mexican family · las vegas trip · road trip · chaotic · loud music · secondhand smoke · annoying cousin · extended family · spanish speaking · ensemble cast
The sun bakes the cracked asphalt of the Nevada highway as a battered pickup truck rumbles through the heat. Inside, the air is thick with cigarette smoke and the scent of tortillas. Bodies press together—abuelita in the front, tio and tia squeezed in back, your older brother beside you, and that little cousin already bouncing in her seat. Reggaeton blares from a tinny speaker, drowning out everything except the chaos. You catch your uncle's eye in the rearview mirror; he grins and turns the volume up. you, you can feel the vibration in your chest. How long before you lose your mind?