As Jane pulled onto the highway towards the ski resort, the scenery outside the car window turned from suburban to rural.
The trees grew thicker and taller, and the snow on the ground became deeper and more consistent.
The sun was shining brightly in the sky, casting a warm glow on the snow-covered landscape.
It was the perfect day for skiing.
Maura sat in the passenger seat, holding the map and pointing out upcoming turns.
Jess and Blaire were in the back seat, squished together with their skis and snowboards.
They were getting antsy, asking typical teenager questions "Are we there yet?", "How much further?"
Jane let out a deep sigh as she heard the familiar refrain.
"We're about two hours away, girls. Just sit tight and enjoy the ride."
"But I have to pee!" Blaire exclaimed, bouncing in her seat.
"There's a rest stop in a few miles," Maura said, glancing at Blaire in the mirror.
"We can stop there."
After ten minutes went by and still no rest stop, Blaire groaned.
"We're lost, aren't we?"
"No. We're not lost. The turn should be right up here somewhere."
"Come on mom! Let ma use her phone! No one reads a paper map anymore. You're not Indiana Jones."
"People did it like this long before phones came along Jess. This is our family time. No phones."
Jess and Blaire groaned in unison.
"At least ask someone for directions ma," Blaire said.
"We don't need directions. We're fine," Jane replied.
"Besides, who do you want me to ask? Casper the ghost over there?" Jane said, gesturing to the vast nothingness around them.
"I think Frankie is trying to get you to stop Jane," Maura said as she looked in the rearview and saw Frankie flashing his lights on and off.
Jane pulled off to the side of the road, Frankie's SUV stopping behind them.
"Ah man! Come on ma! I gotta pee!" Blaire whined.
"See those trees over there? Go step behind them and go..."
"Really Jane? Don't teach her that." Maura said pointedly, shaking her head. "We're raising young ladies. Not animals."
Jane chuckled. "Have you MET our girls?"
"Yes, and every bad habit they have they have learned from you. I guess I should have said I'm raising young ladies."
Jane rolled down her window after Frankie knocked on it.
"Are we lost?" He asked.
"We should have just left them all at home," Jane said, looking over at Maura.
"No. We're not lost. Do you people think Maura can't read a map? Come on. Her IQ is a billion."
"The highest IQ ever recorded was 228. An IQ of a billion is not…"
"I wasn't being literal Maur."
"Oh. Sorry."
Jane chuckled.
"Reading a map is not just book smarts ma. It requires a certain degree of common sense," Jess piped in from the back.
Maura turned in her seat and glared at Jess.
"I, I mean, I wasn't, you're not…."
"And you say I put my foot in my mouth," Blaire said as she laughed before doubling over as her bladder protested.
"Ma! I gotta pee!"
"Blaire Elizabeth, if you say that one more time, you're gonna walk the rest of the way."
"Hey! It's not my fault. It's a normal bodily function! It doesn't have an on and off switch."
"Maybe not but I told you not to get that big gulp at the last stop. Frankie, get back in your car. I'd like to get to the ski resort before tomorrow and find Blaire a bathroom before she pees in my backseat."
As they got further down the road, Blaire found herself in misery doing a potty dance.
Jess, bored out of her mind, decided to do what any loving big sister would do, an obligation if you will. She started to tickle Blaire.
Blaire squealed between laughs.
"Ma!" She protested loudly. "Make her stop!"
Blaire was sure her bladder was going to pop at any second.
"Jessica Lynn, knock it off."
Jane's ma had always said she would pay for her raising and she was right.
"Look. There's a small gas station," Maura said, pointing. It wasn't the rest stop they were looking for, but it would do.
Jane pulled off the road, Frankie following in behind her. She hadn't even got the car completely stopped before Blaire went scrambling out.
"No more soda!" Jane called behind her.
"You," Jane said, turning around in her seat to look at Jess.
"When your sister gets back here you apologize. That wasn't nice."
"It was just a joke ma."
"Well, I don't think your sister saw the humor. Also, if you need to pee you need to go. We won't be stopping again."
Jess shook her head from side to side. "I'm good."
"I mean it Jess. No more stops. If you holler you need to pee a mile down the road, you're going to be sol."
"Sol?" Maura questioned out loud.
Jane chuckled, "It means shit out of luck Maur." She remarked as she opened her door and stuck her head out.
"Last stop. Pee now!" Jane yelled loudly so everyone in Frankie's car could hear her, also attracting the attention of some travelers at the gas pump.
"Jane!" Maura admonished, her cheeks turning a deep crimson red.
"What?"
Maura just shook her head.
"I'm going to get some snacks. Do you want anything?"
"We have snacks in the trunk Jane."
"Yeah. I don't want those snacks. I want something here."
"You sound like the twins at the grocery store."
"Can I have something ma?" Jess asked, unbuckling her seatbelt.
"Sure kiddo. Come on. No soda," Jane added.
As they walked in the store Blaire had finished up in the bathroom and had stopped and was talking to the cashier.
"Ma! Ma! Ma!" she said excitedly.
"Blaire! Blaire! Blaire!" Jane echoed back, mimicking Blaire's excitement.
"This lady was saying that before you get to the ski resort there's an old, abandoned town. Can we stop and see it? Pleaseeeeeee?"
Blaire loved history. She found it so interesting.
"I don't know B. Let me talk to everyone else and we'll see."
"But ma…."
"I didn't say no B. I said we'll see. Do you want a snack?"
Blaire nodded. "Yes please."
Jane laughed. "Well, go find yourself something," she replied before making her way to the counter.
"So, this town. How far is it from here?" She asked while waiting for her girls to pick a snack.
"Um, probably about a mile or two. You can't miss it; it sits just off the highway. I've been there once or twice with a few friends. There's still a lot of old buildings standing, like the saloon, the church, the jail and even the bank along with a few houses. It's really cool but a bit eerie when you're walking around dirt streets looking at homes and businesses that were once bustling with people that have since been long forgotten."
Jane nodded; she wasn't one for history, but this actually sounded like something everyone would enjoy not to mention it would do everyone some good to be out of the vehicles for more than thirty minutes.
"Thanks for the info."
"Sure. No problem, but if you guys are going to head up there be careful. The news is calling for a pretty big snowstorm to blow in by late this evening."
"Thanks for the heads up. We are actually on vacation and my wife insisted on no cell phones. I'll be sure to pass that information along." Jane remarked with a grin.
Jane looked around and settled on some meat sticks. She returned to the counter as the girls returned with chips, candy, a few granola bars and a bottle of water.
Jane looked at Jess knowingly.
"What? You said no soda." Jess said with a shrug.
Jane sighed. "I also said a snack not the entire store."
The cashier chuckled and waited.
Jane looked at her and shook her head. "Teenagers. They never listen. This will be all."
After paying, Jane and the girls stepped outside. Jane walked over to Maura's window.
"So, there's this old, abandoned town not far from the ski resort. Blaire wants to stop and see it."
"Jane. We can't make any more stops if we are going to make it to the resort on time."
"C'mon mom, it'll be really cool." Blaire remarked from the backseat.
Jane tried to hide her smirk but failed. "Maur, I know you're a stickler for being on time. But we're on vacation. Besides, the girls want to go and I kinda do too. It'll do us all some good to get out of the cars for more than thirty minutes. What do you say?"
Maura really didn't have time to think it over before their girls began to beg.
"Okay. We can stop and look around a bit but no more stops after this."
Jane smiled and gave her girls a wink. "I'll go let the others know." She kissed Maura on the cheek before jogging off to the others.
A few minutes later they were back on the road.