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“Late afternoon for the portraits, and then the ball itself will continue into the nighttime. I’ll send a formal invitation to you whenever my parents have them printed.” He clapped his hands together and began to rub them back and forth, the fast motion causing the fabric of his gloves to make a thwip-thwip-thwip sound. “Now, let’s head out to a saloon to celebrate.”

“Celebrate?”

“Why not?”

Andrew needed a moment to think it over. He hadn’t managed to make any real friends since moving out of his old neighborhood. Not unless he counted Mrs. Meyer, which felt entirely too pathetic since she was paying him to spend time with her and he was her only tenant in the boarding house. Perhaps this was his chance.

“Right. Yes. Sure. Celebrating sounds fun.”

“Wonderful,” William said happily.

Warmth swirled in Andrew’s chest. William seemed to be genuinely excited to spend time together. It was . . .

Andrew swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat.

Oh, it was so incredibly nice.

Closing his eyes, Andrew attempted to quell the sudden swell of emotion with a breath. Then, he began to untie his apron.

Soon, once he was bundled up in his winterwear to face the cold, he and William left the boarding house together and walked toward Pearl. It only took fifteen minutes or thereabouts for them to find what looked like a suitable establishment—a saloon that, from the street view, seemed to be only moderately busy, with spaces still open at the bar counter itself.

William strode over to it with complete confidence, his chin held high and a huge smile stretched across his face. He ordered them each a pint of beer while Andrew struggled to remove his too-small gloves. He’d have kept them on had he not been afraid that the leather might increase the likelihood of him eventually dropping his glass.

While Andrew was shoving his gloves into his coat pocket, he blurted out a rushed “thanks” to the bartender, who placed Andrew’s beer on the counter in front of him. William lifted his drink up high and held it there, clearly waiting for Andrew to finish so that they could clink their glasses together. Andrew picked up his beer, too.

When they toasted, that same swell of platonic fondness returned, making Andrew’s eyes water a little. He hid them behind his glass as he took a swig of his beer.

“How’s your business been faring lately?” William asked.

“Business has been steady. Mostly.” Andrew only barely managed to keep his lingering gratitude from making his voice wobble. “Some weeks are better than others.”

“How’d you learn photography? It seems complicated.”

“It is and it isn’t. I can see how others might find it intimidating, but once you learn what each of the chemicals are and how they work, the process makes a lot more sense. And with enough practice, it’s as though your brain and body remember the specific tasks without you even needing to think about them. At least, that’s how it is for me. I can lose myself in it. I remember my grandfather being the same way.”

“Did you learn from your grandfather, then?”

Nodding, Andrew had another sip of beer. “I did.” He took a brief pause. “Sadly, though, he passed away before I started my business. Actually, his passing is how I came to own most of my equipment.”

William had a swig of beer.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Andrew. I’m sure he would have been proud of you,” he said.

William’s voice was soft and kind and a reminder of everything Andrew had lost when he’d been forced to leave home. He’d had friends in his old neighborhood. Family, too. And community. He’d been surrounded by people who cared about him. Or, who had seemingly cared about him.

But then he’d gone and ruined everything by revealing the truth of who he was to Theodore. Or, well, the truth of who he liked, which seemed to be one in the same to some.

Oh, what a fool he’d been to throw it all away.

Andrew chugged half of his beer in one fast motion, as though the bitter brown liquid might be able to help wash away the painful thoughts of his past. Afterward, he proceeded to slam his glass back down on the table by mistake, and he flinched from the sound. Thankfully, he had somehow avoided cracking it.

“Sorry,” he said with a shake of his head. “Uhm. Anyway.” He racked his brain for potential subjects of conversation, but his mind was already becoming muddled from the alcohol. Several more seconds passed. “How long have you known Edwin?” he blurted out and then cringed.

Ugh. Of course Edwin had been the thing, the person, to pop into his head. Edwin, the person whom Andrew had been thinking of every morning, every evening, every waking moment, ever since the man had visited his photography studio.

“I’ve known him for my entire life. At least, my entire life minus ten months.” William took a pause and had some more beer. “Our families have known each other for forever. His father was my family’s tailor. Despite my family’s . . . status, for lack of a better word, our families became friends. Edwin lived close by back then since his family was a fair bit better off than they are now, financially. In fact, I went over to his house a lot when we were kids. Once every month or so when we were small, or so I’m told, and then much more frequently once we were older. He lived right above his father’s shop. I accompanied my father fairly often whenever he needed something tailored, just to see Edwin.”

Sorrow settled heavy in Andrew’s chest as thoughts of his friendship with Theodore rushed to the forefront of his mind, and he looked away, steeling himself to conceal the pain that accompanied them.