Everyone was done with dinner later in the evening. Every dish was wiped clean, leaving only crumbs, bones and traces of sauces. Even the elderly couple ate a lot more than usual tonight.
Ruediger, Lariette and Madeline worked together to clear the table before loading them into the dishwasher. Then, they joined Felicia and the elderly Walter couple in the lounge.
Outside the sliding door, snow fell softly from the sky as the wind howled. Fairy lights were strung under the eaves, their golden glow streamed through the glass panels.
"Rudy, how about some chess?" Mr. Walter asked with a grin. He had already grabbed the chessboard.
"Sure."
Then, Ruediger found himself sitting across from Mr. Walter with a chessboard on the table between them. His hand hovered over a pawn before moving it forward.
"Hmm," Mr. Walter murmured as he studied the board through his silver-rimmed glasses, "Tsk, Rudy, you always open the same way. My old brain keeps forgetting that."
