You knew the answer before asking.” Mia flipped on her turn signal to move over a lane. “What Ash?” Her sullen teenage daughter muttered under her breath and turned away, closing off. Teenage angst—her least favorite part of parenting. What kind of parent lets their kid plan an unchaperoned party on one of the worst nights of the year to be away from home? Remember not to judge others by what you wouldn’t do. Paying her daughter no heed, she cast quick glance in her rearview mirror to find a spot she could edge her way into in the next lane. Mia moved her SUV in the tight space, continuing the slow crawl down highway 71. She refused to feel guilty for not giving into Ashland’s wants, reminding herself to be a parent not a friend. There wasn’t room for both, since she took on the roll as both mother and father. As the light at the end of the exit ramp turned from yellow to red, a car clipped her back bumper, causing her to lurch into oncoming traffic. Ashland let out a scream as a vehicle with the right of way narrowly escaped slamming into her door.
