Seriously, you guys, I thought yesterday was April 1. Do you know how stressful it is to go through TWO consecutive days where you are on constant guard for pranks? Sheesh. Stressful!
"Ah. Finally. Another driver in the household. Where should we go without your mom first? I was thinking somewhere completely inaccessible from the Metro, like Ikea." Auggie said, wrapping his arm around his son's shoulders.
"Auggie, he has to have a licensed driver in the car with him at all times." Annie said, for the fifth time that week.
"You've mentioned that, dear. That's why I had..." He moved behind and put his hands over Austin's ears "...somebody in Cover Ops..." he whispered before removing his hands, "... make me this." Auggie reached into his pocket and pulled out a card.
"You know I can still hear when you do that, right dad?" Austin said as Auggie held the card out for Annie.
"Haven't we taught you about 'Plausable Deniability?'" Auggie asked.
"I know nothing." Austin replied.
"You are ridiculous, Auggie." Annie said as the looked at the driver's license that Auggie had handed over.
"I'm a genuis, dear. He's only allowed to drive with his permit during the day, so I'll always wear my sunglasses, and if he gets pulled, I'll hope we don't have to leave the car."
"And if you do?" Annie asked.
Auggie rolled his eyes. "I've thought through the worst case scenario, and I'm comfortable with the risk."
Annie made a noise that could only come from a mother who has given up a fight temporarily. "You haven't ridden with him yet. It might be scary."
"I've ridden with you for almost twenty years now, can it be -" Austin elbowed his father before his mother threw something in their direction.
"Watch yourself, Anderson." Annie said, coldly.
Auggie pinched his lips together and smiled. "Okay then. To celebrate this milestone, how about we have Austin be our designated driver for the night?"
"What?" Austin exclaimed.
"I do like the way you are thinking, dear." Annie stated.
"I don't!" Austin said.
"You don't want to drive?" Auggie asked.
"For starters, this means I have to get you home before dark. That's around 8 PM these days."
"Saturday, then." Auggie said. "How long has it been since we went day-drinking, honey?"
"Too long." Annie replied.
...
Saturday morning the family loaded up the car and put Austin behind the wheel. It was scarier for Auggie than he had expected. If they got out of DC alive, it might be worth the adventure, but so far the kid was nothing but acceleration and brakes.
Auggie was rarely a "backseat driver" but while riding with Austin he was nothing but running commentary. It was as though a fatherly instinct had kicked in, and even though Auggie couldn't do the driving himself, he could micro-manage the young man behind the wheel from his position in the back seat. Annie had drawn the line at letting Auggie take shotgun, at least while she was in the car.
"The key is to accelerate coming out of the turn. Never, ever, hit the brakes once you are into the turn. Brake before the curve, accelerate when you hit the sweet spot - umph." Auggie fell to the side as Austin came out of a turn fast and jerky. "Good try. Less acceleration next time."
"Please slow down, there are brake lights ahead." Annie chimed in, trying to make sure they survived. "And take the next right."
"Why are we going so slow?" Auggie asked after the turn.
"So I don't throw you into the door again." "Because it's a one-lane driveway" Austin and Annie replied simultaneously.
A half-hour later the family was sitting on a hillside with a picnic lunch, a bottle of wine, and a bottle of water for Austin.
"After that ride, your father and I need a drink." Annie explained.
"You definitely got your driving skills from your mother." Auggie said.
"Hey!" Annie loosely punched him in the arm. "He's a better driver than you."
"I used to be a great driver." Auggie said, playfully.
"So you say. I bet if I talked to your father we could get the real story." Annie teased, giving Austin a wink.
"Fifteen years passed between the last time he was in a car with me and when I lost my sight."
"Excuses, excuses."
Auggie took a sip of the wine and looked toward Annie. "There may be some people at work that rode with me long ago."
"I'm sure you were great." Annie said.
The family sat in the grass for another hour, enjoying the atmosphere and the food. Auggie was a bit more relaxed when they got back into the car.
"If we are going to get back before dark, we need to leave soon." Annie stated.
Auggie nodded and took the last sip of his wine. They picked up their trash and walked together to the car. There was far less backseat driving on the trip home. Austin took it slow, and actually accelerated at the right time for a few curves coming down the hills.
As they got closer to the city, Auggie became talkative again. "Without looking, what color is the car behind you?"
"I... uh..." Without thinking, Austin looked.
"Okay, is there anybody in your blind spot?"
Auggie could hear Austin look over his shoulder. "No."
"Hm." Auggie thought as he sat back against his seat.
"Babe. He just got his permit last week. I'll teach him evasive maneuvers soon enough."
"Are you paying attention? What if we're being tailed?"
"Of course I'm paying attention. Traffic is light, and the same car hasn't been behind us for more than a minute."
"Why do we need to worry about a tail?" Austin asked.
"No reason." Annie replied.
"Is somebody after us?"
"No," Auggie replied, putting on what had become his father voice. "It's just good to always know your surroundings. If something happened to the car in front of you, you need to know if you can jump into the other lane or not. Keeping a constant watch over where all the other cars are around you could make a difference in a moment like that."
"Oh."
"But you don't need to worry about any of that right now," Annie added. "Just stay in this lane, and keep a good distance from that car in front of you, and we'll all get home safely.
"Okay mom."
"And no matter what he says, don't go driving with your father for a few weeks."
"Anne Catherine, taking away all my fun."
"Keeping my boys alive, sweetheart."
I know I've been ridiculously good about posting something for this every day, but that's been a fluke. The next few days I have to actually do some other writing in my spare time, so there may or may not be updates. And I'm trying to get another chapter of Overt going, as well. So I apologize in advance if there is a bit of silence...