Page 36 of Slick Trip

“Yeah,” he said slowly, looking at me like he was trying to figure something out.

In the car, Jon changed the Modern Talking cassette to Queen. I sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” at the top of my lungs. Jon took the Queen cassette away and put the radio on. I told him I’d changed my mind and he wasn’t a hoot.

We’d been driving for maybe thirty minutes when I pulled over, suddenly so tired it was difficult to concentrate.

“What’s wrong?” Jon asked.

“I don’t know.” I frowned. “I’m getting tired again, but why? I just woke up like two hours ago.”

A big yawn cut me off.

“I’ll drive,” Jon said.

“Okay. I’ll take a nap,” I murmured, then yawned again. “After my raisins,” I decided.

I rummaged through my bag. Nothing.

“No!”

I dug deeper. More desperately. Still nothing.

“Oh no. No no no.”

“What?” Jon was beside me immediately.

“I’m out of raisins.” My lip wobbled. My throat felt like it was closing up. It was just a snack, but suddenly, the lack of chocolate raisins felt like the end of the world. A physical, aching void opened in my stomach. I was going to cry over raisins, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“Can you eat something else?” Jon asked carefully. I turned on him, tears already blurring my vision.

“No, Jon! I can’t! I want my raisins!”

I started to sob. Actually, hysterically sob. I couldn’t stop the overwhelming wave of grief.

“I need them! I can’t live without them!”

Jon stared at me, looking completely floored, but then his expression changed into something uncharacteristically soft.

“We can drive back. Maybe the motel sells them.”

The sound of his voice wrapped around me like a warm blanket.

“I don’t think they sell raisins there,” I hiccuped, the tears streaming down my face.

“Cooper—hey. Come here.”

He pulled me in, and I didn’t even think about resisting. I buried my face in his chest, my fingers tangling in his shirt. I felt like I’d finally made it home.

“I really like the chocolate ones,” I sobbed into his skin.

“I know,” Jon murmured, his hand drawing slow, grounding circles on my back. “We’ll find more. I promise.”

The steady motion of his touch and the certainty in his words made my entire body limp with relief.

“Okay,” I sniffed.

“Can you wait until we find a shop?” he asked quietly, his breath stirring my hair.

I nodded against him, unwilling to move.