Chapter 2

I said, "If you haven't bought the tickets yet, I can get them now. I can book everything right on my phone."

Amelia shot me a glare. "I've got it all planned out. Quit worrying about it."

Just as we finished eating, her phone rang.

"It's from work," she said.

By the time she finished the call, the sun was already setting. Amelia had this easy smile on her face, as if nothing had happened at all.

"Sorry, Adam, Patty. Something urgent came up at work. Let's call it a day and try again tomorrow."

…

On the third morning, we pulled up outside Pac Burger again.

I sat there in the car, shaking from head to toe. "We're going home."

Amelia turned to look at me. "Fine. Don't blame me for being a bad host to your parents when you're the one refusing to eat."

After dropping my parents off, Amelia impatiently shoved me toward the car. "Let's hurry up and go. Their three days are up."

The second she got in the car, she was like a completely different person. She started humming to herself, drumming the beat on the steering wheel with her fingers.

"Book an ocean-view suite at Walabi first, one with a balcony overlooking the ocean. My dad loves sitting out there with his morning coffee.

"And get in touch with the local market about the seafood. Make sure everything is wild-caught. My dad's got a picky palate. He'd taste the difference right away."

My phone screen lit up. It was a message from my mom.

"Kenny, you know, I never liked traveling anyway. We get by just fine every year. The food from Pac Burger was really tasty, though."

Then came a message from Dad.

"Son, I've had my fill. I've never even had a hamburger before. Thank Amy for us. You two go enjoy yourselves with her folks."

As I stared at the two messages, my eyes suddenly burned, tears welling up.

Amelia glanced over and laughed. "Are you seriously that excited? You're tearing up the moment you hear the word 'Walabi'?"

It felt like there was a lump in my throat. "You want to take your parents to Walabi, get them an ocean-view suite and jewelry, but when it comes to my parents, all they get is Pac Burger?"

The smile vanished from her face in an instant. She didn't say a word as she kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

I stared at her, continuing, "My parents raised me. Don't they even deserve one decent meal?"

She slammed her hand down on the horn and floored the gas. My head jerked back and hit the headrest with a thud.

"My mom worked hard all her life. Now that I've finally made something of myself, I want her to enjoy the good life for once. What's wrong with that?"

I gasped for breath, my chest so tight it felt like it was about to explode. "I want my parents to have a good life too, so what's wrong with that?"

Amelia let out a cold snort. "Your parents have spent their whole lives farming. What kind of good life do you think they're suited for? They're born to toil.

"Letting them experience the good life will only shorten their lives. You'll just make them die sooner!"

The more she talked, the more worked up she got. She smacked the steering wheel as she spoke. "Besides, didn't they look pretty happy eating at Pac Burger?

"They acted like gluttons! They didn't leave a single crumb behind. They would've licked the fries' packaging clean if they could!"

My parents hated wasting food or throwing things away. But somehow, she twisted that into them being gluttons.

Neither of us said another word for the rest of the ride back. The tension in the car was unbearable.

When we got home, my father-in-law, Dale Hurst, and my mother-in-law, Julie Bartlett, were on the couch with their arms crossed. "Well, look who's finally decided to come home."

Julie sneered. "I was starting to think I didn't have a daughter anymore.”

Amelia elbowed me hard in the ribs, signaling me to apologize. But I stood there without moving.

Julie continued, "So, where did you take your in-laws? Did you have a nice time?"

Amelia answered, "We didn't go anywhere. We just ate at Pac Burger twice."

Julie's face softened a little. "What's the point of giving them such good food? A few leafy greens are plenty for the likes of country folk like them."

That was it. I couldn't hold back my anger anymore.