Complicated Love

Family

"You guys ready?!?" Sherry busts through our front door "We need to leave now unless you want us stuck in traffic!"

I grab my purse and run downstairs to meet them.  Brad follows behind, struggling with the two big suitcases he's stuck with.

"What the hell did you pack this time?"

"Enough for the week." I make sure everything is out for my assistant who is taking care of the dogs, and lock the doors as we walk out "I have what's needed to save your ass since you never pack enough."

"You two are with the kids.  We had to separate them because they already started fighting." My sister in law opens the car door "They don't want us anywhere near them."

"Well, this should be a fun 4 hour drive."

I squeeze myself between my niece and brother who refuses to sit in the middle, while Brad sits all the way in the back with my nephew. 

"So what are we watching?" I ask my niece since AJ shows no signs of wanting to talk to anyone "Did your dad put a movie on for you?"

"No, he said we can't watch because we were fighting."

"Well he's in the other car anyway.  What do you guys want?"

This of course causes more fighting since they can't agree on anything, and I immediately regret even asking.

"Good job, Jen.  You just made this even better." Aj looks very annoyed "They were finally quiet."

"Yeah, you do this every year." Brad pushes my seat "You can't just let them be quiet."

"It is not my fault.  We all know they would have found something else to fight about."

The kids finally get quiet once we give them a bunch of candy, and I get out a book to read.

All is going well until I hear Brad talking to John and a few seconds later feel a piece of candy pelt me in the back of my head.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"You shouldn't talk like that in front of kids." Brad says, handing John more candy "That's teaching them bad words."

"They already know them from their grandpa." Sherry defends me "They've heard worse."

"She's right." Shannon adds, looking back "Stop throwing candy at Aunt Jen."

"But it's fun!" John argues, yelling right in my ear "Uncle Brad said I can!"

"Well sometimes Uncle Brad says things he shouldn't." I turn around, stealing some of their candy "The less you throw the more you get to eat."

"You're so mean not letting him have any fun." Aj takes their side just to make me mad "You're never fun on these car rides."

"I'd like to see you stuck in between two people for four hours and see how much fun you are."

He doesn't say anything, just ignores me as he goes back to listening to his weird music.

"What do you guys have planned for us this year?" I ask Sherry since her and my dad always plan everything on these yearly cabin vacations.  They think of whatever they can that'll interest the kids, as we get stuck doing it.

"We were thinking since they're older maybe we could try zip lining.  They have that huge course near the cabin."

"Nope." Brad replies quickly, surprising everyone but me, who already knows he's scared of heights "No way.  Not happening."

"Jen, make him do it." Sherry turns back quickly "Everyone else already said they will."

"Yeah right.  I can try but it's not happening.  I couldn't even get him to try it on our honeymoon after lots of begging."

"Well start begging better.  We're doing it."

"I don't have any problems with her begging better, but I am not zip lining."

"Can I please get out of this car before this talk gets any worse?" Aj asks, being the only person in the car old enough to understand everything, but young enough to be grossed out "I do not need to know all of this." 

"Get over it." I roll my eyes, knowing he's just doing it for attention "You get him to do the zip lining and you won't need to hear anymore talking."

"Hey Brad." Aj turns around, genuinely hoping to change his mind "Do it so I don't have to listen to this crap anymore."

"Sorry dude.  I like your sister's begging much more."

"You're disgusting." I turn to face Brad who is smirking "Seriously my family does not want or need to know all this."

"I wish your brother was in this car." Shannon laughs, knowing my brother John would hate this "Him and your dad are probably having a very boring drive."

"Can I please join them?!?" Aj asks again "Seriously I want out of here!"

Sherry finally pulls over to let him switch cars, and I move over so I'm not squished anymore.

"And now our car got boring..." Brad sighs, kicking my seat "Let's play a game!"

"Let's not." I reach back, pushing his legs against his seat "And stop kicking me.  You're annoying."

"You aren't any fun.  I should have just gone with AJ."

"Get over it.  Play with the kids."

He goes on to make up some weird game for the three of them to play while I try to read the script that I brought with.  The car actually gets somewhat quiet after a while when the kids play the games they brought with and Brad goes over the scripts that he has.

"How much longer?" El asks, looking around "I have to pee!"

"It's about 30 minutes.  Can you wait?" Sherry looks back, knowing the answer when she sees El has her legs crossed over "I'll find a rest stop."

"Good.  I have to pee too." I admit as she pulls off the highway "I want some food too."

"You've been eating snacks the last four hours." Brad says as we get out "What more do you want?"

"I just want pretzels.  Leave me alone."

We all run into the bathrooms quickly before going back out to buy some more snacks.

"Do you guys want anything?" I ask the kids as we walk through the store "You can have it for the way home."

They each pick out something and I hand it all to Brad so he can pay for it.

"I get to pay and I don't even like any of it." He complains as we leave "We better be eating something good for dinner tonight."

We pile back in the car and drive the last thirty minutes to the cabin we stay at every year.

"Welcome to the week of hell."