We Happy Few | Band of Brothers

Chapter 74: Progress

"Okay, so then this piece goes here?" Margot questioned as her hand moved toward one of the white knights on the chessboard. 

"No." Irv smacked her hand away.

"Okay, first of all, ow." Margot laughed as she rubbed her hand dramatically with her other one. "Second of all, why not? Why can't I do that?"

Irv just shook his head as he demonstrated why the proposed move would be bad. "Because it's just plain stupid," he explained as he showed Margot how easy it would be for him to beat her if she had moved her knight that way. "You have to use your head. Always be thinking two or three moves into the future. You can't just live in the here and now."

"I don't know if that's just chess advice or also life advice."

"Take it as you will." Irv only shrugged as he moved Margot's piece for her before moving his own. "I just can't believe you've never played chess before."

"Just never got around to it," Margot replied matter-of-factly. "But hey, maybe that's a good thing. If I knew how to play chess, you wouldn't have to teach me, which means we wouldn't be getting to have these lovely morning conversations where you begrudgingly attempt to teach me a game that I am clearly horrible at." 

Irv scoffed as he motioned for Margot to take her next turn. "No, if you knew how to play chess, we would be playing chess instead of me playing chess and you asking too many questions."

"You really don't know how to look on the bright side, do you?" Margot laughed as she checked her watch, slightly taken aback at how late in the morning it was. "Wow, time sure does fly when you're having fun."

As Margot stood to leave, Irv put his hand out and stopped her. "You never leave in the middle of a game," he told her. "It's bad luck."

Margot rolled her eyes playfully as she sat back down in her chair on Irv's front porch. "Says who?"

"Says me. Just, sit there for two seconds more while I kick your ass and then you can go."

"Oh, please, be my guest." Margot sat back and watched as Irv quickly and effortlessly defeated her in chess for about the hundredth time. 

As Irv made his final move, he smiled up at Margot cheekily. "Checkmate."

"I'm gonna get you next time, just you wait and see." Margot knew she didn't have a chance in hell of ever beating Irv, but she liked to at least pretend that she was getting better with every lesson she had. "You have yourself a wonderful day, Irv. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Say hello to Joe for me." Irv began to pack up the chessboard and pieces as Margot stood up and began to head next door back to Joe's house. 

"Will do." Margot gave a wave as she tightened her sweater around herself some more to counteract the cool, morning breeze. 

Stepping through the threshold of the house, Margot wasn't the least bit surprised to see that the kitchen and living room were both empty. It had been about a week or so since Margot had arrived at Joe's house and one thing she had learned—besides the fact that she was horrible at chess—was that Joe lived a pretty quiet, solitary life. He rarely left the house, let alone his bed, and it was clear that he was struggling with many of the same post-war side effects as she and Annie were. 

The only difference was that while Margot and Annie actively tried to fight against their struggles, Joe was letting them consume him. 

Shuffling down the hallway, Margot pushed open the door to Joe's bedroom and leaned against the doorway, her arms folded over her chest. Joe's eyes were closed, but she could tell he wasn't asleep; despite the many hours he spent in bed, he didn't sleep a whole lot.