John Persons Pool Party

John walked to the edge of the pool. The water was still now, smooth as glass, reflecting the first stars. He thought about the word foreclosure . He thought about the word liquidity . He thought about the word person , which was his last name and also his condition—the state of being a single, fragile thing in a world that did not care about fragility.

“That’s great,” John said.

Priya tilted her head. She had known him for fifteen years. She had been in the room when he cried after his first company failed, and she had been in the room when he screamed after his second company succeeded. She was the only person alive who had seen both versions of him. john persons pool party