Stuck Between a Levee and a Canal

Oh God. My hand was still on the door handle. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. On the other side of the wall, faint thumping could be heard. When I got real close, my mother's moans were mixed in. All I wanted was a day off. All I wanted was ONE day without trouble.

I let go of the handle and walked back downstairs. J was hunched over a cup of coffee while my little sister bombarded him with questions. As I entered the kitchen, he looked up and nudged her.

"Look, Carrie's here. Go ask her how it went." He gave me a pleading look. I would've laughed at a different time.

"Well, we're definitely heading to the lake today." I said, grabbing a bagel and car keys. "Mom just won't be coming with us".

"Yes!" Shouted Hailey, running up the stairs. "I'll go put on shoes!"

J frowned. "What about-"

"Yeah, no. She does that."

"Even when guests are over?"

"Ha!" I smile dryly. "When has that stopped anyone?" I throw on my jacket. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

After forty-five minutes of watching J's poor attempts to avoid interacting with Hailey, we finally arrive.

"Alright, everyone out." I command, opening up the side doors. "J, can you watch Hailey while I park? I swear it'll only be a minute."

J's eyes go wide. "Five minutes max before I lose it." he said, as she pulled him away.

"Thanks!" I shout as I drive off. Now, where was the parking lot? All I see are docked sailboats on one side and the levee on the other. If I drive down a little farther it should be alright.

I pull down a side road and follow it up the levee. Weird. Usually there's a gate by now. I continue along its top, surprised to see it was barely wide enough for the car. Finally, the levee came to an end at a concrete canal wall. I park the car and get out, staring at canal.

I began to laugh. Of course this is the end, this only happens to me. I wonder how fed up J is by now. It'll take over an hour for me to walk back and there's no way for me to turn the car around. I wipe my eyes and call him. Maybe he'll know what to do.

"Hey J," I say, trying to sound nonchalant. "How's it going over there?"

"How do you think?" He hissed. "After twenty minutes of Hailey explaining how one plus one makes zero I finally lost it. I lost it."

"Wait, wait." I said, trying to understand. "What does that even mean?"

"It means I'm on a plane back to Florida right now. It was too much."

"You abandoned my sister?!"

"She's fine." J said, "Probably has lots of friends by now. All these guys were offering her candy for FREE."

I stood there, frozen. This was really not my day.