The Summer Home

1. Driving Out

     Nothing tests a family's love for one another than a long ride in a car, or in this situation, a minivan. It's one thing to drive several blocks to restaurant to get something for dinner but it's another to be packed inside it like sardines for almost a week only stopping to eat or at a hotel to crash for the night. When Peter first took his family to what he calls the summer home, it was one of the most stressful trips he ever took. There were spats, yelling, and some pretty ugly fights. It got to one point where he had to stop the car and get out just so he could scream to the top of his lungs, out in the open where it wouldn't damage anyone's ear drums. Many years later, they had all become seasoned professionals. They had the tools and the equipment necessary to ignore the other passengers should they begin to feel annoyed. As far as Peter was concerned, this was all money well spent. Rather than have someone flip out, it made sense to buy them a portable MP3 player for them to zone out whenever necessary. He also didn't care where the kids got their music as long as it wasn't explicit, and he got a chance to review it. Peter looked in the rear-view mirror to notice and admire how peaceful it was in the back seats. Each child with their own headset on, in their own happy place while listening to whatever music made them docile. This made Peter very happy, because keeping the peace while driving out to the summer home was very important to him. He looked to his right to see his wife Sonya, asleep and in her own world as well. She had her head leaned up against the window and for that reason, Peter made sure he wasn't speeding because he didn't want a bump to violently wake her up. His wife had a rough time the night before at the hotel, and he wanted to make sure she got in as many power naps as possible before they got to their summer home. This was their one and only time to get away from it all. Sonya was a teacher, so she always had two and a half months off every summer and since Peter was a writer, so he could pack up and take his wherever he wanted. Thanks to the internet and the ability to fire zip files through cyberspace, any material could be sent out to publishers within seconds. Anywhere Peter could flip open his laptop was now his office, which made things easier on the family. Yet sometimes going out made it much harder for Peter to get work done but he slugged through it anyway. An unhappy household also made for an unproductive workplace so keeping the wife and the kids happy was helpful.

     This summer was going to be different for Peter as his agent and publisher were both breathing down his neck, eager to get another book sooner rather than later. Easier said than done as Peter had been struggling the last few months to the point where he even considered not coming to the summer home this year. Because of imposing deadlines, Peter was going to be sheltered in the house for most of summer. Sonya already knew that and was ready to carry the burden of childcare while they were at the summer house. Peter really appreciated her support and while watching the kids was no picnic, he was still going to be there to support her if something bad happened that required the involvement of two parents. Peter was just hoping that wasn't going to be often so he could actually get a significant amount of work done. Peter and Sonya had been married to her for over eight years and he still felt like a newlywed whenever he was with her. Sonya had saved him from a pit of despair and depression and the life she provided made life worth living. He loved her so much for that. Along for the ride was Jacob, her son from a previous relationship. While he was a hot-tempered kid, Peter liked him a great deal because he reminded the writer of himself when he was a kid. Jacob was nothing compared to the badass Peter was in his youth, which made it so easy for him to connect with the young man and they immediately became good friends, which was important as his relationship with Sonya became more serious over time. Jacob's biological father was a good man. He was always available to help out and never missed a weekend with his son. Peter also made sure that the door was always open for him to visit and be a part of the little man's life. Then they all became more a family when Sonya became pregnant. Several months later, they were married and welcomed twin girls to their tribe. Samantha and Fiona were the best things that ever happened to Peter, and he was very thankful for the people he had in his life. They gave him new hope and more importantly a reason to want to hang around this planet a lot longer. Jacob was the best big brother someone could want, and Peter went out of his way to make sure he was comfortable to be the best he could be for the family as well.