The air outside was much less stuffy than in the house. It had gained the freshness of the afternoon, of night, since when he was out whitewashing.
He walked through the streets, down the dirt roads. These shoes were confining, but... He was picking Becky up, and he didn't want to give Becky's father anything more to dislike about him. Tom walked on down to her house. Some of the gas lamps were on, and others were still being lit. He thought momentarily about leaving. About going to the woods and sitting with the boy. But then he'd have to explain why he was there instead of at the fair, and... Tom sighed. He approached her door. Knocked.
Judge Thatcher opened the door, and Becky was right behind him.
"Hi again, Judge Thatcher. I'm taking Becky on down to the fair tonight." Tom smiled sheepishly, feeling stiff in the way he was standing. He ran a hand through his hair and Becky walked around her father, giving him a smile before she grabbed the door to close it.
"I'll bring her back before curfew!" Tom said as Becky closed the door. She put her warm hand in his and led him down the street, along the golden sun- and lamp-lit dirt road. Her hand was tight, not letting him run away.
Her hair glowed, and her eyes glowed, and the light made their dirty old small town look fresh and like it had when the whole place was young.
The sun on them was like a warming breath in the falling cold as they walked. On the way, they could increasingly hear other people and kids talking, and as they followed a bend in the road to the clearing at the edge of town, they could see them.
They could see the gas lamps lighting the area, and a rising moon glowing above everything, and Tom squeezed Becky's hand, seeing it all. He was so glad he was here with someone. With her.
"Let's meet up with Amy and Joe." Becky said. Tom looked over at her.
"Are you... still friends with Amy?" Tom asked lightly, his words filled with pauses, unsure if it was okay to ask. Becky shrugged.
"She explained everything, so it's fine, I think. I... I don't know. We've been friends for so long, it would be hard to stop. As long as I'm there when you're with her, it's fine." Becky smiled, and Tom smiled tightly back. He didn't know if that was good or not.
"Okay." He said. He looked away, seeing the view again. He didn't want to think on it.
He saw the group and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Becky towards them.
"Hey." Becky smiled when they all met up. Tom walked and stood by Joe and Ben while the girls talked separately.
"Glad you made it, man." Ben said. Joe nodded, and Tom nodded, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah. How long did it take for them to set everything up?" Tom asked, looking around. There were some booths with food and drinks, and a few games.
"Not long." Joe said. They all talked, and Tom tried to ignore the pit in his stomach. He wanted Becky to come back from hanging out with the girls and replace the lost warmth in his palms. To make him feel less nervous.
Becky eventually did, and they all talked, all wandered, through the fair.
And eventually the sun faded to the brightened moon, and the orange gas lamps, and the stars. The night was coming in fast, and the air turned blue. And it was soft and humid, and the feeling flowed in Tom's chest. Their talking faded to moments of just walking around and looking at people.
Tom grew tired. They had school tomorrow, after all. But then the silent moments went back to laughing, back to Tom glancing at Becky and seeing a glow in her eyes that he liked, and then the night was revived again, and they continued.
He had missed having this kind of fun, even if he was scared of it, now. Being able to walk around, laughing. Being with other people. The scared, waiting haunt in his stomach had faded to the happy aching and the warmth of being next to Becky.
They played the games in the booths. They got food and went to the benches at the edge of the fair. Over there, it was quieter.
Ben, Amy, and a few others sat on the benches. Tom stood by them, talking and looking around. The humid air hugged them warmly and let the glows of the fair lights echo. The gas lamps lit up everyone's hair and eyes, and bodies shone as people walked past. The feeling was calm and bright in his stomach, and he wished they had more fairs each year.
Tom watched people leave, watched them come. Watched Becky laughing with the group. And eventually, during one of these moments of laughing, he looked around.
Tom glanced through the sunset air at all these familiar, usual people. At their clothes, at their faces--
And saw someone new. Tom's expression widened, and the turn in his stomach came back. Through the air, that someone looked back. And Tom saw eyes he hadn't seen in ages, but still remembered.
That feeling of a nervousness and not knowing why, he could place it. It was the feeling he was getting right now. Of missing someone. Of seeing Huckleberry Finn back in St. Petersburg after five years of waiting.