Halfway There by Aubrie Elliot Read Free Book Online Page B

that?”
    â€œThen why don’t you explain what was so god-damned important that you had to strand me at theairport?”
    It would have been easy to get a really good fight going. I snickered a bit at the idea, but I merely said, “It’s a long story.”
    â€œAubrie’s having a mid-life crisis.” Beth held out her glass in a toast.
    â€œAgain?”
    â€œThat’s fine. Make fun of me. I don’t care. By the way, you’re the sole breadwinner now.”
    â€œThey finally did it, huh? I suppose there aren’t too many better reasons to get drunk. I’m going to go change. Are one of you sober enough to get me a Captain Morgan and Coke?”
    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.
    â€œBut, I wanna stay up and talk to you, Beth. You know I love you, don’t you?”
    â€œI know, sweetie, but you need to—”
    â€œIs it time to put her to bed?” my beloved Ellen, my little sweetie, asked.
    â€œGive me a hand,” Beth answered.
    â€œWait. I’m not ready to go. Pookie, tell Beth I’m not ready to go to sleep yet.”
    â€œPookie, huh? You’re definitely ready. Beth, take her arm. I’ll get the other side.”
    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.
    â€œMikey, Mikey, Mikey. You’re the only one who loves me, you know that?” A little tear dribbled down my cheek.
    â€œI can hear you,” Ellen said. I turned toward her voice. She was in bed beside me.
    â€œWhen did you get here?”
    â€œAbout an hour or so ago. Take this. You’re going to need it.”
    Obediently, I swallowed three ibuprofens, a few crackers, and a big glass of water.
    â€œNow, would Mikey have done that for you?”
    â€œNo. Is the dog okay?”
    â€œI haven’t seen him since I’ve been home. I’m sure he’s fine.”
    â€œWhat am I going to do, Ellen? I can’t keep going on like this.”
    â€œI don’t know what to tell you.”
    â€œHow did you know you wanted to be a pilot?”
    â€œYou told me I was going to be a pilot, remember? You said something like, ‘Stop wasting your life at Home Depot’ and the ever popular, ‘I’m not living with a blue-collar worker.’ Should I go on?”
    â€œNo. I think that pretty well covers what a shit I am.”
    â€œIt’s easier fixing someone else’s life.”
    â€œAm I broken?”
    â€œThat’s not what I meant.”
    â€œWhat did you mean?”
    â€œAll I can tell you is what my father told me.”
    â€œI want to hear from a man who was crazy enough to marry your mother?”
    â€œFine. I won’t tell you then.”
    â€œNo, come on. What did he say?”
    â€œHe 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€œHow in the hell do you find out what that is?”
    â€œHe didn’t tell me.”
    â€œDamn him.”
    â€œI can’t do everything for you.”
    I rolled over onto my side and pulled Ellen’s arm across my waist.
    â€œI guess we’ll have to see what comes next. After all, I’ve got another forty years or so to figure it out.”
    â€œThat long?”
    â€œIt would be nice to get the second half of my life right.”
    â€œThe first half was right. Now, you have a chance to do something different. It’s like being twenty all over again, except this time you know more about what you’re doing.”
    â€œYou mean you know how easy it is to fuck things up.”
    â€œOr get things