that?â
âThen why donât you explain what was so god-damned important that you had to strand me at theairport?â
It would have been easy to get a really good fight going. I snickered a bit at the idea, but I merely said, âItâs a long story.â
âAubrieâs having a mid-life crisis.â Beth held out her glass in a toast.
âAgain?â
âThatâs fine. Make fun of me. I donât care. By the way, youâre the sole breadwinner now.â
âThey finally did it, huh? I suppose there arenât too many better reasons to get drunk. Iâm going to go change. Are one of you sober enough to get me a Captain Morgan and Coke?â
I attempted the task, but after the Coke bottle dropped on the kitchen floor Beth came in to finish the job. She tried to convince me I should go up to bed.
âBut, I wanna stay up and talk to you, Beth. You know I love you, donât you?â
âI know, sweetie, but you need toââ
âIs it time to put her to bed?â my beloved Ellen, my little sweetie, asked.
âGive me a hand,â Beth answered.
âWait. Iâm not ready to go. Pookie, tell Beth Iâm not ready to go to sleep yet.â
âPookie, huh? Youâre definitely ready. Beth, take her arm. Iâll get the other side.â
All I recall after that are weird foggy images of faces peering over me. Something about towels and trash cans. I do clearly remember Ellen pulling down my pants while Beth pulled my tee shirt up and over my head. The next thing I knew, my cat was on my chest, licking my face.
âMikey, Mikey, Mikey. Youâre the only one who loves me, you know that?â A little tear dribbled down my cheek.
âI can hear you,â Ellen said. I turned toward her voice. She was in bed beside me.
âWhen did you get here?â
âAbout an hour or so ago. Take this. Youâre going to need it.â
Obediently, I swallowed three ibuprofens, a few crackers, and a big glass of water.
âNow, would Mikey have done that for you?â
âNo. Is the dog okay?â
âI havenât seen him since Iâve been home. Iâm sure heâs fine.â
âWhat am I going to do, Ellen? I canât keep going on like this.â
âI donât know what to tell you.â
âHow did you know you wanted to be a pilot?â
âYou told me I was going to be a pilot, remember? You said something like, âStop wasting your life at Home Depotâ and the ever popular, âIâm not living with a blue-collar worker.â Should I go on?â
âNo. I think that pretty well covers what a shit I am.â
âItâs easier fixing someone elseâs life.â
âAm I broken?â
âThatâs not what I meant.â
âWhat did you mean?â
âAll I can tell you is what my father told me.â
âI want to hear from a man who was crazy enough to marry your mother?â
âFine. I wonât tell you then.â
âNo, come on. What did he say?â
âHe said the only real thing, the only real purpose in life, the one thing you must do, is find your passion and follow it.â
âHow in the hell do you find out what that is?â
âHe didnât tell me.â
âDamn him.â
âI canât do everything for you.â
I rolled over onto my side and pulled Ellenâs arm across my waist.
âI guess weâll have to see what comes next. After all, Iâve got another forty years or so to figure it out.â
âThat long?â
âIt would be nice to get the second half of my life right.â
âThe first half was right. Now, you have a chance to do something different. Itâs like being twenty all over again, except this time you know more about what youâre doing.â
âYou mean you know how easy it is to fuck things up.â
âOr get things