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like my life just fine, even if at times I wonder if I’ve hit my sell-by date…you know, the moment at which dreams and life’s exciting moments are mostly behind you. Still, I have plenty of worthwhile and pleasurable ways to fill my time until I figure out what comes next. And one of my enjoyments is road trips with my four-legged buddy, Warrior.
    I make a split-second decision that will cause a slight delay, pulling over at the village café to buy coffees for the household at Meadow Farm. I’ve decided to drop by for a friendly visit and start the process of getting to know Juliana a little better. Then I’ll head off to Lambertville to look at antiques.
    I turn onto the dirt road into Meadow Farm and drive along slowly. Since I have the top down, I don’t want to kick up too much dust; but I also take my time because of the pleasant feeling of familiarity when I come down this road. I no longer live here, yet I still feel very rooted to this place.
    Even though Meadow Farm became Frank and Joanie’s house close to thirty years ago, Joanie always had an open-door, drop-in-anytime policy toward the extended family. This remained the center of our multiple generations as our children grew up. How fortunate we were to have Joanie, who was such an inclusive and lovely in-law. All of us miss her terribly. I can’t even imagine Frank’s heartbreak and sadness since her death.
    As my convertible creeps along so that I can get a good look at a cluster of lambs in their pasture, I notice a black Porsche coming my way. It’s my brother with Juliana as his passenger. I stop and wave. Then I hold up the cardboard carrier with the coffee cups.
    He pulls over and leans out the window. “Hey, Sis! Breakfast at the Country Store?” Warrior woofs, and all of us laugh.
    I hop out. “Mornin’ Frank, Juliana! Sounds great.” I hand them their coffees. “I’ll follow you. Back roads or highway?”
    “Highway,” Frank answers. “It’s quicker. Have to be at the lawyer’s right after.” He looks at Juliana with a twinkle in his eye. I look back and forth at the two of them, wondering why Frank is in a rush to get to his lawyer’s office and why Juliana is going with him.
    I take one more glance at Juliana, who only has eyes for my brother. There it is again. Her Mona Lisa smile, just for Frank.
    ~~~~~
    Fewer than ten minutes later, we’re on the highway. I give Frank lots of space, at least ten car lengths. It’s late morning, and the traffic is light. Next to me, Warrior sits up straight in the passenger seat, harnessed in by his seat belt, staring out the window at the scenery.
    The highways give the impression of vastness out here, because this area is mostly rural. I gaze at the farmland as we drive by, and suddenly a metallic blue van that took the on-ramp where we did moments ago races by in the left-hand lane. I catch a flash of a dark-haired guy behind the wheel. My speedometer reads sixty-five miles per hour, so he must be doing at least eighty.
    The second he clears my car, he pulls hard to the right and veers into my lane with no blinker to warn me. His action is so swift, two of his wheels leave the pavement. Whoa! Is he going to tip over? I brake hard and let out a few choice words. He flips me the bird out his window. Who is this yo-yo? Warrior, now focused on the van, lets out a low growl.
    Then the driver puts his pedal to the metal and the van speeds up, quickly closing the space behind my brother’s Porsche. Everything seems to shift into slow motion as I watch this guy slam into the back of Frank’s car and hear the loud crashing noise. Warrior barks.
    I clench my steering wheel and tap the brake to stay a safe distance behind, horrified as I watch my brother’s car fishtail from the impact. Frank struggles to regain control of the Porsche and slow down, which he does successfully. I realize I’m holding my breath and let it out. Frank’s OK.
    But blue-van doesn’t go away. Instead, he does the