The Flat Tire in the Mountains

Dario and Naomi had been driving for almost three hours. They were winding up through the mountains toward a cabin they'd rented for the weekend. The road grew narrower with every mile, and cell phone signal had disappeared almost an hour earlier.

Just past a sharp curve, they heard a loud pop, followed by a strange thumping sound. Dario pulled over carefully onto a small patch of gravel at the edge of the road.

"That doesn't sound good," Naomi said, already unbuckling her seatbelt.

They got out and found the back-left tire completely flat, torn open by something sharp on the road. Neither of them had ever changed a tire alone. They'd both watched videos about it at some point.

"We should have practiced this before we left," Dario admitted, opening the trunk to look for the spare.

Fortunately, the car had a full-size spare and a tool kit tucked beneath the trunk floor. Naomi pulled out her phone, hoping to find instructions, but there was no signal at all. They would have to figure it out together, using only the diagrams printed on the jack itself.

It took them almost forty minutes, since neither wanted to make a mistake that could leave them stranded. Dario held the jack steady while Naomi loosened the bolts. They switched roles whenever one of their arms got tired. By the time the spare was finally in place, both of their hands were covered in dust.

"We actually did it," Naomi said, wiping her forehead and grinning with relief.

"Next time, I'm definitely watching one of those videos again before we leave the house," Dario replied. He laughed at how nervous they'd both been.

They drove the rest of the way slowly, keeping an eye on the spare tire. They reached the cabin just as the sun began to set behind the peaks.