He pulled back onto the road and, against all reason, floored the sedan. It groaned and shuddered, but he kept the two Lamborghinis in sight, tiny specks that grew smaller by the second. Then, ahead, he saw them slow down. They pulled over at a derelict gas station—a relic with cracked pumps and a single working soda machine.

The old man laughed—a real, dusty laugh. “Rentals? Son, I’ve had that Aventador for eleven years. Bought it the day my wife left me. Best decision I ever made.”

The first was a matte black Aventador, a stealth bomber of a car. The second was a pearlescent white Huracán, clean as a dropped tooth. They weren’t racing; they were dancing. The black one would drift wide, the white one would tuck in close, then they’d swap positions like synchronized sharks.

And three cars—two roaring Italian stallions and one coughing sedan—pulled out onto the empty highway, side by side, chasing the sun toward the fire.

The woman walked over and nudged the old man’s shoulder. “And I bought the Huracán the day I finished chemo. Third time, finally stuck.” She smiled, not sadly, but with a fierce, quiet joy.

The woman pulled two sodas from the machine and tossed one to Leo. “We’re heading to the Valley of Fire. Sunset hits the red rocks like stained glass. You’ve got four wheels and a full tank.”