Page 113 of Our Own Light

Chapter Sixteen

Oliver

Weeks later, Oliver was fiddling with the key while he tried to unlock their new farmhouse, his excitement morphing into frustration when minutes had passed and yet he still hadn’t heard a click. He tried to yank the key back out so that he could try one more time, but now he couldn’t do that either.

“Just my luck,” Oliver muttered. He looked over his shoulder to see Effie, Floyd, and Jo staring at him expectantly. “I think we might need to break into our own house.”

“Let me try,” Floyd said, coming forward.

Oliver scoffed, feigning upset. “As though it’s my fault that this lock is shi—” He caught himself. “—immy proof,” he said instead.

Floyd snorted. “Shimmy proof?”

“Yup. Shimmy proof.”

With a laugh, Floyd wiggled the key, and then Oliver heard a click. Damn.

Oliver threw up his hands. “Ugh. Of course.”

“Well, come on, you two,” Floyd said to Effie and Jo as he and Oliver stepped inside. “Ollie and me been itching to show you the house.”

Right away, Josephine ran in past them.

“Mama! It’s stupendous!”

Which made Oliver feel like his heart might burst clean out of his chest.

Effie smirked at him. “Is that one of the many words you been teaching her?”

“I may have peppered in the word stupendous in the middle of our checkers matches from time to time,” Oliver said with a smirk of his own. “It’s so fun to hear her pick these up.”

Floyd said, “Like when she called supper absolutely delectable.”

“Yeah, I liked that,” Effie said. “Now enough playing with words, I want a tour.”

As soon as the three of them were inside, Josephine ran over to Floyd, who scooped her up into the air, making her laugh.

“Ain’t she a little heavy for you now, Floyd? She’s eight,” Effie said.

Floyd looked over at Oliver. “Nah, I lift heavier things.”

Oliver whispered to Effie, “He means people.”

Effie chuckled.

“Hush up, Ollie!” Floyd chastised.

But Josephine was tickled by this. “Daddy, you can lift Mister Oliver?! I want to see!”

“No,” Floyd said. “Mister Oliver was being silly, is all.”

“Oh, yes, you know me,” Oliver said through a laugh.

“Can I see our bedroom now?” Josephine asked Floyd.

He set her down. “Your bedroom, Jo. I told you, this place is big enough for you to have your own room.”

Josephine squealed and ran to the stairs. Floyd followed, leaving Oliver and Effie by themselves. Hooking his hands behind his back, Oliver watched Effie survey the room. From the way her eyes were sparkling, Oliver could tell that she liked it, maybe especially the pink and yellow flower wallpaper.