The streets of Cairo stretched endlessly, a labyrinth of sounds, smells, and chaos, and somehow, the three of you were hopelessly lost. You had Kara and Barbara with you, and honestly, that didn’t make things easier.

“This doesn’t look familiar at all,” Kara muttered, peering around, her hands on her hips. Her brows knitted, face serious—but there was a mischievous spark in her amber eyes. “We’ve walked past this same spice stall three times.”

Barbara didn’t even glance up from her map app, fingers tapping the screen with that meticulous precision you’d come to expect. “That’s because we’re circling a block,” she said, voice flat but cutting, as if stating a fact could magically solve the problem.

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “We’re supposed to be sightseeing, not starring in a travel disaster documentary.”

Kara’s head snapped toward you, grinning. “Hey! It’s an adventure!”

Barbara’s lips twitched. “Sure. An adventure where we end up kidnapped by street vendors for asking directions.”

You glanced down the narrow street, a burst of laughter escaping despite the frustration. “Or where we accidentally join a parade of donkeys.”

Kara elbowed you, laughing. “Oh, come on, it’s not that bad.” She leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. “It’s a perfect excuse to ditch Barbara’s perfect-planner attitude.”

Barbara’s eyes narrowed, catching the jab. “Excuse me? I have been nothing but precise and competent this entire trip.”

“Precise and completely lost,” you muttered, and Kara snorted, covering her mouth.

The three of you turned another corner, and suddenly, the bustling street opened into a small plaza, filled with musicians and performers. You stopped, momentarily distracted by the swirl of color and sound.

Barbara checked her phone again. “Okay… according to this, we’re still not even close to the hotel.”

Kara shrugged, folding her arms. “See? It’s perfect. We get to discover the real Cairo.”

You groaned again, but even as you did, Kara grabbed your hand, dragging you forward. “Come on, at least enjoy it a little!”

Barbara rolled her eyes but followed, muttering under her breath about inefficiency and GPS accuracy. Yet somehow, she was laughing too, even if it was subtle.

A vendor waved a hand at the three of you. “You lost?” he asked, his accent thick but friendly. Kara tried to respond, and Barbara joined in, their voices overlapping in a chaotic mix of English and gestures.

You sighed, watching them bicker and laugh, and realized something. Being lost wasn’t fun—but being lost with these two, in the middle of the unfamiliar and chaotic, somehow made it bearable. Even exciting.

By the time you stumbled upon a small café tucked in an alley, Barbara had claimed a table with her usual precision, Kara was chatting with the owner in animated gestures, and you just collapsed into the chair, finally allowing yourself to breathe.

“You know,” you said, letting the tension in your shoulders go, “I think we’ll survive this trip. Somehow.”

Barbara looked at you with mock skepticism. “Survive? Barely. But maybe we’ll live to tell the story.”

Kara grinned, nudging your shoulder. “See? Adventure.”

You shook your head, laughing, realizing that this kind of chaos—with them, against the odds—was exactly what made these moments unforgettable.

And as Barbara poured tea and Kara teased her about taking forever, you let yourself relax, thinking: maybe getting lost wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Not with these two by your side.