

“Good.” Oliver started wandering a little closer. Floyd pretended not to notice. “I had a lot of fun tonight. It’s nice to have a friend. I sometimes had trouble making friends back in New York. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m a little odd.”

Before Floyd could catch himself, he said, “Odd can be nice.”

“Yeah?” Oliver’s eyes brightened. He seemed to like that comment a whole lot. “Do you want to come over sometime? I can try to cook us something.” He asked this in a heartbreakingly sweet way, one that sent Floyd’s heart a-flutter.

“I, uh, I eat with my family, typically,” Floyd said, hating his response a bit as he said it. “But you can come back to my house sometime. I’m sure Effie and Jo would love it.”

“Really? I’d like that.”

And suddenly, Floyd couldn’t fathom waiting longer than he absolutely had to.

“Tomorrow?”

“Oh, well, you see, I’ll have to check my very busy schedule. Didn’t you watch me shoot pool back there? Roy and John will probably spread the word. Why, I’m practically famous. Everyone will be lining up to watch me play soon enough.”

“Be careful with that head of yours. Pretty soon you’ll float away like one of them hot air balloons.”

Oliver chuckled. “Ah, if only I really had that kind of confidence.”

Even though Oliver was laughing, the fact that he was poking fun of himself again reminded Floyd of the comments Oliver had made earlier outside the company store. He couldn’t have Oliver continuing to feel bad about himself.

“I reckon you ought to,” Floyd said. “Really, I ain’t never seen someone shoot pool like that before.”

Oliver’s expression softened, his eyes becoming hopeful.

“Thanks, Floyd.”

And Floyd’s heart suddenly felt so full. It was nice to make Oliver feel better about himself, if only for a moment.

“So, supper?” Floyd asked.

“Right, yes, sorry. I’d love to come to supper tomorrow.”

“I’d like it, too,” Floyd said with a nod.

“Oh, that’s a relief. I thought only Effie and Jo would be happy to see me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.”

“No, tell me.”

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