Session
In the car, Sarah massaged the jangling bag in her hands. “This is my favorite part of rollplay.”
“The dice?” I asked.
“How nice they are to touch.” Her finger fiddled with the drawstring. “Are we there yet?”
Smiling, I put a hand over her antsy fingers. “You’re acting like a child. We’re only a few minutes away.”
“Wah, wah!” She laughed, and turned around to look at Alice and Eilish. “I’m excited for the first session. It won’t be anything like playing at home.”
Over at last, the tinkering phase showed us we were onto something. Our first full campaign would be its final test. An evening at Hilbert’s Hotel, full of fun with friends, was the reward for our efforts.
Our older daughter tapped my shoulder from behind the driver's seat. “Let’s go over the rules again, for Eilish.”
“I know the rules,” our younger daughter said calmly, not looking up from Moby-Dick. “It’s Alice who keeps forgetting them.”
“Oh yeah?” Alice challenged her sibling. “Run it through with me, then.”
Eilish closed her book, and smiled innocently. “Nice try. You just don’t want to mess up in front of Tara.”
Her older sister clicked her tongue. “Selene and Charlotte taught you bad habits.”
Looking in the rear view mirror, the sight of my two treasures brought me joy. The blushing young woman, so much like her mother; the astute little girl with glasses, clever as I like to think I was. They were the children I had with the love of my dreams, the ones raised by the circle of friends I made my life and mission. That night, we would all be together.