CHAPTER FORTY- Money Talks
“Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,
Laura defended.
“What
about you?”
“Easy. Sour gummy worms,” Jen declared. “The perfect combination of sweet and sour.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Of course you’d pick candy. Your dentist must love you!
As they crossed into New Mexico, the landscape began to change, desert giving way to more varied terrain. They decided to stop for the night in Albuquerque, pulling into a quaint motel just off the highway.
“Home sweet home,” Jen announced as they entered their room. “Or at least, home for the next eight hours.”
Laura flopped onto one of the beds, stretching out her cramped muscles. “I forgot how exhausting road trips can be. How did we do this all the time as kids?”
“Well, for one thing, we were a lot smaller,” Jen pointed out. “And I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad drugged us with BenadryL”
Laura snorted. “That explains a lot, actually.”
As they settled in for the night, len suddenly sat up, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Hey, want to do face masks? I brought some of those sheet ones that make you look like a serial killer.”
Laura laughed. “Why not? It’s not like we have to impress anyone here.”
Soon, they were both lounging on their beds, faces covered in slimy white masks, scrolling through their phones.
“Oh my god,” Jen suddenly exclaimed. “You will not believe what Mom just texted me.”
Laura groaned. “Do I want to know?”
Jen cleared her throat dramatically before reading: “Jennifer, please talk some sense into your sister. Jacob is such a nice boy, and he comes from a good family. She’s not getting any younger, you know.***
Laura sat up, her face mask sliding off. “She did not say that!”
Jen held up her phone as proof, “Oh, she absolutely did. Want to see my reply?”
Without waiting for an answer, Jen read aloud: “Dear Mom, I regret to inform you that Laura has joined a convent and taken a vow of silence. Please respect her life choices. Love, Jen”
Laura burst out laughing. “You didn’t!”
Jen grinned. “Oh, but I did. Think that’ll buy us at least a day of peace?”
The next morning, they hit the road early, determined to make good time. As they drove through the New Mexico countryside, they played increasingly ridiculous road trip games.
“Dicey, your turn,” Jen said. “I spy with my little eye… something beginning with “D“.”
Laura scanned the landscape. “Um, dirt?”
Try apsin
Laura frowned. “Jeu, there’s literally nothing out here but dirt and desert.”
jeri smirked. “You’re not thinking creatively enough.”
After few more failed guesses, Laura threw up her hands. “I give up. What is it?”
Tlaat doesn’t count! You can’t see desolation!”
“Sure, youran,” Jon argued. “Just look around Desolation as far as the rye can see.
As they crossed into Teras, the landscape began to change again. Thury decided to stop t The first Chicken Fried Steak in Texas.”
for lunch in Amarillo,
nilling into a small diner i that promises
Latara mused as they slid into a booth, “I don’t think I’ve ever actually hail chicken fried strik,”
wadened in mock horror. “What? That’s it, we’re ordering one to share. You can’t road trip through Texas without trying chicken fried steak.”
they waited for tærir food, Laura’s phone buzzed. Sie glanced at it and inmunediately rolled her eyes..
me about a dozen messages apologizing and asking for another chance.”
CHAPTERranty – Money Jaka
Laura handed over her phone, and Jen scrolled through the messages, her eyebrows climbing higher with each one.
“Wow,” she finally said. “He really doesn’t give up, does he? Oh man, he even sent a poem. Want me to read it?”
Laura buried her face in her hands. “Do I have a choice?”
len cleared her throat and began to read in an exaggerated romantic voice:
“Laura, my love, with hair so fair,
Your beauty leaves me in despair
One day together was not enough,
Without you, my life is too tough.
Please give me a chance to prove my worth,
Together, we could conquer the Earth.”
By the time len finished, Laura was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. “Oh my god, that’s terrible!”
“Hey, at least he tried,” Ten said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “Though maybe he should stick to his day job.”
As they continued their journey, the miles flying by, they encountered an unexpected delay in a small town just outside of Oklahoma City.
“What’s going on?” Laura asked, craning her neck to see past the line of cars in front of them
Jen rolled down her window and called out to a nearby pedestrian. “Excuse me! Is there an accident or something?”
The man grinned. “Nope, it’s the annual Squirrel Appreciation Day parade!”
Laura and Jen exchanged bewildered looks. “The what now?” Laura asked.
“Squirrel Appreciation Day,” the man repeated, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “It’s a big deal around here. The parade should be done in about an hour”
As the man walked away, Jen turned to Laura with a mischievous grin “Well, sis, looks like we’re stuck here for a bit. Want to check out this squirrel parade?
Laura hesitated for a moment before shrugging. “Why not? It’s not like our day could get any weirder.”
They managed to find a parking spot and made their way to the main street, which was lined with excited spectators. Soon, the parade began, and the sisters found themselves caught up in the absurdity of it all.
“Oh my god,” Jen gasped, pointing. “Look at that float! It’s a giant acor!”
Laura couldn’t help but laugh as she watched people dressed in elaborate squirrel costumes prancing down the street. “This is simultaneously the most ridiculous and most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.
As they watched, a group of children in squirrel onesies scampered by, tossing handfuls of nuts to the crowd.
“Quick,” Jen said, elbowing Laura. “Catch one! It’s good luck!”
Leure rolled her eyes but played along, managing to catch a peanut. “There, happy now?”
Jen nodded solemnly “Yes You’re now blessed by the squirrel gods. Use this power wisely.”
By the time they got back on the road, both sisters were in high spirits, still giggling over the absurdity of the parade.
“You know,” Laura mused as they crossed into Missouri, “I think I needed this trip more than I realized.”
Jen glanced over at her. “Yeah? How so?”
Laura was quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “It’s just… everything’s been so crazy lately. The inheritance, the family drama, work stress. I forgot how to just relax and have hun, you know?
jen reached over and squeezed her sister’s hand. “Well, that’s what little sisters are for. To remind you how to be ridiculous and have a good ti
a time.”
As night fell, they decided to push through to St. Louis, taking turns driving and napping. They arrived in the early hours of the morning, checking into a hotel for a few hours of real sleep before hitting the road again.
The next day passed in a blur of highways, gas station rullee, and increasingly delirious conversations.
“Okay, hear the out,” Jen said as they crossed into Oldo
(il squirrels are actually tiny, furry aliens sent to study us?”
Laura snorted. “Is this because of the parade? Are you still thinking about that?”
“No, no, laten,” Jeri insisted. “They’re everywhere, right? And they’re always watching us. What if they’re gathering intel for an invasion?”
Leura shook her head, laughing. “Think you’ve had too much caffette, vis.
As they neared the Pennsylvania border, Laura’s phone buzzed again. She glanced at it and groaned,
re nodded. “He words to know if I’ve thought about lids proposal and if I’d be willing to video chat to discuss our future,”
CHAPTER 1 (HER – Money Talki
Jon whistled low. “Wow, he really doesn’t give up, does he? Want me to reply for you?”
Laura hesitated for a moment before handing over her phone. “Sure, why not? Just try not to be too mean, okay?”
Jen grinned wickedly as she typed out a response. A few minutes later, she handed the phone back to Laura.
“There,” she said. “That should do it.”
Laura read the message and burst out laughing. “Dear Jacob,” she read aloud, “I’m flattered by your persistence, but I’m afraid I’ve already pledged my heart to the Squirrel King of Oklahoma. His acom crown and bushy tall have stolen my heart. I wish you all the best in your future romantic endeavors. Yours truly, Laura.‘”
“Think that’ll get the message across?” Jen asked innocently
Laura wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. “If it doesn’t, I don’t know what will.”
As they entered the home stretch of their journey, both sisters felt a mix of excitement and nostalgia. The trip had been full of unexpected moments and silly adventures, bringing them closer together than they’d been in
years.
“You know,” Jen said as they crossed into Connecticut, “we should do this more often. Not the whole inheritance drama thing, obviously, but the road trip part.”
Laura nodded, smiling. “Yeah, we should. It’s been fun, hasn’t it? Despite everything?”
“Because of everything.” Jen corrected. “Life’s more interesting with a little chaos thrown in.”
As they rounded a bend in the highway, a sign came into view, making both sisters sit up a little straighter.
“Welcome to Stanford,” Laura read aloud, a sense of homecoming washing over her
