Take a Hit

I loved the way the Arizona sun hit the dusty car radio

And how it was always playing some new old band he discovered. The way we always escaped the heat by driving around town in the little white truck. I loved seeing the faint smile on his lips when I attempted to sing along, not knowing the words at all. Most of all, I loved that the first thing he did at a stop light was look at me with those green eyes. The ones with brown specks scattered in it if you looked long enough.

He leaned over the console and lifted up my hand, planting a kiss on my knuckle. I said, “You really need to start paying attention at traffic lights.”

John grinned from ear to ear, “But, I’d be missing a view.”

I groaned and lightly shoved him. He chuckled and removed his foot off the brake as the light turned green.

“You excited to see Liam?” He asked.

“Of course, but not as excited as you,” I teased, “I think you’re just excited to show him you grew up and got rid of that damn mullet.”

“I’ll always regret my teen years,” John said, “Mostly because you and your dad will never let me live it down.”

I ruffled his short hair, “I’ll always love you, with greasy long hair or without.”

“I’ll always love you too,” He leaned over and held my hand.

The light in front of us turns yellow, then red. Out of habit, John looked over at me and leaned over for a kiss.

All of a sudden bright lights flash through the driver’s window and loud horns blared through the air. A familiar pang in my stomach twisted, causing me to scream. Calling out John’s name repeatedly until he turned around too late, right as the large truck shattered the window and I closed my eyes.

“Ma’am?” A gentle touch shook my shoulder.

I jerked awake, feeling tears forming in my eyes.

Liam was dead, it’d been four months since we lowered his casket into the ground. John was gone too, but in a different sense. It’d been almost seven years since the accident and the last time we spoke.

“Ma’am,” The voice repeated. I looked up to find a flight attendant smiling down at me, “We will be starting our descent soon and all carry-on luggage must be stowed away.” She eyed the shoebox that I’d kept on my lap since we departed New York City.

I placed the box below the seat in front of me and closed my eyes, not bothering to check if the lady left.

Slowly, the plane dipped closer and closer to the ground, causing my ears to pop. It shakily bumped against the ground and my overwhelming fear of crashing surfaced. But, the bumps against the earth got less jerky until we were smoothly driving on the pavement.

Coming to the halt, the announcements came on, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Local time is 4:06 and the temperature is 65 degrees. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate...”

I looked out the window and saw the familiar desert I hadn’t laid eyes on in seven years.

“Have you seen anything as beautiful as the Arizona desert?” The gruff man next to me, who snored for most of the flight, grinned at me.

I smiled back, “No.”

“On behalf of Delta Airlines and the entire crew, I’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice stay.”


After a nerve wracking twenty minutes, praying to whatever god out there that the flight didn’t lose my luggage, I collected my suitcases and headed out of the terminal. My first ride on an airplane was a success, you could say. The plane didn’t crash, I didn’t get locked in the bathroom with a killer, and we were not hijacked.

Scanning the rows of people waiting for loved ones, there was an Arizona flag with white painted letters that spelled out, ‘Welcome home, Lou.’ Holding the flag was a very familiar face wearing black skinny jeans and a jean jacket.

I dropped all of my belongings and raced towards him, trying my best not to cry. Almost knocking him over in a hug, I choked out,

“It’s so great to see you again, Halvo.”

He hugged me tighter, “And same to you- I think you’ve gotten skinnier.”

I was twenty pounds lighter than the last time I saw Halvo, a time I wasn’t going to bring up with him now, “My old job practically made me too nervous to eat most days.”

Halvo picked up my suitcases, “Well, I guess that means it is my duty to fatten you up in the time you’re here. How long do you plan on staying in Tempe?”

I bit my lip, I honestly had no idea, “Long enough that I got myself the Editor-in-Chief job at AZ Central for the time being.”

“So, hopefully for a long time?” We reached his car.

I shrugged, watching him haul my luggage into the trunk. I stared at Halvo’s car, partly in fear and- mostly in fear.

“What’s wrong?” Halvo examined my face.

Memories of cars colliding and glass shattering flickered through my mind, “Nothing... it’s just been a long time since I’ve sat in a car.”

“Really?!” He opened the passenger door for me, “When was the last time you’ve been in a car?”

I declined his gesture and sat myself in the back directly behind the driver’s seat, the safest place to sit in case of an accident, “Not since I moved from Albany to New York City.” I trembled, my anxiety returning again, “Hell, I walked to the damn airport today.”

“Are you going to be alright?” He started up the car and fastened his seatbelt.

“Yeah, yeah- I think,” I focused on my breathing.

“I’m not a bad driver, I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

I nodded graciously, even though it wasn’t his driving I was scared about. We safely drove out of the parking lot and I started to breathe a little easier when we got onto the highway. Watching, the green cacti and red rocks whip by us, I called out,

“So, what has the great Eric Halvorsen been up to?”

Halvo was the only person, other than my mother, I kept contact with after leaving Arizona for good. He kept me updated on what went on in Arizona. My last real conversation with him was right before he left for a final tour with his band.

“Well,” He looked up into the rearview mirror at me, “Well, a lot of shit was going on during tour. We were stuck setting up our own stage, so emotions were always running high. But, it was a good tour to end with. It was good to see John happy. We just got back a week ago.”

“John?” I stammered. My heart ached at the mention of his name.

“Yeah, he’s doing much better. I think he’s okay-” Halvo glanced at me again, “Well, until he finds out you’re back in town,”

“Halvo,” I groaned.

“Still too soon to make jokes?” I nodded, even though he wouldn’t see, “Let’s go buy you a drink.”