The highway stretched out before them, golden in the late afternoon sun, the road humming beneath the weight of their home on wheels. The Carter family had spent the last three days in their RV, rolling through state lines, eating roadside diner food, and making memories they’d talk about for years. Or at least, that was the plan.

  “Dad, slow down, you’re making my pictures blurry!” Lily huffed from the passenger seat, angling her phone toward the sprawling hills. Her perfectly straight brown hair framed her face, brows furrowed in frustration as she tapped through the images.

  “You want a good shot, sweetheart?” Mike smirked, gripping the wheel. “I’ll give you a good shot.”

  Before anyone could stop him, he jerked the wheel just slightly, just enough to make the RV bounce. Lily shrieked, clutching her phone as Sarah swatted her husband’s arm.

  “Michael Carter, if you throw our daughter through the windshield just for some joke, you’re the one sleeping outside tonight,” she scolded, but there was laughter in her voice.

  Ben, from his spot at the small RV table, cackled. “Do it again, Dad!”

  Lily groaned, dramatically tossing herself against the seat. “You guys are so annoying.”

  “You love us,” Sarah said, reaching back to ruffle her daughter’s hair. Lily swatted her away but smiled despite herself.

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  The RV was lived-in, not in the sense of clutter but in the way that every inch of it felt like home. A half-finished board game sat on the table where Ben had been playing solo, waiting for someone to join him. Lily’s sketchbook lay open next to a pair of headphones, forgotten in favor of snapping the perfect picture. Sarah had tucked a small bouquet of wildflowers into a cup holder, a little touch of nature for their metal home.

  It wasn’t perfect. None of them were.

  Mike sometimes forgot he wasn’t in his old truck, speeding like they were in a race. Sarah had a habit of narrating every landmark they passed, like a built-in tour guide, even when no one asked. Lily rolled her eyes so much it was a miracle they didn’t get stuck. And Ben? Ben was a walking ball of energy, constantly talking, constantly moving, constantly making everyone just a little bit tired.

  But it worked. They worked.

  “Alright, next stop,” Mike announced, eyes on the road. “Gas, snacks, and a bathroom break for you two weak-bladdered humans.”

  Ben gasped in offense. “I don’t have to pee that much.”

  “Ben, you made us pull over seven times yesterday,” Lily deadpanned.

  “Did not.”

  “Did too.”

  The gas station was one of those lonely ones, sitting on the edge of a long stretch of nothing. The sign flickered weakly, and a single truck was parked near the entrance. Mike pulled in, stretching his arms as he shifted into park.

  “Alright, let’s make this quick,” he said. “I’ll get gas. You guys grab snacks. And for the love of everything holy, stick together this time.”

  That was directed at Ben, who had a tendency to wander off.

  “I will, I will,” Ben grumbled, already skipping toward the door. Lily grabbed his hood before he could get too far, dragging him along with her.

  Inside, the store smelled like stale coffee and dust. The cashier sat behind the counter, head down, looking pale. Too pale.

  Sarah frowned. “Sir, are you alright?”

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