The biennial trip down one state below had arrived. It was Heartland's ever-dispassionate argument that "Oregon is just a slightly-less-wet version of Washington" that dominated the first half hour of the voyage's conversation.
"Sigh . . ." Heartland released her final exasperation and turned her eyes outside the hatchback's slanted backseat window. Her eyes remained unfocused as the car drove on past the repetitive terrain. In the opposite seat Rylan mirrored her posture, looking out at the passing mountains. He held his finger on the small window letting it slowly rise and fall to trace the outline of the mountains. The grubby finger he held on the window dirtied the glass as he drew the valley's edge. Rylan's eyes were set on the trees atop the ridges, surpassing the grime of the window. An enamoured smirk stretched Rylan's face in response to the green.
"I think there's some snow on that peak" noticed Rylan.
"Really?" came Heartland's feigned excitement.
"Yeah! Just right over there. See?" Rylan pointed ecstatically with a little jump muffled by the seatbelt.
"Wow. That's uh-maaaaaazing because we neeeeever see any of that upstate." Heartland opened her mouth wide in satirical awe.
"Hey! The snow is cool!"
"Oh yes. It's cold all right."
"Come on, sis'. Don't you know that every snow flake is different? That means this snow can't be the same as our snow. It's different. You say you want something different, right?"
"Mmm. Sure. This is precisely what I had in mind: piles of rocks with frozen water on top of them."
"Don't be smart with me!" Rylan squeecked with an effortful frown.
"Ok. I'll be dumb with you," she made a face with her tongue half out of her mouth then snapped back, "Seriously, you need to stop copying the 'rents."
"Why do you call them that?"
"Because they're rentals, duh."
Rylan's brow furrowed.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Above your pay grade, kiddo."
"My name is Rylan."
"Ry, the mountains and snow are great, mmkay?"
The landscape passed.
"Are you excited about the cabin then?" came Rylan's considered question.
"Very excited. And I'm so glad that I was given a voice in choosing the location for our family vacation," she glanced at the front seats.
"I'm most excited to go play in the cool fort-bunker we made."
"I doubt it's still there, but yeah, that was quaint."
Rylan smiled.
"Yeah. The trees are great there. There's Charles and Gregory, the Red Pines, right? And, uhh, Todd, yeah, Todd the Spruce."
"They're real chums."
"Yeah! I love vacation."
"I'm glad Ry, I'm glad."
