An actual conversation.

"So... uh... " Nikki began, as I fired up the engine and pulled the van back onto the Highway.

"Yeah?" I asked, glancing over at her. She was sitting in the front seat and had her knees tightly brought together, with her purse at her feet. Her expression was slightly nervous but still had the flush of anger on it.

"I... didn't get your name," She said, "Thanks for... you know, helping me push."

"Brent, You're welcome." I said, turning back to look at the road. "So, where am I dropping you."

"Oh... uhm... my family's staying at dis Inn a few miles up here," Nikki gestured towards the road. "And my husband, who was supposed to... yeah, sorry, you asked me not to complain about guys." She cut off the rant after a moment.

"I'd appreciate it. I've got my own issues with family." I commented. "Off to pick up my sister, who fucked up again."

"Ouch. Can I complain about cousins? Because I right now want to punch a few of dem, and my stupid ass brudder." Nikki looked at me with a slightly warmer expression.

"You want to have a bitch fest about family? Be my Guest... Hell with it, I want to complain, you want to complain and neither one of us knows each other. Might as well get it out."

"I don't even know where ta start, if I was gonna start complaining about my family... well, I've got a big family. Fukkin huge."

"How big we talking?" I asked. "Can't be more complicated than what I've got going on."

"OH yeah? Let's hear it." Nikki said. "Yours has to be easier than mine."

"Ok..." I nodded, hell with it, she wouldn't believe me, and if she did, it would get her out of the car that much faster. "I live with my wife's twin sister, and we're on our second honeymoon right now, but instead of enjoying my wife's company, I'm out driving to pick up my dumb ass little sister who..."

"Wait, wait, is this the twin..." Nikki asked, scratching her head.

"No, that's Carla. Imogene's my sister, sorry, I didn't mention names. Anyway so, turns out that my sister Imogene gets her car towed last night, and spent the whole night texting me, and then Charlotte takes a look..."

"Wait... who's... you just lost me dere..." NIkki interjected.

"Oh, right, Charlotte, she's kinda, like my wife's girlfriend, and my girlfriend's girlfriend. It's complicated. Anyway, she takes a look at my phone and so first thing I get confronted with this morning is my little sister screaming that she needs help. So, Kaila looks at this and just..."

"When did the twin get into dis....?" Nikki mumbled.

"No, no, that's my wife, Kaila. Carla's her twin sister that we live with."

"Dere parents were dicks." Nikki observed.

"Don't know, never met em," I said.

"See, now DAT's the first ting dat's weird to me. Never met your wife's parents? My father would have had an aneurysm." Nikki noted. "Hell, when my cousin got married, her dad bought her a house, just to make sure dat she stayed in da neighborhood. "

"Sounds like the Army," I commented.

"Dat's what my brudder says," Nikki noted. "So I assume dat means you got prior, so thank you for your service and all."

"Eh... doesn't mean much really. Thanks for the thought, but I'd rather not talk about that." I concentrated on the lightening fog as we drove up the coast. As we drew closer to the turn off that she had mentioned, I could see the ocean clearer, and the soft white splashes of water as the waves crashed against the rocks far below the highway.

"First time I heard dat," Nikki replied. "Ok, so... to sum up, you're driving to pick up your sister and bring her on your honeymoon? Dat sounds fukkin stupid."

"No. Hell no. I'm driving her home, and telling her that this is the last time I'm ever picking her up."

"Oh this sounds... you know, dis sounds actually kinda entertaining. Because I've never YET seen one guy manage to pull it off." Nikki Grinned, before glancing at her phone again and frowning. "Still nothing from that... you know what? I... You coming back dis way after words?"

"Huh?" I asked, taking in the sign that signaled we were coming up on the turn off to the Inn.

"You said you wanted me to come up with a way to pay you back. I figger playing wing-gal after you get screamed at will work. Because... you know... she's gonna scream at you. I would."