"It should be the next exit," Katniss said, peering at her phone and trying to decipher the tiny map on the screen.
"Mama, I can't last much longer," Lila said, the desperation in her voice filling the car.
"I told you to use the bathroom at the last rest stop, Lila," Katniss said. She tried hard not to show her exasperation. "Cross your legs!"
Jude had fallen asleep in the last ten minutes. Katniss had read to him for more than an hour before he finally dropped off to sleep. Now that they were arriving, they would have to wake him. She groaned inwardly. A ten minute nap was usually worse than no nap at all.
Peeta moved the car into the right-hand lane. "It's just ahead," he said quietly, reaching over and squeezing her thigh. The green highway sign read "Bridgeport, CT," the second stop on their road trip. She smiled at him and raised her eyebrows. They all needed to get out of this car. As soon as possible.
They'd left their home in Asheville, North Carolina the day before and had driven seven hours to the Shenandoah River State Park in Virginia to camp. Getting a very early start, they'd planned to spend the afternoon swimming and playing by the river before cooking their meal over the fire.
Unfortunately, it had rained – all afternoon. They'd pitched their tent, and everyone had just changed into their bathing suits when the first, fat raindrops began to fall.
"I thought you checked weather!" Katniss said, looking at Peeta.
"You put me in charge of food! You didn't say anything else!"
Katniss had scowled at him, frustrated, as they all retreated inside the tent. For the next several hours, Katniss and Peeta did their best to entertain the children. Peeta drew an infinite number of pictures for Jude and Lila to color in. They played massive rounds of UNO with Lila, and Katniss read to Jude for so long that her throat began to feel scratchy and she couldn't stop yawning. When they couldn't stand another minute cooped up in the tent – and they were all looking at each other in annoyance – they'd had to face the fact that there would be no campfire that night.
So they went to the only place to eat for miles around: McDonalds.
"I hate this place," Katniss said petulantly, eating a french fry.
"The food is gross," Peeta agreed, as he took the last bite of some disgustingly drippy hamburger, "but at least they can get some energy out."
At almost seven years old, Lila was old enough to assist her brother through the maze of plastic tubes – and fortunately she had inherited Peeta's patience. They watched as she helped Jude climb up the steps to the upper level, first finding places for his hands to grab hold of before shoving his chubby bottom up. He was a mostly good-natured child, but naps and exercise were essential, and Katniss knew this road trip would be trying until they got to Maine and could stay put for awhile.
That's why she'd planned this stop. Katniss knew she was acting childishly, but she had put a lot of time into planning their first road trip with the kids, and she had been really excited about taking them on their inaugural camping trip. But now, nothing was turning out like she'd planned.
After wiping his hands on a napkin, Peeta reached out across the table to capture her hand and bring her fingers to his lips for a moment before speaking. "You of all people should know you can't plan a perfect camping trip. And adding in children multiplies that ten-fold."
"You know I'm not flexible."
"You are flexible in some ways," he said, quirking an eyebrow at her.
She tried to scowl at him but succeeded in only a smirk.
"You remember our first camping trip?" he said. "That one was pretty perfect."
Now she genuinely smiled. That camping trip was almost fourteen years ago, and it had been a weekend of firsts. Staring at his face, it was hard to believe Peeta would have his thirty fifth birthday this fall. He looked practically the same as he had when they were barely more than teenagers in the mountains of North Georgia.
She reached across the table to kiss him briefly before saying, "You know, it's very annoying how you never get impatient." She squeezed his hand. "No one enjoys being around perfection all the time."
"Remind yourself of my perfection tonight when my snoring keeps you awake, OK?"
Unfortunately, the weather – and not Peeta's snores – made it a miserable night. As the evening wore on, it rained harder and harder. The kids snuggled between them in the tent. At one point, Jude had turned perpendicular to his parents, his head boring into Peeta's back while his feet kicked out at Katniss. Rain had started dripping in through the window after midnight – even though they had closed it securely – causing Peeta to shift everyone closer to Katniss so he wouldn't get wet.
At five in the morning, damp and chilled, Peeta and Katniss were lying awake staring at each other over the sleeping mounds of their children. Since they were awake and there was no need to stick around the muddy campsite, they'd gotten on the road early.
It had been a beautiful drive through Virginia and much of Pennsylvania, the rolling hills so different from the mountains of home. Skirting New York City, they'd made it into Connecticut by early afternoon and followed the coastline to Bridgeport.
"So," Peeta said expectantly as he pulled off the highway onto the exit ramp, "which way?"
"Right," she replied. She was having a hard time keeping her face neutral as they turned onto a two-lane highway.
They had driven half a mile when she said, "I think it's up here on the right."
"I don't see anything that looks like a campground," Peeta said, his tone concerned. "Are you sure this is the right exit?"
"No, I see it, right there. Take the next right."
"That's a Ramada, Katniss."
"Yes."
"Yes?" He looked at her with wide eyes. "Did you book a hotel?"
She laughed and nodded.
"I do not believe it," he said smiling and shaking his head as he turned into the parking lot. "After all that talk about saving money and letting the kids learn how to camp."
"And we will," she said. "But after last night, and since we've got another full day to get to Maine, I thought we might need a good night's sleep tonight."
"Agreed," he said. "When did you call?"
"While you were running around with the kids in the grass outside that gas station."
As she'd predicted, Jude woke up as they pulled into the parking spot and started whimpering. Peeta pulled the toddler out of his car seat and hugged him close, shushing him and saying, "Who's my big boy? Who needed a better nap?" He looked over the Jude's head to Katniss. "Please tell me they have a pool here."
"Yep," she said, leaning forward and rubbing the boy's back.
Peeta's eyes gleamed as he murmured, "Oh my god, if it weren't for these two, I'd throw you down right here right now."
Laughter bubbled up inside of her. This was why they needed a vacation. This was why they needed to get away from their daily routines.
Taking Lila's hand, Katniss walked to the front entrance of the hotel and approached the counter. The paperwork was finished quickly, and soon they were all carrying bags and children down a long hall to room 112.
"Here it is," Katniss said.
"Mama, can I do the key?"
Katniss handed Lila the card and tried to wait patiently as the small girl fumbled getting it into the keyhole. Finally she got it right, and the green light lit up. Lila turned the handle, and Katniss followed her inside, looking around.
"I think the bathroom's through there, love," she said to the girl.
Lila, remembering her great need, sped through a doorway, hollering that she might not make it!
Peeta was still holding the drowsy boy to his shoulder, but he stopped just inside the doorway and looked around the room.
"Katniss."
She turned as he set Jude carefully on his feet.
"You got a suite."
"Yep."
He took a step closer to her. "Two rooms."
"Yep."
He dipped his head to her neck, kissing the spot below her ear before saying quietly, "Hotel sex."
Katniss didn't respond but just smiled into his cheek.