Prodigy

"There are only like two or three people who can make the knight which is the most complicated piece," her son informed his mother. "I watched a YouTube video about the people who make them."

"Wow. I'm impressed," his mom said as she looked at the pieces JJ was setting out.

"The detail really is amazing," JJ mentioned. "And Owen is right. The knight is really challenging."

Casey still wasn't interested in chess, but because of her inexplicable-but-growing interest in the younger man sitting next to her, she couldn't help but want to learn more which would also be important in talking with her son about the game.

Owen was looking at one of White's knights which his mom saw him turning and carefully examining.

"Do you like it?" JJ asked.

"Are you kidding?" Owen said, as he sat the knight back down. "This is like the coolest thing ever!"

"Well, in that case, I'd like you to have it. Maybe it'll...."

JJ was stopped mid-sentence as Owen threw his arms around and leaned in so hard that it caused JJ to tip over and into Casey who let out a playful shriek. The noise made an already happy boy laugh when then made JJ laugh, and within a few seconds all of them were laughing.

No one had yet moved, and when the laughter stopped, Owen got off. JJ, who was still kind of leaning on Casey turned his head slightly and saw her face face just inches from his.

"Wow," he said quietly.

"Wow...what?" she asked as they stared into one another's eyes.

"You're even more beautiful up close."

At a loss for words Casey just continued staring for a few more seconds as JJ began to sit up. As he did, Casey also began righting herself as Owen began placing the remaining chess pieces on the board.

Wondering if he'd somehow come on too fast, he tried to apologize.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to...."

Either forgetting about Owen or not caring Casey went right passed the vertical and kept going until her lips pressed against JJ's. His wide open eyes quickly closed as their lips met, their first kiss lasting almost a full second before Casey pulled back in horror.

"I...that...I didn't mean...."

JJ didn't say anything. He just reached over and took her hand and squeezed it without ever breaking eye contact. Both adults knew something significant was happening, but neither one spoke.

Owen, however, was so happy he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"I hope you guys get married so JJ can be my dad!"

The horror had just faded from Casey's face over her brash act as her son's words sank in and brought it back even more vividly.

"Oh, my heavens!" she said as though she'd just witnessed some terrible event.

She looked at JJ who was no longer smiling and felt even worse. As she struggled to find the right words to say, JJ spoke.

"Would that really be so awful?" he asked as he squeezed the hand he was still holding again.

"What?" a confused Casey asked as her heart began pounding in her chest.

"He asked, 'Would that be so awful?' Mom!" her son told her, the smile on his face so big she wondered if his lips might crack.

Finally understanding what JJ meant, Casey's heart began beating like a drum.

She was once again staring into JJ's eyes as she quietly responded to his question.

"No. I don't think that would be so bad. At all."

Now it was his turn to ignore Owen as he leaned over indicating he was going to kiss her. She glanced at her son who was nodding furiously, that smile glued to his face.

"Kiss him again, Mom!" Owen called out as JJ then pressed his lips to Casey's.

******

That afternoon and the rest of evening at Candy's marked the beginning of a new relationship that quickly blossomed into a full-blown romance in less than a week. After Casey's initial, short-lived concerns, neither of them ever wondered how or why they could love someone so much younger or older. They just did.

In fact, the only time anyone mentioned it was when Candy brought it up when the two families went out for dinner couple of months later.

"Was I right or was I right she asked," when JJ mentioned that he loved Casey--and her amazing son--the chess prodigy.

Casey have her a quizzical look, so Candy explained.

"I remember you saying something about the difference in your ages. And if you'll recall, I told you...."

"Okay. That's enough. You were right!" Casey said, interrupting her sister before she had a chance to mention 'coming' or 'cumming'.

"I'm just sayin'," a slightly-hurt Candy said as her sister reached over and put a hand on hers.

"Candy? I never thought I'd ever love anyone again and then along came JJ."

"I'm happy for you, honey. I really am," her big sister said as she put her other hand on top of Casey's.

"It's kind of crazy, huh?" her little sister said, a smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

She looked at JJ then said, "It's truly been a whirlwind."

Candy then squeezed her sister's hand then said, "Whirlwind or not, I haven't seen you this happy in...."

She looked to see if JJ might not want to hear about Casey's late husband, but he only nodded and smiled.

The look in both his and her sister's eyes told Candy this was real, and Casey's words confirmed it.

"I am. I'm really happy."

She let go of Candy's hands and turned to JJ but was still mostly speaking to her sister.

"I love JJ very much. And just as importantly, Owen loves him, too."

JJ leaned over and kissed her as Owen, as well as Candy's children all gave looks of approval.

When the kiss ended, Candy said, "Okay then. I suppose I should start thinking about being your Maid of Honor. Again."

JJ, as well as Casey, laughed as she said, "That's awfully presumptive of you!" before she hugged her sister and told her how much she loved her.

"Dittoes, kiddo," her big sister said.

******

After just seven months since the day they met JJ asked Casey to marry him after suggesting the three of them go back to city hall where Owen had won his first tournament and where they met. He'd won two more since--one at the state level and another at a regional tournament with over 200 other players--and was scheduled to go to Europe three months down the road where Owen would very likely end up playing against his idol, Magnus Carlson. Or rather the man who'd been his idol before JJ Owens came into his life.

It was hard to say who was the happiest of the family-to-be when JJ got down on one knee. When she said yes, JJ smiled, Casey cried, and Owen was beside himself.

"I can't wait to be Owen Owens!" he declared as his stepdad-to-be stood up and took his mom's hand.

"Is that what you want, buddy?" JJ asked.

"Are you kidding? You are the most awesome chess player ever!"

Casey was now crying and even JJ teared up when Owen spoke again.

"My dad was the most amazing person I ever knew, but now that's you, JJ."

He let go of his fiancé's hand that was now adorned with a beautiful diamond ring then pulled JJ in close.

"That makes me very happy," he told the young man who had recently turned ten.

He mussed the boy's hair then said, "YOU make me happy."

Owen hugged him so hard it made JJ smile and his mom cry even more.

"Why are you crying, Mom?" Owen asked when he saw the mascara streaks on her face.

She leaned down a little then told him it was because she was so happy she couldn't help it.

"Me, too," her young son said as he looked up at JJ.

"Me, three," the older man told him as he pulled them both together.

"Mom, look. We're a family again!"

She didn't tell they'd always been a family because she knew what he meant and also because a part of her agreed with him. She still occasionally talked to her late husband, and this time she said to him--to herself only--"Honey? I miss you so much and I'll always love you, but you know how lonely I've been, and how much I love...someone."

He'd never answered her, and while he almost certainly didn't this time, either, Casey felt like she heard him say, "I'll always love you too, sweetheart, but you need someone to love you like I did, and I approve of the one you found."

"Thank you, honey," she said out loud causing both JJ and Owen to look at her.

"For what?" JJ asked.

"For loving me," Casey said, recovering instantly and replying without hesitation.

He smiled, leaned over and kissed her, then she said to her son, "You, too, honey."

"I love you, Mom," her boy told her. He looked up at JJ again and said, "AndI love you, too...Dad."

JJ blinked hard a few times then said, "I love you, too...son."

*****

They married a week before going to Europe and spent their honeymoon in Brussels were the world's newest chess prodigy didn't something his new dad had never done. At the age of 10 he defeated the world's best chess player who shook the boy's hand and said, "Owen Owens? You're the best I've ever played against."

And just seven years later, Owen Owens was the number one ranked chess player in the world with an Elo score of 2908, eight points higher than Magnus Carlson, whom Owen defeated again to win the world championship.

As he held up the trophy he asked his parents and his little sister, Julie, who was five years old, to stand next to him.

The entire room burst into applause when Julie said rather loudly, "Mom? Why is chess so boring?"

Her father scooped her up and told her, "Hey, there. If it wasn't for chess I'd have never met your mom and you wouldn't be here!"

There were some chuckles before the little girl said, "Well, at least I wouldn't be so boring!"

Laughter again filled the room not so much at her error in grammar but in the sincerity with which she said it.

Casey Owens' eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her wonderful, amazing family and agreed that this was all true only because her son had fallen in love with chess and become the game's greatest prodigy of all times. Were it not for that, the handsome younger man she'd fallen so deeply in love with, and who loved her son like his own, there'd have been no first tournament. That, in turn, meant that JJ Owens would have never entered their lives, a thought that was already much too hard to bear.