Chapter 2

A week ago, Blake was humming a tune as he walked in. Seeing me, he pulled two tickets out of his bag.

"My friend opened a travel agency, and they're doing a promotion right now, so I bought two tickets. Aren't your parents always talking about traveling? This is a perfect chance to send them off on a trip."

I stared at the two tickets. The price tag on them was hefty: $800 a head, flights not included. Clearly not a budget tour.

Holding the tickets, something felt off.

I asked, "Blake, didn't you say before that my parents traveled too much, that it was a waste of money? Why the sudden change of heart, sending them on a trip now?"

He sat on the couch, smiling. "Oh, old people have so few hobbies, right? They've got plenty saved up, their retirement funds are solid. It's good for them to get out, stretch their legs, and stay active."

Hearing Blake say that, I felt genuinely happy. Looking at the two tickets to the Northwest, I immediately called my parents.

After hanging up, Blake smiled at me. "Happy?"

I nodded repeatedly. "Yeah, I am. How about this, we buy two more tickets and send your parents along too?"

"No way. They can't go!" he blurted out.

I looked at him, confused. "Why? If you think it's too expensive, I'll chip in some extra money. Four old people could look out for each other on the trip."

Blake always said his parents were simple country folk, born and raised in the sticks. Besides coming to the city for our wedding, they spent most of their time in the countryside.

They'd never traveled before, and this was a great opportunity. My parents, who were seasoned travelers, could take his parents along, and they could look out for each other, so nothing would go wrong.

He frowned, thinking for a long time before replying, "They're just country bumpkins, practically born with mud on their boots. They don't deserve such a fancy trip. A little sightseeing around the city is enough for them."

"No way! There's a first time for everything! Those two have worked hard their whole lives, what's wrong with them enjoying themselves a little?" I opened my phone. "Send me your friend's travel agency info; I'll buy the tickets."

Blake stood up and put his arm around me. "Honey, their travel agency just opened, and the special tickets are all gone. How about this, next time we go on a trip, we'll invite them along."

"Oh, and remember to book the flights for your parents. The tour tickets are redeemed in person. I'm going out of town tomorrow, so I'll leave you to handle the arrangements. I trust you with it."

He was so adamant that I had no choice but to agree.

That night, after he fell asleep, I slipped out of bed and went to the living room, taking the two travel tickets to search for the travel agency online.

But after searching for a long time, I couldn't find any information about that travel agency.

"Could it be that it's a new agency, so there's no info yet?" I mumbled to myself.

The thought of Blake sending my parents on a trip while leaving his own at home made me feel a little guilty.

Finally, I found the travel agency my parents usually used and asked if they had any new packages.

They quickly replied, "Of course, ma'am. Same great service, guaranteed to satisfy."

"$200 a head, flights not included."

Looking at the package they offered, the itinerary was packed, but the price was incredibly cheap.

Since it was a travel agency we'd worked with for years, I immediately transferred the money.

After doing all that, I returned to bed and slept soundly.