Joseph's onyx chess pieces click as he moves them across the marble board. He smiles and whispers something in Caitan's ear, pointing at two different squares on the board. She nods and moves her crystal pieces, knocking Avery's bishop and queen aside. The carved pieces scatter across the tabletop and clatter to the floor.
"Checkmate," Joseph and Caitan say in unison.
Avery sighs and pushes Mamai's creeping foot off her thigh. She was hoping they'd play only one game, but Joseph and Caitan seem determined to make it last for hours. She checks the time on her phone and shifts in her seat. If she doesn't leave soon, she'll be late for the meeting with Evan.
"Dad, this is getting a bit boring," Caitan says. "Poor Avery looks like she's counting the seconds until she can leave. Why don't we make it more interesting?"
"Good idea, pumpkin," Joseph says, tapping Caitan's freckled nose across the table. "What do you have in mind?"
