Time passed in a way neither of them kept track of.
What started as a simple game turned into something else entirely once the children decided that sitting still was "boring." Someone suggested a skipping game, another added rules that made no real sense, and somehow it turned into a mix of hopping, counting, and chasing that forced both Drogo and Karen into it whether they agreed or not.
At first, they resisted.
Drogo tried to follow the rules properly, stepping carefully, counting under his breath, only for a child to interrupt him mid-step.
"No, no, you're doing it wrong!"
Karen didn't help.
She stepped ahead of him, deliberately skipping two lines at once. "There are no rules," she said, clearly making it worse.
"There are rules," Drogo replied, already stepping back to correct his position.
"Then why are you losing?"
"I am not losing."
"You missed three steps."
"I did not."
"You did."
"I did not."
A child pointed at him. "He did!"
Karen laughed.
