Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer. After thoroughly embarrassing myself last night in a game of pool, I had to regain my honor (stop laughing) somehow. I said stop laughing. Please send comments, questions, compliments, and otters to sdelcul@yahoo.com.

His hand moved up and down the cue as he contemplated the table and his options. Playing Fraser was always challenging. The Mountie had an overdeveloped sense of physics certainly, but he missed the shots requiring that tiny bit of chaos. Ray played with a style developed over many years of watching his father play down at the bar. By the time he was twelve, he could get compliments from his father only at the pool table. If ever Carmine lost, he would convince the man that it had been luck. The other player would lose to Ray, who would then conveniently lose to his father, proving that Carmine was the better player and had only lost by accident.

From the first time he'd ever held the stick in his hand, aimed, and watched the ball go in Ray had fallen in love. Pool had its rules. With practice you could get all the balls to do what you wanted them to. His love for the game had nothing to do with being able to spend time with his father and be something other than the stupid butterball. Nothing at all.

"Corner pocket."

The cue hit the white ball slightly left of center, knocking the red ball gently into the proper pocket. A smile crossed his face quickly as Fraser frowned.

"How did you do that? The angle-"

"What can I say, Fraser. It's a skill."

He missed the next shot because Ben was pouting. He wondered if it was intentional, then let the thought go as he admired Fraser's bent over form. "Hey Benny?"

"Yes?"

"You want to go home after this game?"

"It's only," Ben met his eye. "Oh. Certainly Ray." He lined up his shot and missed.

Ray laughed. He was actually glad that his father's pool table had been sold to Uncle Lenny's neighbor. It held double the bad memories. Thankfully though, those memories were limited, and Victoria, well she'd only made them stronger. The entire family was visiting Ma's sister again. They could go up to his bedroom and --he felt the pool cue slip as he missed the shot. If they could ever finish the game.

With a wink Benny "helped" the eight ball into a pocket. "You win, Ray."

Man, he loved this game.