They posed in front of the twine, making exaggerated shocked faces. Laura set the timer on her camera and quickly joined Jen.
“Okay, now a silly one,” Jen insisted.
In the next photo, they pretended to be trapped by the twine, wrapping their arms around themselves and making distressed faces.
Back in the car, they couldn’t stop giggling at their ridiculous photos
“I’m posting these, Jen said, already tapping away on her phone.
As the sun began to set, Laura’s stomach growled loudly.
Jen laughed. “I think that’s our cue to find some dinner.”
Burger Challenge.”
“Oh, we have to try that,” Laura said, pulling into the parking lot.
Inside, they were greeted by a friendly waitress named Darlene. “Welcome to Big Bob’s! Are you here for the challenge? Jen nodded eagerly. “What exactly is the Mega Burger Challenge?”
CHAPTER THIRTY–TWO–Bound by More Than Blood
Darlene’s eyes twinkled. “It’s a two–pound burger with all the fixings, plus a pound of fries. If you can finish it in 30 minutes, it’s free, and you get your picture on the Wall of Fame.”
Laura and Jen exchanged determined looks. “We’ll do it,” they said in unison.
Fifteen minutes later, they stared in awe at the enormous plates in front of them. The burgers were stacked high with lettuce, tomato, onions, and multiple cheese slices, barely held together by the bun. The mountain of fries threatened to spill off the plate.
“Your time starts now,” Darlene announced, setting a timer.
The sisters dug in, taking large bites and trying to pace themselves. At first, they made good progress, but about halfway through, they began to slow down.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Laura groaned, eyeing the remaining half of her burger.
Jen nodded, her cheeks bulging with food. She swallowed hard. “But we can’t give up now!”
They pressed on, alternating between bites of burger and handfuls of fries. The other diners cheered them on, adding to the excitement.
With five minutes left, both sisters had only a quarter of their burgers left, but the fries seemed never–ending.
“Come on, ladies!” Big Bob himself had emerged from the kitchen to watch. “You’re so close!”
They redoubled their efforts, shoving fries into their mouths with reckless abandon. But as the timer buzzed, they both still had a handful of tries left on their plates.
“So close!” Darlene said sympathetically. “You did better than most folks who try.”
Laura leaned back in her chair, feeling like she might burst. “That was intense.”
Jen nodded, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “But fun. Though I don’t think I want to see another burger for at least a week. ”
They paid their bill and waddled back to the car, amid cheers and congratulations from the other diners.
Back on the road, they drove in comfortable silence for a while, still recovering from their burger adventure. As the sky darkened, Laura yawned widely.
“Want me to take over?” Jen offered.
Laura nodded gratefully. “Let’s switch at the next rest stop.”
They pulled over and switched seats. As Jen pulled back onto the highway, Laura reclined her seat slightly.
“Wake me up in a couple of hours, okay?” she mumbled, already feeling her eyelids grow heavy.
“Will do,” Jen replied. “Sweet dreams, sis ”
Laura drifted off to the soft sounds of the radio and the hum of the tires on the road.
She woke with a start as the car came to a stop. Blinking sleepily, she looked around. They were in a small parking lot, a neon “Vacancy “sign blinking in front of them.
“Where are we?” she asked, stretching.
“Midway, Oklahoma,” Jen replied, stifling a yawn “I’m beat. Thought we could stop for the night and get an early start tomorrow.”
Laura nodded, grabbing her overnight bag from the backseat. “Good call‘
They made their way to the motel office, a small, dimly lit room that smelled faintly of mothballs. Behind the counter sat an elderly man with thick glasses, peering at them over an ancient–loolding ledger.
“Evening, ladies,” he said slowly. “Checking in?”
“Yes, please,” Laura replied. “Just for one night ”
The man nodded and began the check–in process, meticulously writing out their information in the ledger. Laura and Jen exchanged amused glances as they watched him laboriously form each letter.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he handed them a key. “Room 12,” he said “End of the row on your right.”
“Thank you,” Jen said, taking the key.
They made their way to their room, the gravel crunching under their feet. Laura unlocked the door, and they stepped inside.
The room was small and dated, with garish floral wallpaper and a bedspread that had seen better days. But it was clean, and at this point, they were too tired to care about aesthetics.
“Check out this TV,” Jen said, fiddling with the ancient set. “I think it only gets three channels.”
Laura laughed, flopping onto one of the beds. “Well, we’re not here for the entertainment ”
They quickly got ready for bed, brushing their teeth and changing into pajamas. As they settled into their respective beds, Laura felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her.
“This reminds me of when we used to share a room as kids,” she said softly.
Jen smiled in the darkness. “Yeah, it does. Remember how we used to stay up way past our bedtime, whispering and giggling
“Mom would always catch us,” Laura recalled with a chuckle.
They lay in comfortable silence for a moment, both lost in memories.
“I’m glad we’re doing this together, Laura said finally. “Even if it’s for a sad reason.”
“Me too,” Jen replied. “Goodnight, Laura
“Goodnight, Jen.
