give me a chance

Oliver couldn't think of the last time he'd done anything really artistic. Redoing Bex's knitting stitch didn't count.

He couldn't remember where he left his sketchbook. Did he even have one, anymore?

Yeah, that's what he'd do. Make time for at least a sketch a night. That would be relaxing. He hoped. It was just he didn't want to forget what he loved. Or used to. His first love. Could you call art that?

It used to be his religion, now it was a faded memory. It has always been there for him and now he was neglecting it. Of course, he didn't even have time to think about it while at the circulation desk.

He looked up then to see who was coming in. It was Dayton. Hopefully, he didn't look that shocked to see him.

"Alone? What's this about?" Oliver wondered where Geoff was, but he hoped he didn't make that sound too obvious.

"I thought I'd just come by after work, look for some books." Dayton wasn't looking for Bex. He just looked out at the stacks of books, a bit stressed.

"Could I help you find something?" Oliver asked.

"Doubt it."

"Maybe you should just get a library card first. Ever had one before?" Oliver hadn't noticed his name in the system even if he thought perhaps Chris had gotten him one. Perhaps Chris had had someone cancel his membership.

"Are you kidding me?" Dayton gave him a shrug and a quick smile.

"Let me give you some information to read over." Oliver got the pamphlets out along with the application.

He scanned it. Oliver was pretty sure he was going to have to go over the rules. As he watched him, Oliver decided that Chris and Dayton were too much alike. That's why it hadn't worked.

"Why are you smiling at me?" Dayton looked up as he was printing out the application as if it were the hardest thing in the world to do.

"Do you want me to do that for you?" As it was he couldn't make out what he'd written in pencil anyway.

"Yeah, sure if you want." He nodded and slid it around for Oliver to do. Dayton fidgeted all the while as Oliver got his card ready and one for Geoff too.

"Everything, OK?" Oliver handed him the cards then.

"Yeah, just great," Dayton nodded.

"Good to hear." Oliver thought Dayton might ask about Bex, but he didn't. Of course, he wasn't sure if that was for his benfit or the fact that possibly he'd just erased her from his memory now that he didn't have to care. "So what are we looking for?"

"I dunno." Dayton shoved his hands in his jeans now. "I dunno what I want to do with my life."

"Sometimes, things just find you," Oliver told him as they walked out to the books about What color is my parachute and about career choices. "Like, I wasn't thinking of ever working in a library, and then I ended up doing community service here and well, one thing lead to another, and here I am."

"Yeah, well, nothing like that has ever happened to me." Dayton sighed.

"I always thought you were the kind of guy who expected certain things and knew exactly what he wanted." Oliver looked at him realising he was actually taller than Dayton now. He hadn't remembered that. He'd always thought of him bigger, somehow, but he wasn't.

"Yeah, well..I wanted to be a priest too, but you didn't see that, either, did you?"

"No," Oliver kind of laughed. "Really?"

"I was six and we weren't even Catholic. My mom said I'd be in trouble from the get go. After all, we were Mormons."

"I see." Oliver never thought of him being a Mormon, either.

"Yeah, crazy Mormons. Not very good ones at that. Hell, my parents were just hippies. We'd still be living in his hippy van, I guess, but we kind of grew out of it and had to start school, so yeah, Dad's always regretted not moving to Arizona. Said it was me and my sister's fault. Don't know why he hasn't yet."

"What does your Dad do?"

"He's a postman." Dayton said. "He hates it. I swear every time I hear someone going postal, I think its him, cause I don't know why he hasn't already."

"I guess working at the post office is out."

"There is no school for mail men." Dayton just nodded.

Oliver smiled.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Oliver then said.

"Well, I haven't yet." Dayton didn't look as if he'd find that dream job anytime soon.