Every summer, my family and I would travel to Montana to our cabin for a few months. It was a wonderful family vacation, a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of our regular lives for a month, and just live in the great outdoors with each other. My Dad and Mom, my older brother Jeb and my younger brother Cal and I would take a plane from our home in Los Angeles to Missoula, where we would pick up our 4 by 4 from its winter parking, and drive the two hundred miles into the Big Sky country. We left civilization behind and played in entire isolation. It was awesome!
Last summer, though things changed, and changed forever, I guess. I never would have imagined in a million years the events of that month. It all started in May, the week before we traditionally left. Already there was a break with tradition. Jeb, who had just turned 19, and just finished his freshman year at UCSD, had decided to live and work for the summer in San Diego. Mainly, I think, it was because his girlfriend, Susannah, lived there, and he wanted to be near her for a summer of hot lovin'! I couldn't blame him, though. She was really sweet, and I was kinda hoping that she might be a sister to me some day.
Also, Cal, who was 14, desperately wanted to go to soccer camp, which started in June. Mom and Dad agreed, which made sense 'cause soccer was just about the only thing that Cal really cared about. Which left me, Mom and Dad for the summer trip. In a way, I was happy about it. I would have the entire month alone from my brothers. Don't get me wrong, I love my brothers, but an 18-year old girl starts to enjoy her privacy, if you know what I mean. In any case, I could just read, work on my tan in the great outdoors, wander around the woods, hang out with my parents, who I really get along with.
Mom and Dad married young, 'cause Mom got pregnant with Jeb sophomore year in high school. She was only 15! But she was raised real religious, and she didn't want to get rid of the baby. Fortunately, Dad, who was 16 at the time, was the kind of guy who didn't back down from commitments, and he proposed to her. It took them some time to persuade their parents, but they won out. Dad got a job on the movie sets, and worked his way up. He got lucky and got hold of a property and produced a sleeper movie hit. After that, he became a big shot producer. Now, he's 35 years old, and Mom's 34, and they're really in their prime.
My Mom is California beautiful, the kind of babe you always see roller-blading down by the beach in stupid teen sex flicks. She has long brunette hair, straight as a ruler falling all the way down her back, and that kind of sex kitten face which seems to drive boys crazy. She's definitely curvy, and she always dressed to show off her body. At the same time, she's put herself through college and law school, and now she's an associate for an up and coming law firm in L.A. She's taught me a lot about how to "display yourself to advantage," as she puts it. She's shown me how to use makeup to look classy, not slutty, how much cleavage and leg you can get away with showing without coming off as a skank. Like I said, we've got a real cool relationship, more like sisters than mother-daughter, I guess.
Dad always looks fit and trim. He works out a lot, at least three times a week. He kinda looks like that Daniel Day Lewis guy, only more packed. He's got wavy dark hair and these green eyes that seem to look right into you (I know, having been caught a couple times lying). He's about 6'1", and he always dresses real casual, but hip. He's easy to talk to, and great with advice about growing up, even about boys. He regularly comes to my room for a little father-daughter chat, to check in. He's so gentle and kind, and so in love with my Mom. It's been wonderful to have such a successful relationship in my parents' marriage that I can aspire to.
I suppose I should describe myself too. If I were telling another girl what I looked like, I'd say I was tall and slim, with shoulder-length straight auburn hair and cornflower-blue eyes. But I know you guys want to hear more than that. I have a round face with a small, slightly upturned nose. My lips are pretty full, and I guess I have a bit of a natural pout. I have long legs, without any flab on them, I'm proud to say, leading up to an extremely fine ass, if I do say so myself, the kind they call heart-shaped. I've got a flat stomach, a thin waist and hips that just flare out a bit. My boobs stand up on their own, very round, and my nipples tend to get erect very easily. I'm not vain, but I get enough looks from guys to know that I'm pretty much a hot babe.
Anyway, that May I came home from school one day, and heard my parents arguing about something.
"Anne, you've got to go to the cabin this summer. It may be the last one we ever have as a family!"
"Look, Mark, I know. But this is such a great opportunity for me. I can't pass it up. You know I've been working to get this client for months. If I go away now, I'll lose him to that jerk Anders. This means the difference between associate and partner for me."
"Oh, God. I suppose you're right. You know I support you in everything regarding your career. I'm just disappointed that we won't have the time together. We need it. I barely see you with our respective schedules."
"I know, honey, and I'm very disappointed, too. You should still go up there with Karen. I know she's been looking forward to it for a long time."
I felt a bit of a thrill when I heard Mom say this. I'm a bit jealous when it comes to my Dad, and a chance to spend some real quality time alone with him made me extremely happy, even while I was sad that Mom couldn't come also. I closed the front door a bit louder than usual to signal to them that I was home, and came in to the living room. Mom said to me,
"Hi, sweetie. Can I talk to you upstairs?"
I nodded, and we went up to my room. Mom sat me down on my bed, and sat down next to me.
"Karen, sweetheart, I've got some bad news. That client I've been chasing has decided to take me on as his lawyer, which means I'm going to have to work intensively with him for the next few months. I won't be able to go to the cabin this summer with you and Dad."
"Oh, Mom, that stinks! I mean, I'm happy you got the client, but it won't be the same without you at the cabin."