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The arcade was crowded than usual, but then again it was Sunday morning. Families and children were all around, running, playing, and eating greasy pizzas. For Mac and Riley it was the perfect opportunity to start a new family tradition.
“So is this the special place you wanted to show us?” asked the six years old Jack.
“It sure is, honey. Your father and I made some great memories here and it’s about time we make new ones, as a family,” said Riley. She smiled at Mac in reassuring, who was holding the jumping four years old Gwen.
“I love this place! Can we go and play?” asked Gwen excitedly.
Mac chuckled. “Not so fast. There is one game we’d like to show you before you run to the car racing machine.”
“Oh, man, there is a car racing machine here? Can we stay the night?” Even though his parents laughed, Jack looked dead serious.
“No, but we can spend a few hours here and eat a greasy pizza. How does that sound?” said Riley with a smile.
“Sounds awesome! So can we go now?”
“Hu-hu. Skee Ball first.” Mac led them to the machine and put a few coins inside. “Well, the rules are simple. You have to roll the ball and get it inside one of the bullseye rings. The smaller the ring is, the more points you get. At the end of the game the player who got more points wins. Simple, right?” He took one of the balls and with a clean motion put it inside the forty ring.
“It doesn’t look so hard,” shrugged Gwen.
“Oh, but trust me, honey, it’s harder than it looks. Wanna give it a shot?”
Mac handed one ball to each of his children and stepped aside. He stood with Riley by the machine, one of his arms tagging her close, and watched their children play. Actually, they were watching Jack trying to play, while Gwen successfully put three balls inside the rings. “She’s way too good in this game,” said Mac with amusement and shock.
“She probably got it from me. It’s all in the genes, Mac,” his wife teased him.
He chuckled and got closer to his son, who was eyeing the balls in frustration. “Need some help, bud?”
“I don’t get it, dad. I know what you’re about to say – “ Jack started.
“You do?”
“Yeah. It’s all in the math, I know. Like you taught me last month, according to the laws of projective motion, velocity and launch angle determine trajectory and distance over a parabolic arc. I know it, and yet I still can’t do it.”
Mac smiled at his frustrated kid and snuck a quick glance at his wife. “Actually, it’s all in the wrist.”
“What?”
“Forget about the math just this once and focus on your technique. The motion has to come from the wrist.”
“Finally! It only took you ten years to learn that!” Riley said happily while approaching them .
Mac laughed and covered his son’s hand with his. “Like this,” he said and moved their hands in a smooth motion, which caused the ball to fall right inside the fifty ring. “Now try again.”
Jack eyed his two parents, who looked at him with little reassuring smiles, then took one of the balls and with one motion put it inside the closest ring. “I did it!” he shouted happily.
“You sure did, honey,” smiled Riley and leaned her head against Mac’s shoulder. The kids kept playing the game, now when Jack knew how to throw the balls, they were challenging each other to get the highest score.
“So, it’s all in the wrist, hu?” Riley turned her head to Mac, a teasing smile on her lips.
“What can I say, I learned from the best.” He sent her his cheeky smile, the one that still melted her heart.
“I saw! And I have no idea when it happened. As far as I can remember, you still sucked at this game on our first date.”
“That’s hardly true. I scored 120 points on our first date.”
“And I scored 560 points on that day. Admit it, babe, I kicked your butt.” Her eyes were sparkling with pure love and happiness and her smile was teasing. Again. Even after all these years, two children and one in the making, she still was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and had an incredible effect on him. He snuck his hands around her waist and put them on her barely swollen belly.
“Play nice, Mrs. MacGyver. We’re in public,” he whispered to her ear. He planted a long kiss on the side of her neck, making her breath hitch.
“Oh, c’mon! Mom, dad, not here!” grunted Jack in disgust.
They both laughed and stepped away, while Riley playfully hit Mac on the shoulder. “Yeah, Mac, behave. We’re in public.” She winked, leaving Mac completely speechless, and approached the kids. “Well, now when you finished, here are a few coins. You can go and play together, where we can see you, and when you’ll finish a greasy pizza will be waiting for you on that table.” She pointed to a table near by and handed each of them some coins.
The kids didn’t wait a second to go and play, running straight to the car racing machines.
“Unbelievable. We took the time to teach them Skee Ball, and yet they’re still more excited about the racing cars,” murmured Mac from beside her.
Riley’s smile widened in response. “I guess it’s Jack’s doing. He did love cars.” Her tone was gentle, like every time she spoke about him.
“He would’ve loved it. Playing with the kids, teaching them Skee Ball and eating a greasy pizza.” Once again Mac hugged Riley from behind, not caring if anyone paid them attention, basically because they both needed comfort at the moment.
They watched their children playing for a while, not saying a word, both were comfortable and content, until Riley’s stomach growled. “I guess the little one’s hungry,” chuckled Mac.
“And she is not the only one,” said Riley.
Mac smiled, stepped away and placed a quick kiss to Riley’s mouth. “How about you sit here, watch over the kids, and I’ll go buy us that greasy pizza?”
“Sounds good,” she replied. She watched Mac going to order pizzas and drinks, when not far from him Jack and Gwen were playing against another two kids they just met. She smiled and rested her hands on her belly, thinking she can’t wait to bring Ellen in a few years to this arcade for another Sunday tradition.