Page 31 of The Impossible

“Play Uno with me.” I put the cards on the nook.

His expression made it hard for me to remain serious or even look it. “Please.”

He was on his feet in seconds. “You never have to beg me for shit, Nic. Except don’t think I’m gonna take it easy on you either.”

“You don’t have to. I’m gonna beat you fair and square.”

He took a seat, his long legs flowing against the sides of the table while I sat across from him. He began shuffling the cards.

I couldn’t help the laughter that expelled from my lips. This moment was so unreal that I couldn’t hold it.

“What’s funny?” he asked, dealing the cards.

“The fact that I never saw this. Like my bingo card didn’t include being here like this with you. Married, talking about forever… shit, you.” I picked up my cards and began arranging them.

“Why not?” He set the remaining cards down, then turned one up, a red five.

“Because I had the biggest crush on you when we were younger. And you ignored my existence.” I tossed out green and blue fives.

He grinned, then threw three twos—blue, red, and green. “I didn’t ignore you, not by a long shot. I just gave you your space.”

I tossed out a green draw two. “You gave me my space.”

“Yeah. I knew you belonged to me, so why would I rush it? You needed your space and so did I. We were young as fuck.” He then threw out a yellow draw two.

I cut my eyes at him, then reluctantly drew my cards.

He then threw out a draw four and grinned at me. “But now time has passed and we’re right where we’re meant to be. The color is yellow, Nic.”

Now it was my turn to grin before I slapped down my own draw four. “The color is blue. How did you know it was time?”

Laughter spilled from his lips as he leaned forward and drew his four. “Because we had time to grow into who we were meant to be apart.”

I then tossed out two skips. The first one was blue and the second yellow. “And now?” I paused, gripping the next card I intended to throw down with a grin.

“We’ll grow together. It’s still your turn, Nic.”

My grin grew. “I know.” Then I tossed out that draw four. “I changed my mind, the color can be yellow.”

He laughed hard as hell before dropping all his cards onto the table and leaning forward. “I quit.”

My face dropped. “Why would you quit?”

“Because I’m a sore loser so I don’t lose.”

“But you were about to.”

He laughed. “Nah, baby, I wasn’t. I don’t know losing.” He was on his feet seconds later, leaning down to pick me up.

I didn’t resist. I set my cards down and let him pick me up. “I hope to God my kids don’t inherit that ego.”

We were lying on the hammock when he responded.

“I hope they do. How many you boutta give me?”

I stared down at him, loving his freckles almost as much as he hated them. “How many do you see us having?”

“Don’t ask me, Nic. I’ll be telling your ass five.”