The Fire Inside

Kova

The coffee table was full of board games scattered everywhere. Cousins and brothers were arguing as they made their way into the room from the dining hall. Miss Elise smiled and squeezed Kova's hand.

"Let's play this one first!" Thomas held up a card game to Camille's face.

She smiled and took the box. "Alright, alright. Finnick, do me a favor and set this up?"

"Anything for you, my love," he grinned sarcastically and took the game.

"My hero."

Elise sat down and gestured for Kova to follow. "So, honey, we're going to play some games tonight, and I think then your Mom and Dad want to watch a movie."

"I only know how to play go fish," she murmured.

Camille gracefully sat criss-crossed next to her. "Well, that's why we're going to teach you, silly."

She smiled and put the cards in front of her into a pile. "What are these for?"

"We divide the deck up amongst the six of us, then we all draw a card at the same time. Whoever has the highest number wins the stack."

"I can't count, though."

"I know, I'll help you."

Thomas held his stack in his hands.. "Are you going to learn how to count?"

"I want to."

When all the cards were divided, Kova went to grab them. She held them, but Camille patted her hand. "Don't peek, okay?"

"I won't, ma'am." She piled them into a neat stack.

Damien shuffled his cards before neatly stacking them. "Okay, one, two, three, four, war!"

All together they flashed their top card onto the table. Camille took the top one from Kova's and placed it down. "That's how you play, see? And now Dylan gets the six cards, because he had the highest number."

"Oh, okay."

"So, now it's your turn." Camille gestured to her card stack. "You take yours off the top and everyone else will follow."

"Got it." Kova took her first card and flipped it quickly. Everyone followed and she giggled.

"Alright, now you won that round so you get all the cards." Finnick piled them together and created a face-up stack right by her side amidst Thomas's scowl.

"I was only one card less, no fair."

"Thomas, she won fair and square." Camille sighed and said, "okay, now my turn. One, two, three, go!"

"Hah, I win!" Thomas collected the cards. "I feel better now."

"Okay, okay, ready...set...go."

"Damien, winner!" Camille grinned.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kova saw Maggie sit down on the couch behind her. Guess she was doing well enough for now.

Dylan ended up the victor, although Kova was a close second. "Good game, Kova," he dutifully shook her hand.

She chuckled before nervously tugging at her mother's shirt. "Ma'am, can we get something to eat?"

She smiled. "Of course, sweetheart. In fact, let's all take a trip down to the kitchen for a little snack." She pulled closer to her. "Maybe we can even raid the sweets cabinet."

Elise got up from where she was reading a book on the couch. "Kova, do you want to take Maggie's leash?"

"Mhm." She took the leash and her dog nudged her leg.