Scene 14 - March 27th

Interior Mansion, Evening

Dominic Könberg

“Uno!” Viv said smugly, setting down a red seven.

“Damn it! We can’t let her win!” Tristan declared. Then he sighed. “And yet...” he began drawing cards from the deck, his hand expanding until he found a red three to set down.

“I think we can get her still,” I said, playing a blue three. “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have any blue cards, so if we can just stick with blue...”

“Blue...” dad muttered, paging through his cards - he had been hit with a stack of draw cards earlier in the game and hadn’t gotten through them yet. “How about this?” He played a blue draw two.

“And another,” Percy grinned, adding one of his own.

“Perfect!” mom said, playing a third draw two. “Deal with that, honey!”

Viv grumbled as she drew from the deck. “Humph. So close...” She tossed one of her newly drawn cards, a red ten, onto the pile. “Betrayed by my own brother,” she complained.

“It’s about to happen again, too,” Tristan added, playing a blue ten, and she glared at him. The little twerp just stuck his tongue out at her, and she returned the gesture.

“Blue, blue, blue...” I murmured, glaring at my pair of green cards. “Now I’m having trouble.” I draw a card from the deck, saw that it was blue, and played it without really paying attention to what it was.

“Well you deserve to,” Viv sniped playfully. “I would have won and freed us from the hell of playing Uno if you hadn’t said blue!”

“If we’re in hell, at least we’re in hell together,” Tristan observed.

“I wouldn’t want to be in hell with anyone other than my family, certainly,” mom agreed.

“I would rather not be in hell,” Percy remarked.

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“Too bad,” I teased. “You’re stuck here with us.”

Viv glanced at dad. “...dad, you okay?” she asked, and I realized that he hadn’t played yet, just staring at his cards in confusion.

“...have we played this before, Morgan?” he asked. “I don’t remember the rules...”

My heart sank as I realized what was happening. Viv, meanwhile, softly said, “Yes, Arthur, it’s called Uno. Right now there’s a blue five at the top of the deck, so you need to play a card that’s blue or a card that’s a five.”

“Right...” he began looking through his cards as mom put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and absently leaned his head to rest it on her hand. “Like this one?” he had found a blue reverse card.

“Yes, like that one,” mom confirmed.

He played it. “Thanks, Morgan. Must have had a late night, I guess,” he said with a roguish grin, waggling his eyebrows.

“...of course, Arthur,” Viv said quietly.

It was hard on her, I knew, when dad mistook her for her mother. He rarely made such mistakes with the rest of us - although he had once thought I was Morgan’s brother and chased me out of the house - probably because the rest of us were boys, but with her... if Morgan wasn’t around when he had a moment and Viv was, it was almost guaranteed. She went along with it, as Devon had recommended, but I knew that it bothered her.

“Your play, I think?” dad said to Percy, sitting next to him.

“No, you played a reverse card,” he gruffly explained. “The order is reversed, so it’s Dom’s turn again.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“And that means I’m back to hoping for blue,” I sighed, beginning to draw from the deck. “I realize I brought this on myself, but still...” After a few draws I found a wildcard, and played it. “Green.”

Tristan immediately played a three. “Uno!” he said cheerfully, although I could tell his cheer was a mask to cover his discomfort with dad having had a moment.

Viv glanced at Tristan appraisingly. “Hm... what do we think, gang? Does he have any other greens?”

“...why?” I warily asked.

“Well, I could change the color, or I could not.”

“I don’t think so,” mom said, narrowing her eyes at my youngest brother. “Honey, what do you think?”

“Hm... go for it, dear,” dad said to Viv. “You know best, I’m sure.”

“Got any greens, oh dear brother?” my sister asked, playing another reverse. Tristan’s turn again, and if he had any greens...

“Sure do!” he grinned, playing a green nine. “I win!”

“Good job, kiddo!” dad said, offering a high five. Tristan gave it to him, then lurched into his lap to hug him. “Oh! Careful there, Tristan, your old man’s kind of fragile!”

“Nonsense, dear,” mom denied, smiling at the sight and doing nothing to help him escape from my younger brother. “You’re as-” She was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Who could that be?” dad wondered.

“It’ll be Devon,” mom told him, beginning to rise. “They called earlier about coming to check on you, tonight, remember?”

“Oh yes.”

“I’ll let them in, mom,” I said, hopping to my feet before she could finish standing. “I’m about done for tonight anyway.”

“I’ll come with you,” Viv eagerly added, and I rolled my eyes - her crush was so obvious - but didn’t protest.

“Thanks, honey.”