After all the bags get brought inside, Sarh and Nate head to the kitchen to start fixing dinner. Eric and Doug sit on opposite ends of the table each quitly reading to themselves to avoid talking. Soon, Sarah and Nate come in from the kitchen area with some burgers and a couple of cans of soda that were freshly chilled from the refrigerator.
After placing the food down Nate said "Bon appetite." Eric sighed and after taking a bite from his burger said "Thanks..." Still upset from the fact that there really was no wifi, he didn't feel much like talking. Doug snapped at Eric saying "Eric! Let's say grace and then properly thank your mother and your brother for making the dinner and helping make the dinner."
Eric held up his hands and said "Not really necessary. I didn't really d-" but his dad shot him a glare that silenced the boy for grace. After a small prayer, they started eating. After a little bit of silence Eric sighed and said "Thanks Mom and Nate for making us this food." Doug, dropping his food back onto his plate, said "Thank you, was wondering how long you were going to wait."
Nate, trying to step up for his brother, squeaked "Hey, he was thanking me and mom. You didn't help. Don't worry about it." But instead of respecting his younger son's courage, Doug turns his angst onto Nate. "Oh. Are you just now getting that backbone? You trying to help out your brother? Well forget it." Sarah, tired from the long drive and from their bullshit, said "Enough! We're all just tired from being stuck in the car for so long. Lets just eat dinner and then we all can just got to bed. Okay?" So the family continued eating and not another word was spoken for the rest of the meal. Afterwards, everyone went their separate ways and slinked over to their bedrooms. Doug, still pissed from earlier, grabbed a blanket and pillow from a closet and slept on the couch, so he could stew in his thoughts alone.
Leaving things they way they were at dinner left everyone pretty bummed out. Doug wanted Eric to be more athletic and social. He wanted his other son, Nate, to be more aggressive and stop being such a little kid. And as for his wife, well, she was okay. But Doug was tired of same-old-Sarah. He wanted a hot young wife again who knew how to cook and take care of his family. Was that all too much to ask?
The rest of the family wasn't too happy either; save for Eric, who mostly just wanted to surf around on his phone in peace. Poor Nate, he was trying to be more assertive like his dad said, but he just felt too weak. He's not like the heroes or monsters in his book, who would listen to little Nate Anderson? And as for Sarah, she was just tired. Just tired. All she ever does is to try to make her family love each other and have a good time, but they just manage to ignore all of her hard work. Especially her husband. Doug was once the love of her life and she was his. But years of long hours of hard work has created a rift between the two. And it was affecting the boys, she knew it was. Even though one trip couldn't possibly save a family, let alone a marriage, she had to try. She really needed this "transformative" camp. They all did.
As the Andersons each fell asleep, their late night thoughts and wishes were swept up in the warm summer wind. They wouldn't know it till they awoke, but they would learn that this camp's magic isn't just the nice view.