Even though I was expecting the question, I wasn’t sure how to answer it. I’d never had to explain it to anyone because everyone I was around already knew the story.
“Yes, I do. Without going into too much detail, I was adopted at birth and reconnected with my biological parents when I was nineteen. Kathleen is my adoptive mother, and Annabelle is my biological mother.”
“Seems like they both really care about you.”
Of course they did. They were my mothers. Which made me wonder if maybe her mother didn’t care about her. But I wasn’t going to ask. Instead, I told her they did and changed the subject.
* * *
I don’t knowwhen I fell asleep, but the sudden roar of engines woke me.
I looked down to see Aspen asleep in my lap where my iPad had once been. Apparently, we’d fallen asleep during one of the movies and had sort of folded in on each other. I wasn’t complaining. I was just glad my dick wasn’t poking her in the forehead.
“Aspen,” I said softly while gently shaking her shoulder.
“What?” she gasped and immediately sat up, banging her head into my chin as she did. “Ow, fuck. Shit. Are you okay?”
I groaned and rubbed my chin. “I don’t know. Are all my teeth still there?” I asked and flashed her a toothy grin.
“I think so,” she nodded while rubbing the back of her head. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I said and reached out to caress the back of her head. “Are you okay?”
She froze, with her eyes locked on mine, and slowly nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
I gestured toward the steering wheel. “Do you still want me to drive? I think things are about to get moving.”
“Yes, I do!” she exclaimed and climbed over me to the passenger’s seat while I moved over behind the wheel.
It took a while for us to get moving, and even then, it was stop-and-go for miles.
I glanced at the gas gauge and noticed we had less than a quarter of a tank. “I’m going to take the next exit so we can get gas.”
What I thought would be a quick trip turned out to be anything but. Traffic was moving at a snail’s pace as soon as we got off the exit.
“Looks like everyone else had the same idea you did,” she observed.
“This is ridiculous,” I said as we inched down the road. The gas station was still miles away, and at the rate we were going, it would take us all day to get there.
And then it started snowing again.
“I didn't think we were supposed to get more snow,” she said when she noticed the flurries landing on the windshield.
“We weren't,” I said, but the grey clouds covering the sky said otherwise.
“No offense, but I don't think I can stand being trapped in this capsule of fun for another fourteen hours.”
“I saw a hotel when we got off the highway.”
She straightened in her seat. “What are you saying?”
“We could go back and get a room. I wouldn’t mind a warm shower and a long nap while we wait this out,” I suggested, hoping she would be agreeable.
She exhaled in relief. “That sounds wonderful.”
I turned around in the next parking lot we came to and drove the few miles back to the hotel.
3