Nothing tests a family’s love for one another than a long ride in a car, or in this situation, a minivan. It’s one thing to drive several blocks to restaurant to get something for dinner but it’s another to be packed inside it like sardines for almost a week only stopping to eat or at a hotel to crash for the night. When Peter first took his family to what he calls the summer home, it was one of the most stressful trips he ever took. There were spats, yelling, and some pretty ugly fights. It got to one point where he had to stop the car and get out just so he could scream to the top of his lungs, out in the open where it wouldn’t damage anyone’s ear drums. Many years later, they had all become seasoned professionals. They had the tools and the equipment necessary to ignore the other passengers should they begin to feel annoyed. As far as Peter was concerned, this was all money well spent. Rather than have someone flip out, it made sense to buy them a portable MP3 player for them to zone out whenever necessary. He also didn’t care where the kids got their music as long as it wasn’t explicit, and he got a chance to review it. Peter looked in the rear-view mirror to notice and admire how peaceful it was in the back seats. Each child with their own headset on, in their own happy place while listening to whatever music made them docile. This made Peter very happy, because keeping the peace while driving out to the summer home was very important to him. He looked to his right to see his wife Sonya, asleep and in her own world as well. She had her head leaned up against the window and for that reason, Peter made sure he wasn’t speeding because he didn’t want a bump to violently wake her up. His wife had a rough time the night before at the hotel, and he wanted to make sure she got in as many power naps as possible before they got to their summer home. This was their one and only time to get away from it all. Sonya was a teacher, so she always had two and a half months off every summer and since Peter was a writer, so he could pack up and take his wherever he wanted. Thanks to the internet and the ability to fire zip files through cyberspace, any material could be sent out to publishers within seconds. Anywhere Peter could flip open his laptop was now his office, which made things easier on the family. Yet sometimes going out made it much harder for Peter to get work done but he slugged through it anyway. An unhappy household also made for an unproductive workplace so keeping the wife and the kids happy was helpful.
This summer was going to be different for Peter as his agent and publisher were both breathing down his neck, eager to get another book sooner rather than later. Easier said than done as Peter had been struggling the last few months to the point where he even considered not coming to the summer home this year. Because of imposing deadlines, Peter was going to be sheltered in the house for most of summer. Sonya already knew that and was ready to carry the burden of childcare while they were at the summer house. Peter really appreciated her support and while watching the kids was no picnic, he was still going to be there to support her if something bad happened that required the involvement of two parents. Peter was just hoping that wasn’t going to be often so he could actually get a significant amount of work done. Peter and Sonya had been married to her for over eight years and he still felt like a newlywed whenever he was with her. Sonya had saved him from a pit of despair and depression and the life she provided made life worth living. He loved her so much for that. Along for the ride was Jacob, her son from a previous relationship. While he was a hot-tempered kid, Peter liked him a great deal because he reminded the writer of himself when he was a kid. Jacob was nothing compared to the badass Peter was in his youth, which made it so easy for him to connect with the young man and they immediately became good friends, which was important as his relationship with Sonya became more serious over time. Jacob’s biological father was a good man. He was always available to help out and never missed a weekend with his son. Peter also made sure that the door was always open for him to visit and be a part of the little man’s life. Then they all became more a family when Sonya became pregnant. Several months later, they were married and welcomed twin girls to their tribe. Samantha and Fiona were the best things that ever happened to Peter, and he was very thankful for the people he had in his life. They gave him new hope and more importantly a reason to want to hang around this planet a lot longer. Jacob was the best big brother someone could want, and Peter went out of his way to make sure he was comfortable to be the best he could be for the family as well.
That brought them to the task at hand, which was travelling to the summer house and living there in peace for the next two months. It was a tradition that actually started accidentally. A few years ago, before the summer started, Peter took the family to visit his father and over that weekend their house had burned to the ground, and they lost everything. They also had nowhere to go, and this is when one of Peter’s best friends came in to save the day. One of Peter’s former roomies from college named Raymond Langer offered to let them have his beach house for as long as they needed it. Turns out they only needed it for the summer and Peter made sure he compensated Ray for letting them use the summer home. The kids had so much fun at the house that summer Peter decided to rent it from Ray the next year so they could spend the summer out there again and from there it just became a yearly thing for them. It was something the kids looked forward to and busted their humps in school to be a part of. With the incentive to do so well, Peter didn’t mind shelling out a few bucks to enjoy themselves. Compared to what most people spend just to fly somewhere for a week, Peter was actually getting away with quite the steal. He never had any complaints but was hoping this summer Peter would have impending deadlines that were quickly approaching. While he wasn’t the most popular writer out there, there were always many obsessed fans out there that wanted more stuff to read as soon as human possibly. Peter had to make sure to keep them marginally satisfied so that he could make a living and support his family without having to do any real work. Despite wherever they were or whatever they were doing, a writer was always working. Peter often found himself thinking about writing whenever he wasn’t actually doing it. Even as he drove the van, Peter was still thinking about his next chapter and what direction he wanted his current novel to go. It was while Peter was going over some of those plot points in his head when his wife had begun to emerge from her slumber.
“Good afternoon.” He said to her with a smile.
"Afternoon?” Sonya repeated, rubbing her eyes. “How long have I been out?”
“Quite a while, dear.” Peter said as he kept his eyes on the road. “We’re not far out now. We should be at the summer home within a few hours.”
“Finally.” She said with a huff. “I was getting ready to jump out.”
“I understand,” Peter said as he picked her hand up and gave it a small peck. “We’re almost there, and thus shall commence two months of rest and relaxation.”
“After the school year I had, I could really use it.” Sonya said, sitting up and looking around for something familiar. “How are the kids?”
“They’re fine.” Peter said, as he took a quick glance himself. “I put Jacob between the girls to make sure they didn’t tussle as much.”
"What did you promise him?” she slyly asked.
“Whatever he wanted for lunch; he gets to pick the place.” Peter said, checking his watch. “We’ll give it another half hour.”
She paused for a moment and read his face like a book. “Something bothering you, Peter?”
Peter looked back at her for a second before putting his eyes back on the road. “It’s nothing.”
“No, it’s not.” Sonya retorted. “Something is really bugging you and I doubt it’s your agent. You never let him bug you before, so I know it can’t be the new book nor the deadline.”
“You know me well,” Peter said, trying to fake his jest.
“Spill it,” Sonya commanded.
Peter took a deep breath and let out a sigh that let her knew she was right. “I had a brief talk with Christina earlier this week.”
“Well, that would certainly do it.” Sonya said, now understanding what was going on. She really didn’t like talking about Peter’s first wife.
Christina was actually the second woman to walk down the aisle Peter and very like the first marriage, this one didn’t last very long either. Peter was still bitter about it, and she could tell.
“Why did you call her?” Sonya inquired, “You know how much just interacting with her agitates you.”
“I had to,” Peter replied, “I wanted to see if Nathan could come out with us to the summer home.”
“And obviously the answer was no.” Sonya guessed.
“Obviously,” Peter confirmed.
“That’s because he always says no,” Sonya reminded him, “Oh, Peter, why do you do this to yourself?”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“I have to at least try,” Peter explained to her, “I don’t want this kid to think that I didn’t give a rat’s ass about him because it’s not true. It just upsets me how bad it’s gotten. He’s my son and I never see him.”
“He’s a teenager.” Sonya corrected, “Even parents that live with their own rarely see them either. You cannot take this personally; most teenagers hate their parents. Nate just has more ammunition to justify his.”
“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Peter said, “We used to do everything together. Now he won’t even talk to me on the phone.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Sonya said, as she put a hand on his shoulder. She could feel the tension in his arms. “You can’t let it get to you. When Nathan needs you, he’ll reach out. Your job is to make sure you’re ready to be there for him whenever that time comes.”
“I know,” Peter said, sighing rather deeply. “I just wish he could be here and spend some time with his sisters. They’re related and they hardly know one another.”
“Uh huh,” Sonya huffed at him. “Do I need to remind you how well you get along with your brothers?”
“That’s exactly why I am trying,” Peter said as he agreed with her. “I don’t want Nathan to become so distant from my family, and then have the same shitty relationship I have with my family. Truth is, his mother and I are not going to be around forever, and when they’re gone the only people left will be his siblings.”
Sonya smiled and caressed his cheek. “I love how you care so much, even when no one else does. It’s what I love about you.”
“Thank you,” Peter said, taking her hand and holding onto it for a few moments.
The kids were quiet enough for them to enjoy the moment as they came closer to their predetermined destination. He checked to rear view mirror and could sense the discomfort in Jacob’s eyes.
“How are you holding up back there, champ?” Peter called back to him.
“I’ll be alright.” Jacob replied.
Peter knew he would be alright but still respected the kid for being a human barrier between the two young girls. The twins would often fight if they were left close to one another, so it was up to their big brother was a good buffer to keep the peace during the long ride out.
“Mo burger is on me tomorrow,” Peter said to show his appreciation. He could see Jacob smile in the back as he put his headphones back on, but Peter could also see the disapproving scowl from his wife, as he smiled at her.
“It’s only one time, and he earned it.” Peter reminded her.
“Sure,” Sonya said with a sly grin. She knew it was his favorite place to eat as well but let it go anyway. She had learned a long time ago that just because she was right didn’t mean she had to broadcast it for ears in the backseat to hear. She knew it and that was enough for her. If she really felt the need to chew it out, she could do it later when they were out of the car and able to breath first.
Peter could sense it too as gave her hand a gentle squeeze, a sign of his affection and appreciation. “We’re almost there.”
Peter had been driving to this location for a few years now, so he had gotten used to the ride and no longer needed the GPS to help him out. He really liked the place as well and knew that as long as Ray owned it, they would have a place to bring the family to if any other crisis were to occur. Peter also knew if he had any marital issues, which thankfully he did not, Ray would give him the keys in a heartbeat rather than let him shack up in a hotel. That was the kind of friend Ray was and Peter appreciated having someone that close in his life. When the house burned down Ray was there for them, and he couldn’t believe the relief he and Sonya had to just be able to get away from it all for a few months while the house was being repaired. The summer home then evolved into their go to location to get away from life and school for two months a year. It was a great looking house despite the fact it looked like a shack from the outside. Looks were very deceiving as inside was a very spacious as it had three bedrooms and a well sized kitchen and a table large enough for everyone to sit down and enjoy a meal together. Raymond was never one for decorating, so he let Sonya do whatever she wanted to the place and over the years she had been making the place her own. Picking what paint to put on the walls, furniture to bring in and whatnot. Peter was beginning to think he had put just as much money into the house than Ray had but he wasn’t as active as his wife so odds of him going outside and being Mr. handyman were slim to nil. Peter was a writer, and creating stories was all he planned to do that summer. Satisfying the agent and the publishers that were baring down on him was priority number one This was why he needed Sonya to be more hands on with the kids this summer. Peter needed to use his time for work and do whatever he could to meet the deadline.
A smile broke out on Peter’s face as he finally reached the long driveway that led to the house. The kids seemed to instinctively know as well as they turned off their music players and started rambling, eager to get out of the car, which felt like a sardine can for the past several days. Peter never liked to rush the trip out to the summer home; he never liked the idea of getting into an accident or something else happening that could ruin the summer before it even began. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to someone he cared deeply about so it was worth taking all the barbs and bumps from the back asking him to pick up the pace. They would arrive when they arrived and that was it. Peter was strong enough to handle the ‘are we there yet’ barrages like he did ever summer. Yet this year was a lot quieter thanks to modern technology and an endless supply of digital music.
The house looked no different than it did the previous years they approached it, but it was a sight the kids were eager lay their little eyes on as they all seem to let out a collective sigh of relief. Once the vehicle came to a stop the two back doors burst open as if was filled with water and busting at the seams. Three bodies spilled out of the back and Peter could tell they were a lot happier to be apart from one another and finally able to enjoy the return of their personal space. Before anyone had a chance to run away, Peter groaned as he stepped out of the car and spoke first as he appeared to be quite aware of what everyone was thinking.
“Before any of you run of to have fun,” Peter started, “Please take your stuff out of the car and stash it in your rooms right now.”
There was a loud choir of groans from the back seat, but Peter didn’t care as he continued to speak to them.
“It’s better to take care of it now,” Peter reminded them. “Trust me, you don’t want to lug this stuff later when you’re tired and just want to sleep. Get to it people.”
He watched as the kids, shoulders slugged, grabbed their bags, and walked them up the stairs. Sonya who had already walked up to the door to unlock it, held the door open for each kid to carry their bags inside. She watched as they all walked in single file and then break rank once inside to retreat to their own rooms. The twin girls shared a room, so they booth took off up the stairs while Jacob remained on the main floor, as his room was located in the back, just past the kitchen but before the laundry room. It was a smaller room, but Jacob liked it for its location and the ability to step out without anyone noticing.
Peter wasn’t prepared to display any hypocrisy this early into the trip, so he walked to the back of the van and started to unload his own luggage. It took a few trips up to the door and back to move everything into the house, but it was his stuff and it seemed unfair to make anyone move it for him. If Peter wanted it to be any easier, he could have packed lighter but he chose not to. Peter was a very superstitious writer and if things were not set up perfectly, there was no way he would be able to get into the kind of groove he needed to be in if he stood any serious chance of making his deadline. This was never an issue before but lately Peter had trouble concentrating on work, and this lack of focus bothered him as his deadline approached. While he had his own reasons for the decline in his work, Peter was determined to meet his publisher’s deadline out of fear that he might be dropped and replaced by a hungry writer that wouldn’t keep the publishing house waiting. It was that fear which drove Peter to keep trying despite all his recent setbacks. Sonya had insisted that he try to delay his deadline and ask for more time, but this simply was not an option. Peter had more than one deadline to meet and this was a book he had been trying to get on paper for a while. If he didn’t do it now, there was a good chance this story was never going to be told. He would keep trying, even while everyone was having fun.
As Peter walked into the foyer with his luggage, the kids were back and in his face making demands of what they wanted to do. Peter never really listened to their requests since he was going to give the same answer anyway.
“Dinner is going served in two hours,” he told the children. “Don’t wander off too far and be back here in time to wash up. We’re all having dinner together our first night here, like we do every first day here.”
The kids didn’t seem to like that idea but knew it was the same way every year, so they didn’t argue against it. The girls took off for the beach to collect seashells while Jacob went to the backyard to relax and get his bearings by wandering around a bit. Sonya was looking at Peter as he tried to pick his bags up to lug them to the bedroom upstairs.
“So, I guess I’m going to be cooking up this feast?” Sonya asked with a grin that already indicated she knew the answer to her own question.
“Well, if you like I can fire up the barbeque.” Peter offered with a grin.
“Not a chance,” she replied almost immediately. “That’s way too soon, and I know you’re offering it just to avoid work.”
“Alright,” Peter said, sighing again as he knew he’d been bested. He picked up the laptop carrier and have his wife a half-assed smile. “I’ll be in the den working on the new manuscript if you need me.”
“I won’t, but thanks for offering.” Sonya said, “Get back to work, and I don’t care if you get into a groove either, everyone at the table includes you too!”
“Fair enough,” Peter said, “I’ll be in the den.”
Sonya watched him walk away and gave out a light sigh of her own before retreating to the kitchen to do her own thing. Before she could start making anything, she’d have to clean up and organize the kitchen. There were frozen meats in the freezer that still looked good in her books, and with some instant side dishes she had brought with her, that would have to do until she could get to the grocery store the next day to replenish their supplies. Sonya paused for a moment, took another smell, and then decided it wasn’t worth the risk. She tossed the meat out in the trash and then grabbed her smart phone which was packed in her overfilling purse. She dialed a few numbers and ordered a few pizzas, wings, and some soda to go with it. Sonya realized it was cheating but she honestly didn’t care. It was her money and Peter never told her what to do with no more than she would tell him what to do with his. With that taken care of, she still went about cleaning the kitchen and pretty much reopening it for the summer. By ordering out, it would remain clean at least for the first day and she’s have time to relax after it was all tidied up. Then the real fun would begin.