This is stupid but I need to get it out. Just a quick vent, not a big deal. My dad. He’s been… not great. For a while now. He has this specialist appointment an hour and a half away, in the city. The ONLY specialist for what he has, this far out. Of course. And my brother, conveniently, is “too busy” with the farm, which is a whole other thing. So it falls to me. Always me. I had the biggest meeting of my career scheduled for today. THE meeting. The one I’ve been busting my ass for, working late, missing things, all of it. A chance to actually *do* something with my life beyond this tiny town where everyone knows everyone and the main attraction is the feed store. I was so close. Had my presentation ready, suit pressed, everything. And then the call. Dad’s not feeling well, can’t drive himself, needs to go NOW. So I blew it off. The meeting. The career move. All of it. For a two-hour drive each way with my dad, who mostly just stared out the window or complained about the radio. We got there, the doctor was fine, gave him some medication, told us to come back in six months. Six months! Like this is going to be a recurring thing, taking over my life. And I just... Drove back. In silence. Thinking about what I missed. What I GAVE UP. And I’m just so… ANGRY. At him for getting sick, at my brother for being useless, at myself for not saying no, for being the good daughter. For being stuck here. Watching the cornfields roll by, knowing I could have been in that meeting, showing them what I could do. What a joke. The whole thing. Just… a total waste. I’m exhausted. And tomorrow, I’ll get up and pretend everything is fine. Like I always do.