Long car ride. Quiet son. Demure mom. What could happen?

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"Ready to hit the road?"

Dad's lumberjack voice boomed across the driveway as he surveyed the rest of us: Mom, my sister, and me. We stood next to the car, stuffed full of my kid sister Ashley's belongings. It was the weekend before Labor Day, and the family was set to embark on the long drive to take Ashley to college, where she would begin her freshman year.

We answered Dad's question by getting into the car. Dad, always in charge, took the driver's seat. Ashley took the front passenger seat, since, as Dad decreed, she was the passenger...