Today’s chess club attendance.

I should have known that something was up when the bell rang and only about six kids ran into the room. The chess boards were already set up — Karina had already been in, apparently — and the only thing that was missing was, well, the players. But it was such a nice day, I guess, that most of the kids decided to skip chess today.

And so Carl and I sat down to play, along with about four or five of the other girls. And then one by one they peeled off, disappeared, ran outside to enjoy the spring day, until it was just the boy and I, staring at each other over plastic royalty.

Best half hour I’ve spent in a long time.