This scene shows a family business where the characters occasionally fill downtime with board games. I thought it made sense, based on my own gaming experience, that they would have a turn marker for when a game was interrupted by work. Fly Frog is real. This is what he looks like, and this is his story.
It was originally a Christmas present to me about twenty years ago. I didn’t dislike the frog, but I didn’t know what to do with it. It got stuffed in a box for a few years. Eventually, I found it and hung it up in one of the kids’ rooms. I discovered sometime later that the girls who shared that room were arguing over it. One of them wanted it on display, the other thought it was creepy and should be renamed Nightmare Frog. She wanted it hidden in the closet. I took it out of their room, and I don’t remember where I moved it because it didn’t stay there long. The thing began to migrate around the house, randomly showing up in various places. Sometimes I wouldn’t see it for months, then it would suddenly be hanging from a curtain rod. Then someone would be playing with it. Then it would be left on a bookshelf. At some point, Fly Frog found a permanent home on the side of our game shelf. That’s where I took the picture and why he came to mind as an appropriate choice for a turn marker.
From the book:
Alison and Elaine had a game set up on a table near the back when Audra arrived at Next Love. It wasn’t something she had played before.
“Do you want to be red penguins or blue?” Alison asked.
Audra knew she was being invited to play, but she still had to laugh at the odd greeting. “Why am I turning into penguins?”
“That’s how you get the fish,” Elaine said. “And by the way, good morning.”
Alison held out little wooden penguins, blue in one hand, red in the other.
Audra took the red ones. “Are you expecting a slow day?”
“We’ll have to pause every time someone comes in.” Alison gestured to her work corner. “But I’ve been super productive this week so I’m giving myself a light day on the project side.”
“She’s earned it,” Elaine said.
Audra didn’t doubt it. Both women put in long hours to keep the family business running so it was nice that they brought some fun with them from time to time. And nice that they included Audra. The first customer came in before they’d finished explaining the rules though. Alison continued while her mom went to discuss furniture.
The game was quick once they got started. They played twice with only a few interruptions. The Brachys had a little wooden frog as a turn marker. It was a strange figurine with wings that they had dubbed Fly Frog. He was passed around the board as they took turns so they could keep track even if someone took a turn while someone else was busy. Audra turned the funny little frog over in her hands before she set it aside.
Elaine had won the first game and Alison the second. They had both agreed to play a third time before they were called away by the repeatedly opening door. Audra began to set up the pieces to start over. She thought she was getting the hang of it and would have a better chance the next time. As it appeared the other players would be busy for a while, she was taking her time laying out the board. Then the front door opened yet again.
The man who entered was carrying a canvas. Audra assumed that it was one of her paintings and that he was there to talk to her about it. She got up and walked towards her wall of work to meet him halfway. Perhaps the painting had been scratched or damaged in some way. Of course she would fix it for him if she could. No charge. It occurred to her in the moment that she’d be willing to offer that service but not mention it upfront to anyone. There was no need to encourage people to be careless with her artwork. But she would do her best to help those who asked.
She smiled at him as they got closer, though she remembered the painting in his hand more than she remembered him. “Hello, sir,” she said. “How are you today?”
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