Our voices were loud and very off key as we sang at the top of our lungs. The three of us in the car making our way back home after an afternoon adventure at the beach. I needed to lighten my mood as we sat in the car stuck in traffic. Even though I slathered on the sun block, I still managed to get burned. My body wasn’t fire engine red but it was close. While Bette and Evan tanned a nice golden brown, I was cotton candy pink. Not completely painful but rather uncomfortable.

We sang the last verse of a Spice Girls song, I wasn’t sure which one, it was Evan’s favorite and moved an inch forward in the car.

“What is up with all this traffic?” Bette asked out loud an hour later, “I mean this is ridiculous”

“Maybe there’s something on the radio.”

I switched channels to an all news station.

“There been a horrible accident on the 405. Sure to be delays up to 45 minutes,” the female voice reported.

“Try more than a hour,” Bette sighed.

She was getting restless and so was I. I wanted to change out of these sand filled clothes. Evan, on the other hand, was slumped in the backseat asleep.

“Well at least one of us is getting some rest,” I smiled.

“Good. I really don’t need for her to start whining.”

“Bette,” I said cocking my head to the side.

“What? It’s true. You don’t want to hear her either,” she explained leaning her arm out the window.

I continued to stare at her.

“Besides… I’m glad she’s sleeping. She played hard today.”

I said nothing but sat back in my seat.

“Oh, don’t start, Tina. I gave to birth that little girl in the backseat. I now how annoying she can be.”

“Must you remind me every chance you get that you gave birth to her. It just undermines my authority with her. She thinks that she doesn’t have to listen to me cause I’m not her birth mother.”

“When has she not listened to you, Tina?”Bette asked with an edge in her voice.

“I’m not going to answer that question. You want to fight and I don’t. And I don’t want to get Evan in trouble.”