Domestic City, Part Nine of Nine

When Emily turned 45, her immediate family showed up at her house in the tradition of celebration if not the spirit. Emily's younger brother had two boys, who, out of everyone assembled in the living room, were the worst at concealing their boredom.

It had been suggested to Emily's nephews that she liked video games -- or did, at one point -- and so a quick trip to EB would result in a surefire birthday present. After getting saddled with some kitchenware and historical fiction, Emily was handed their gift last. She unwrapped it to find something called Sudoku: Another Wet Weekend for the DS, and she smiled and said thanks.

While Emily made coffee, her brother, her sister and their spouses argued in her kitchen about whether to relocate their mother to a rest home. She passed them some cups and withdrew to the kitchen counter, where she stirred her coffee in silence and listened, but not really, to her siblings' debate over responsibility. After a minute, she excused herself.

Emily's nephews were outside, in the back seat of their parents' car and huddled over some handheld game system that she had never even seen before. They were fighting over whose turn it was. Folding her arms over the window, she asked: "Do you guys have any games where you can shoot things?"