Middle Ground by Denise Grover Swank

Author:Denise Grover Swank
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Short Stories
Publisher: Bramagioia Enterprises
Published: 2012-06-28T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Three

His dread lessened by the time he reached his mom’s house. He shrugged it off as jet lag, almost believing it as he walked in through the garage door. His mom sat at the kitchen table, staring at her the cup of tea in front of her. The sound of the door caught her attention and she jerked up.

“Will, what are you doing home?”

“I’m going to get a good night’s sleep, so I’ll be ready for the wedding tomorrow.”

She smiled. “You never were much of a partier.”

He sat down next to her and soaked in her presence. She’d always had a way of calming him. “Honestly, I’d rather hang out with you. I’ve missed you, Mom.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I’ve missed you too.”

“What are you going to do now that Megan’s finally leaving? You’re going to have an empty house.”

She shook her head. “I can’t believe she stayed as long as she did. Her friends asked her to move in with them a couple of years ago, but I suspect she stayed because she worried about me.”

“She loves you, Mom. We both do.”

“I couldn’t ask for two better children. I count my blessings every day. Now tell me why you’re so on edge.”

He looked down at her hand. “The usual transition. It’s just a little rougher this time.”

“No, it’s more than that. I can sense it.”

Shaking his head, he released a long sigh. “I don’t even know. Maybe it’s Meg getting married, or maybe it’s because I’ve been in Iraq too damn long. James told me he’s not reenlisting.”

“Oh.” She paused a moment. “And how do you feel about that?”

“I sure as hell don’t like it, but it’s his decision and his life.”

“And what about you?”

His face lifted and he searched her eyes. “I don’t know anymore. I feel like everything in my life is changing so quickly I can’t get my balance. If I could just find some middle ground...” He swallowed the burning in his throat. “For the first time in my life, I’m not one hundred percent sure about what I want and it scares me. I feel like something is missing in my life, you know? I’ve worked all of my life to get to this point, so why would I feel this way? ”

“What’s missing?”

“I don’t know.” He paused. “I saw Trisha tonight.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Oh? And how did that go?”

“Better than I expected. She’s coming to the reception. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course it is. What prompted that?”

“Good question.”

She folded her hands together. “Are you wanting to get back together with her?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Has anything changed with your feelings for her?”

He gave her a half-shrug. “I don’t know. I’m older now. Maybe I’ll appreciate her more.”

“If I remember correctly, appreciation wasn’t the issue.”

With a groan, he leaned his head into his hand. “I know. When I saw her, I thought of all the time we’d been together and it seems like such a waste to throw it away. Being with Trisha wasn’t so bad.

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