Page 105 of Resilience on Canvas

“Maybe? I haven’t really talked to him yet. You really wouldn’t mind livin’ with the kids?”

“Nah, I like kids. Me and Rosie, we want to have some of our own eventually. Not yet, though. Tell you the truth, one of the reasons we were so happy that we won that money was because we could buy some more of them Merry Widows.”

Henry’s eyebrows shot up. Gosh, those rubber condoms weren’t cheap. Sherwood Goods had stocked them for a bit back in Guymon.

“Oh, uhm, yeah, I can imagine how stressful it must have been to try to budget for those before,” Henry said. “Can I really propose the housin’ plan to Robert?”

“Of course. I’ll talk to Rosie. I’m sure she’ll say yes, though. Especially if you promise to beautify our house with some of that artwork of yers.”

Henry’s cheeks warmed. It seemed strange that Joe would want Henry to put his silly sketches up on the walls.

“If you really want me to, I can,” he said. “But with Rosie’s theater money, you can probably buy real paintings and such.”

“Nowthere’ssomethin’!” Joe exclaimed. “We can buy some paintin’ supplies for you so that you can fill our house with canvases. We can buy one of those, uhm, things them painters put their blobs of paint on and some brushes and whatever else.”

“Gosh, Joe, I couldn’t let you buy me none of that stuff.”

“Why not? We still need to pay you back for ringin’ that bell back in Alva. The only reason we won was because of you.”

Henry’s face continued to burn. “Alright, if you really want, I suppose you can buy me a couple of things. I’ve been wantin’ to paint for a long time.”

Joe smiled. “Well, let’s head in so that we can both bring up the housin’ thing with our spouses.”

Henry’s stomach fluttered. Lord, he liked being called Robert’s spouse. Even if it wasn’t really the truth, legally speaking. It was true in his heart, though. And in Robert’s heart as well.

Once Henry and Joe made their way inside, Henry left to find Robert while Joe went to talk to Rose. Henry found Robert speaking with Clara in her and May’s bedroom. He asked Robert if the two of them could talk privately, and so, they went to their bedroom and sent the twins to the kitchen, telling them to find themselves a pre-supper snack.

They took a seat next to each other on the edge of their mattress.

“Robert, I think I came up with a solution for our housin’ situation, maybe.”

Robert stayed quiet.

“Uhm...” Henry chewed on his bottom lip, taking a moment to muster up the tiny bit of courage he had in him. “What if we lived with Joe and Rose?”

Robert shook his head. “How would we ever afford the rent, Hen?”

“Well, if we find us a little house, it’ll only be twenty a month or so.”

“Yeah,only,” Robert sneered, looking away.

“I think we could manage the ten we’d need.”

“And we’d still have to share a bedroom.”

“Yeah, we would.” Henry paused. “Unless we could convince Clara to stay here?”

Henry wouldn’t tell Robert how easy of a time they’d have convincing her of that.

“I can’t make her stay here,” Robert said.

“Just for a little while. Until one of us found some better work.”

Or forever, maybe, if Clara could find the courage to tell Robert what she wanted.

Heaving a sad-sounding sigh, Robert leaned forward to rest his elbows in his knees. “I’m failin’ them, Hen,” he said. “I’m failin’ you, too.”

“Yer not,” Henry said, scooting closer. He pulled Robert in for a sideways hug and kissed his cheek. “You’ve never failed none of us. Not before. Not now. Not ever.”

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