"Family game night. My favorite night of the month. Just me, my family, and my 'jama pants." Dad said. Riley and I walked over to Dad and sat at the table. "Why do you guys have to make such a big deal about game night?" Riley asked. "Because game night is sacred, Riley and Kayden. I know this is going to come as a shock to you, but there's gonna come a day where you start to prioritize friends over your family." Dad said with a chuckle.
"What?" Riley said, sarcastically. "No." I said, with the same sarcastic tone. The door to the apartment opened and Maya walked in. "Did you tell them yet? Did he freak? Did they tell you yet? Did you freak? Show me what you did. Freak out for me." Maya said walking closer to us. "Why would I freak out? I don't freak out." Dad denied, looking out Mom. "What did you do?!" Dad asked us, freaking out.
The front door opened once again, this time Josh and Auggie walked in. "Family game night, now with extra family." Auggie announced. "Well hello." Maya greeted flirtatiously, twirling a piece of her hair. "Well hello." Auggie greeted back mimicking Maya. "Auggie didn't want to miss game night. We never made it out of the city. Oh here's your money." Uncle Josh explained, handing Dad some money.
"Hey, this is a dollar. I gave you a hundred." Dad said. "With that kind of money, you think we're not gonna buy steaks?" Uncle Josh questioned. "Thank you, papa." Auggie stated, patting his stomach. "You know what?" Dad asked. He stood up. "My brother." He said. "My brother." Uncle Josh said and they hugged. "Listen you're here for game night. You're family, you're in." Dad told Uncle Josh.
The intercom buzzed. "Farkle." Farkle said. "And Lucas." Lucas said. Riley and I got up and walked over to the intercom. I pressed the button. "Come on up." Riley said. "Riley, shnookums, Kayden, bubba." Dad said coming over to us. "Um, you're gonna have to start to prioritize what's more important to you, your family?" Dad motioned back to the table. "Or your friends?" Dad said motioned to the door.
"There is only one right answer." He told us. "Why do we...." Riley started. "Wrong answer." Dad said. "....have to choose between..." I continued. "Wrong answer." Dad said. "I love my friends and I want to hang out with my friends." Riley said. There was a knock on the door and Riley moved over to answer the door. "Welcome to family game night, friends." Riley said. "Wrong, wrong, wrong answer." Dad said.
********
"Get rid of them." Dad ordered me and Riley. We were standing by the counter in the kitchen. "Why do you have to be you all the time?" I asked. "You think it's easy?" Dad asked us before he turned to look at Mom. "Say goodbye to your daughter and son, honey. They have chosen their friends over her family." He said to her. "Why can't we just play with their friends?" Mom asked. "Because Topanga, the second they allowed Dr. Turtleneck and Mr. Howdy into our household, our family was compromised by interlopers." Dad explained.
Riley and I moved over to sit down at the table with everyone else. "Maybe we could just come back another time." Lucas said. "Oh, yeah, we don't have walls. I told you we needed walls, Topanga." Dad said, looking at Mom, "Dr. Turtleneck, I presume." Uncle Josh said shaking Farkle's hand. "How could you tell?" Farkle asked. "Oh, because... you just seem like a doctor to me." Uncle Josh told him. "Thank you." Farkle said. "Thank you." Uncle Josh said.
"And you must be..." He started, looking at Lucas. "Howdy." Lucas told him shaking his hand. "See this. The family game. The game for families. Not the friends' game, a game for friends. I saw that game. I didn't buy that game. I bought this one because I used to have a family. How could they choose their friends over us? I mean did they burp them? Did they changer her diapers?" Dad said, standing on the couch. "We haven't yet, but we will when they're old." Farkle said.
"Speak for yourself, honey. I know that I have absolute love and loyalty of my children who like me fine and always will." Mom said, sitting next to Riley and I. "Everyone's here, Everyone plays." Riley said. "Cory, flipping out is only gonna make things worse. Do you really want to drive them away?" Mom asked Dad.
"Yeah dad. It's like what you were teaching today." I said, and Riley and I stood on the couch with him. "I was teaching about the America Revolution, Kayden. How is this anything like the American Revolution? How?" Dad asked. "Let's think."I said, And we turned, put our hands on our chin, and thought back to earlier that day.
********
"The American Revolution. Imagine England as a father and America, its child, knowing it's time to break away. Ladies and gentlemen, I gave you the Revolutionary War." Cory announced motioning toward the door. The door opened and Farkle stepped into the room.
"Subjects, It is I, King George III, ruler of the British Empire. Now where are those rebellious John Adams and Samuel Adams, who dare choses their American friends over their king?" Farkle said. Riley ran into the room pushing Farkle over while I walked in. "Here I am." She said. "Yeah, i'm here too, Samuel Adams." I said, unenthusicastically. "John Quincy Adams." Riley said.
"Uh, Riley you're actually John Adams." I corrected. "Who's that?" Riley asked and moved to sit next to our father. "John Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams." Dad answered. "But our school is John Quincy Adams." Riley told him. "My school is John Adams." Dad told her. "Your school is the father of my school?" Riley asked. "Does that make sense to you?" Dad asked.
"None of this does." Riley replied. "I'm also going to be your teacher next year." Dad said. "You're kidding me." Riley and I said. "Now back to our story." Dad said pushing Riley off his desk. "It's is I, John not Quincy Adams." Riley said. "Wait, why'd they name the school after this guy? I mean, he must have done something." Riley said, and went back over to Dad.
"He did. He did something, we're gonna get to it." Dad said. "So, John Adams, where are your rebel friends?" He asked. "With me as always." Riley said. Lucas walked in dressed as George Washington. "Hark, here's one right now." Riley asked. "Looking good Georgy Washington." I complimented Lucas jokingly. "Samuel, you're embarrassing me." Lucas told me. I chucked.
"Good! Now may I introduce, he is crazy smart, he's rocking granny glasses, the old kite flyer himself, Benjamin Franklin." Riley said, motioning to the door. "I'm not doing this." Maya said from the hallway. "Come on we can't start the revolution without you." Lucas told her. "Fine, but nobody look at me." Maya said. "Alright nobody look at Maya." Riley said.
Maya walked into the room and the class started to laugh. "Why, Benjamin Franklin, can you feel the electricity between us? "Hah." Farkle asked. "When do we get rid of this guy?" Maya asked. "Right now." I said. "King George, the American colonies want their freedom." Riley shouted. "You belong to me, and I will never let you go. It's the King's law." Farkle said.
********
"You two belong to me until you're 18. It's the law." Dad told us. "Whatever you say King George." Riley retorted. "Stop calling me that." Cory commanded. "What's the matter? Pops doesn't like pops' lesson?" Maya asked as she stood on the couch. "Yeah." I said. Riley, Maya, and I sat back down.
"Listen guys, not everything I teach you in class applies to our lives." Dad told us. "It does, ever time, sir." Lucas said. "Okay, game is all set up. We doing this, or what?" Uncle Josh asked. "No." Dad answered. "Yes." I said. "Do you guys even know how to play the family game?" Dad asked. "Let me teach you." Maya told him, pushing him down on the couch. "Okay." Dad said.
"Because I'm always here and you can't get rid of me." Maya explains. She points at Mom. "Always wins." Then she points to me. "Always is a graceful winner or a sore loser." Then finally she points at Riley. "Always eats too much popcorn and says, "I'm never eating popcorn again"." "But it's so delicious." Riley said with a mouth full of popcorn.
"Would you be on my team, Uncle Josh?" Auggie asked Uncle Josh. "Try and stop me." He said. Auggie was pulling Uncle Josh to sit. "Okay, I'll stop you. You're on my team." Maya told Uncle Josh grabbing his other arm. "He's my uncle." Auggie told her, pulling Uncle Josh towards him. "He's my husband." Maya retorted, pulling Josh towards her. Auggie let go of him. "Congratulation." He said.
"It says here the goal is to get into one of the four success squares with your teammate." Farkle said. "And then you win, it makes this sound." Auggie added. He pressed the button and the horn went off. "I win. Oh it hasn't happened yet." Mom said. "What's the big circle in the middle?" Lucas asked. "Oh we don't go there if even one person goes in there then you have to play the long game." I explained. "What's the long game?" Farkle asked. "I don't know we never played it." Riley answered.
"Intriguing. Should we find out?" Farkle asked. "No it take forever." Mom told him. "And you don't get to hear this." Dad added pressing the button and the horn sounded. "I win! Oh something's wrong with me." Mom said. The doorbell rang. "I win! Oh my goodness." Mom said. "Now who could that be?" Dad asked. Auggie went over and opened the door. "Hi Auggie." Ava greeted. "You're playing a game. Can I be on your team?" She asked.
Auggie looped his arm with Ava's and they walked over to Uncle Josh. "Your own your own, pal. My woman's here." Auggie told him. "Sure Auggie bring your woman in. Let's bring everybody in. Why don't we put up signs on the telephone poles next to the cats and the dogs? Matthews' family game night. Only not really, it's kind of everybody family game night. Isn't it? Huh? Isn't in?" Dad said, standing on the couch.
"There's the freak out. Best show in town. You feel better now, buddy?" Maya asked. "I do, thank you." Dad thanked. "Thank you." Maya repeated.
********
"Well, well looks like everyone's partnered up except for little old us." Maya said. "Huh I could pick you." She said and leaned closer to Josh. "Or I could pick you." She said and looked at Dad. "Or I could pick you." She said leaning towards Josh again. "Or I could pick you." She said and turned towards Dad again. "Yeah, well, you see, you represent homework and no fun" She said to Dad. She turned to Uncle Josh. "while you are so handsome it kind of makes my eyes hurt." She said to him.
"Okay, here's what I'm going to do. I'm gonna be the game show host, is what I'm going to do. 'Cause they stand." Uncle Josh said. Uncle Josh stood up and Maya did the same. "And they move." Uncle Josh said and moved away from Maya and Maya tried to follow him, but Dad stopped her and made her sit down. "Hiya partner." He said to her. "Oh boy." Maya stated.
"And the game show hosts make sure everyone follows the rules and plays fair."Uncle Josh said. Ava was taking the game money and was about to hide it. "Especially this one." Josh said and took the money away from Ava. "Ava!" Auggie exclaimed. "Shh. I'm doing this for us baby." Ava told him. "Okay. The object of this game is to create a family, protect it, and get safely through a world of obstacles that will test how strong your family is. The winner of the short game is the first team to end up in one of the four success square with a car and a house." Uncle Josh read from the box.
"Get me a car and a house." Ava ordered Auggie. "I'm tryin'." Auggie told her. "Okay. Um, Maya and I up first. We'll go first." Dad said. "Says who?" Riley asked. "Says the king of the castle." Dad answered. "Just because you are the king doesn't mean you get to make all of the rules." Riley retorted. "Oh yeah. That's actually the first rule in the king's handbook." Dad told her. By now they were in each other's faces and Lucas was seated between them.
"Well, it's been a lovely evening. And now I need a hug from my mama." Lucas said climbing off of the couch. "Mama?" I questioned. "Yeah." Lucas answered. "What do you call your mama?" Lucas asked Josh. "Ma. Try it out." Josh answered. "Ma. Nah she'd put me in the shed." Lucas said. "You know what, dad? You may be the king, but I am going first." Riley told Dad. Riley took the die from him and rolled them causing Dad to gasp.
********
Farkle gasped. "You are staging an act of open rebellion against your king." Farkle stated. "You have left the colonies no choice, but to break away from you." I started. "And become independent." Riley finished. "Because you're fighting for the sake of your families." Dad stated. "And friends." I added. "And family is the most important thing in the world." Cory stated. "And friends." Riley said.
"Riley, Kayden, you don't think family should come first?" Dad asked. We turned to look at Dad. "We cannot do this right now." I told him. "We are in the middle of a rebellion." Riley added. "Oh yeah." Dad said turning us back towards Farkle. "Oh yeah. Let's see how your little rebellion fairs against the might of the British Empire." Farkle told us.
Farkle opened the door and there was a big cannon. "Whoa Farkle, where'd you get the cannon?" Dad asked. "From my cannon guy." Farkle answered. Lucas raised his hand. "Yes General Washington." Dad said. "You really have to wonder if the king wasn't so stubborn, could something have been worked out so America would still be in the British family?" Lucas asked.
"A nation or a family, can only remain united if its leader govern fairly and address the needs of all of its members both old and young." Dad answered. "Well, I'm not gonna. So let's get this party started. Is this thing loaded?" Farkle asked going inside of the tank. "It's is now." Maya answered from behind the cannon holding a sparkler. "Happy Fourth of July, everybody."
"Maya the war hasn't even started yet." Dad said, but Maya ignored him. "You're gonna love Boston." Maya told Farkle. "When am I going to Boston?" Farkle asked. "In five, four," We moved out the way as Maya counted down. "Three...."
********
"Four, five, six and as usual I will choose the fatherhood path." Dad said. "Bing, bing, bing, bing." He moved his piece. "And the blue square means...." Dad picked up on of the cards. "I get a son." "Actually sir, Farkle and I already own that square." Lucas informed Dad. "So." Dad said. "So, your son's ours." Lucas told him. A look of realization came over me. "Excuse me?" Dad asked. "Let him talk." I told Dad.
Dad turned and looked at me. "According to the game we get your son." Lucas explained to Dad. I moved to go over to Lucas and Farkle, but Mom stopped me. "Josh!" Dad shouted. "He's not Kayden Matthews anymore, my brother. He's now Mr. Dr. Howdy Turtleneck." Unc;e Josh explained. Lucas held his hand out so Dad could give him the card. Dad handed it to him, but didn't let go.
"Uh, sir, you're holding on a little tight." Lucas stated. "You really need to let go, sir." Farkle added. Lucas pulled the card, but he ended up ripping it. "You killed my son." Cory accused. "My turn, I pick six." Ava announced. "Uh, Ava you need to roll the die." Mom told her, but Ava wasn't listening. "One, two, three, four, five, six." Ava said while moving her piece.
"Josh, objection." Mom said. "I'm going to allow it." Uncle Josh told her. "Why?" Mom asked. "Because she cracks me up." Uncle Josh answered. "I get a make your own luck card." Ava said as she picked up one of the cards. "Take over someone's family business. Choose one player to send back to start." She read off the card. "I choose.... Hmm... One Topanga, two Topanga, three Topanga, four. Five Topanga, six Topanga, seven Topanga, or.... Topanga!" Ava and Auggie both pointed at Mom.
"Wee! Poom!" Ava exclaimed as she moved Mom's piece back to start. "This stinks." Mom stated. "This had to be done, mommy." Auggie told Mom. "It's okay, my lovebug." She replied. "Luckily, my team always win. And one of my teammates has a turn, and I'm sure she's going to use it to help me. Right Riley? Sweetheart?" She asked. "Mom, I really hate to do this, but I have a go to Europe with friends' card. And you're all the way back there and I've never been to Europe and Kayden isn't back there." Riley replied. "Yay, i'm going to Europe." I said.
"I want to go to Europe." Ava demanded. "Get off my back!" Auggie shouted. "Wait, you're leaving me?" Mom questioned. "Mom, it's not personal, I just go this card and..." Mom cut Riley off, "Wait you're leaving me?" She repeated. "Here it comes." Dad stated. "I am your mother, I have you absolute love and loyalty. What do you think you're talking to him?" Mom asked pointing at Dad.
"Hey Farkle. How do you that again?" Dad asked. "Ha!" Farkle shouted. "Ha!" Dad shouted at Mom. "Now you run, sir." Farkle told Dad. "No, actually now I go right over here which is exactly where I belong." Dad said moving to the other side of Mom. "Well this game just got real. Will the daughters go off on their own? Or does the mother hold on to them forever."Uncle Josh narrated.
"We're sorry mommy." Riley and I apologized before moving over to Maya. "Team." Riley said. "Forever." Maya told us as we looped our arms. "And always." I said. "Riley? Kayden?" Topanga asked. "Mom, we're just playing a game. Isn't that what you want us to do?" I asked. "Win." Riley added. "Not without me." Mom admitted. "Hey Topanga, you and me." Dad told her. "You and me. Let's win this thing." Mom stated. "You two and me. Let's win this thing." Maya told us. "You and me." Farkle said. "I just wanna go home." Lucas admitted. "You and me. It's way past our bedtime." Auggie told Ava. "Yay!" Auggie and Ava cheered.
********
"Okay we have a five minute break for new team strategy talk. Which means we cannot waste a second. What do you got?" I asked. "You're destroying your parents." Maya told me and Riley. "That's the object of the game." Riley told Maya, but Maya just give her a look. "Oh come on, Maya." Riley said and sighed. "It's not like we're actually going backpacking through Europe." I said.
"We should definitely go backpacking through Europe." Maya told us. "And we'll bring Lucas and Farkle to Europe." Riley added. "Yeah, and we'll bring your parents." Maya added. "Why would you want to bring my parents?" Riley asked. She just looked at us. "Oh." We said realizing what she meant. "I get it. This isn't a game to them at all is?" Riley asked. "No it isn't." Maya answered. "Then how do we possibly win?" Riley asked. "You don't win. You just play with them. Riley, Kayden, It's game night their favorite night of the month." Maya told us.
********
Riley, Maya, and I walked into the living room and stopped when we heard Mom and Dad talking. "Oh, look at that. They're already back." Dad said. "Break's over. Game on!" Uncle Josh announced.
********
"Game over." I said. "God bless America." Riley said as I waved the American flag. I handed the flag to Lucas. "How could you do this? My kingdom. I have nothing left." Farkle said dramatically. "Actually you still have India, Ireland, Australia, Shakespeare, dickens, and the Beatles." I explained to Farkle and helped him up. "Oh yeah. Who needs you anyway?" Farkle said to Riley and I. "You know you do." Riley said as we put our arms around Farkle. We moved over and sat on the desks.
"The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 leaving a rift between England and the United Stated." Dad informed us. "But we love each other now, right?" Lucas asked. "We do, but it took some time. In fact it wasn't until 1814, when another America helped mend the relationship. His name, Riley, was John Quincy Adams." Dad told us. "Oh. That's what the kid did." Riley said. "That's right. See it took the next generation to bring everybody together." Dad explained.
"So people that go to war can actually become friends?" Riley asked. "Revolution is a short moment in time. But if you play the long game correctly everybody can end up just where they're supposed to be." Dad told us.
********
"Somebody has to get a 12. Anything but a 12. Nobody through a 12." Dad said. I rolled the die. "12." I announced. "Oh, thank goodness, it's over." Lucas exclaimed. "No it's not. I'm not going for the success square. I'm going for the circle in the middle. We are going to play the long game." I said. "What?" Lucas asked. "You could win." Mom stated. "Dude why would you do that?" Uncle Josh asked.
"Because tonight the family game tonight is not about winning." I explained. "Uh, say what?" Mom questioned. "Mom, we were was only trying to beat you because we want you to be proud of us." Riley answered. "You do?" Mom questioned. "Yeah, we want to be like you." Riley told her. "You do?" Mom asked turning to me. "Yeah, a killer shark who always wins." I told her.
"That is the most beautiful things I've ever heard." Mom said pulling me and Riley in for a hug. "So tonight let's find out what happens when you play the long game." Riley said. "I'm never gonna see my mama again." Lucas commented. "I wanted someone to land on the success square. I kind of wanted to hear." Dad admitted as he pressed the button and the horn went off. "I win! Seriously help me." Mom said.
"In the long game, the players all play together to conquer the game itself." Uncle Josh read off of the game box. "So we're all on one big team then?" Dad questioned. "If you'll let us be." Riley told Dad as we stood up. "And dad, we promise that nobody is going anywhere." I said. "Well Riley, Kayden, you know what? If these are the people you've chosen to leave us for someday, they're welcome to play with us anytime. You've made some wonderful choices." Dad told us.
"You going to buy the friends' game?" Riley asked. "Yeah." Dad answered. "Can we play that one with you guys?" Mom asked. Maya stood up and answered the question, "Anytime you want." She said. "You're a good king." Riley told Dad. "You're a good John Quincy Adams." Dad replied. "Oh, the kid that brought everyone together." Riley stated. "Yeah." Dad said. "Told ya." Riley said. She bent down and moved her piece accordingly.
"Who's joining us?" Riley asked as Riley, Maya, and I sat down. "We are." Mom answered as her and Dad sat down. Mom picked up the die and rolled them.
********
"Well, birds are chirping. Sounds of a sleepy city coming to life as the sun peaks its smiling face...." Uncle Josh said. Maya smiled at Uncle Josh. "Yeah, okay." He continued. ".....upon 9 tired game players. And if Auggie Matthews can roll a two, then we will finally find out what happens when you win the long game." "Nobody can roll a two." Mom commented. "We pick two." Ava said. "You know what Ava, I finally like you." Mom told her. "Okay." Ava said.
Ava moved her piece and pressed the button in the middle which only caused it to make a sound. "That it?" Riley asked. The game continued to make more noise. "Hold on." Cory said. We all moved closer to the board and watched as music played, the middle piece moved up, and light came from it then it stopped. "And as everyone is joined together, we see that in the long game, friends become family." Uncle Josh said.
"It's not a game at all." Riley and I pointed out. "What is it, mommy?" Auggie asked. "It's life." Mom answered. "Life is the long game?" Auggie asked. "Yeah bubba, life is the long game." Dad told him. "Maya." Uncle Josh said as he sat on the couch. Maya moved back and sat on the couch. "You do understand that I'm too old for you?" He asked her. "I do Josh, I do know that." Maya replied. "Good." Uncle Josh said. "But I'm in it for the long game." Maya added to her previous statement. "Yeah, me too." Riley and I said. Mom kissed us on our cheeks before bringing us into a hug.
********
The bell rang and we walked out of the classroom. "I'm glad we're all friends again." I stated. "Yeah I'm glad I can take this off." Maya said. "It's amazing that people so close can go to war. Take off your crown." Lucas told Farkle. "No." Farkle refused. "Luckily it's all history and not our real lives." "Hey, we're having family game night, tonight." I said. "Do you guys want to come?" Riley asked.
"Sure, thanks, I'd love that." Lucas told us before he looked at Farkle. "Take off your crown." He said. "No. I'd love that, thank you." Farkle said. "So you're never going to take off your crown?" Lucas asked. "No." Farkle said once again. "Don't you think you two should ask your dad?" Maya asked us. "Nah, what could possibly go wrong." Riley answered. "Lot's of things but we'll see." I said and we wrapped our arms around each other's shoulders and walked down the hall.
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Just as the earth goes through seasons, so does a family in the course of time endure seasons. Falling in love, marriage and the birth of a children are times of renewal like Spring. Long pleasant periods of calm are like the feeling of an endless Summer. As we and our children grow older, our leaves start to change. We start to experience Autumn. This may seem like dying but it is only signs of a new phase of life. Crises and hardship are times for the family to stay close together, help each other out and endure the frigid winds of change. This period is akin to Winter. Life is full of seasons and changes which are best experienced with the support of friends and family. - Kayden Matthews