A Box Office Hit

"Okay, boss, she's fueled up and ready to go." Frank Martin said as he shut the hood of the 1981 Delorean.

Frank has been my assistant for the last ten years. We have been working tirelessly on the Delorean the entirety of the ten years he's worked for me.

I am talking about the famous Delorean from the third Back to the Future movie. It went on sale about eleven years ago at a silent eye auction that was held in the slums of Hollywood. Not many people knew the secret about this particular Delorean. I was one of the few individuals that knew the secret surrounding the mysterious Hollywood icon.

The Delorean that starred in the box office hits, Back to the Future and Back to the Future 2, was not an actual time machine. The owner of the Delorean, that starred in the first two movies, wanted too much money for the car to contract for a third movie. (Or so the movie producer so thought anyway.) So, the last of the Back to the Future movie, the third, had a much different car contracted as the epic time traveling Delorean.

Even the followers of the Back to the Future movies were unaware of the car switch that took place for the last movie. I was fortunate enough to have been a budget analysis for the third movie's production team. The information that I was privileged to more than made up for the whimpy salary that came with the job. See, I knew the third movie's Delorean was an actual time machine, unlike her predecessor.

The car's owner, Stephen Milberg, was well advanced in his years and he knew his days on Earth were numbered. I'd overheard Mr. Milberg telling the movie producer one time that after his death he wanted all of his assets sold at auction. The proceeds from the sales were going to be earmarked to further the research in the field of time travel. The producer was uninterested in such talk and therefore dismissed the conversation. I, however, was very much interested in Mr. Milberg's plans. So, I followed Milberg until the time of his death. Shortly after, per his pre-instructions, his assets were indeed held at an unlisted silent eye auction. Needless to say I got one hell of a deal at $3,900. That's what I paid for the time traveling Delorean.  And, not only did I aquire the time travelling automobile, but also 1 of only 50 grants of the Milberg Back in Time Project. The grant, which was awarded to me for seven consecutive years, generously funded the needed repairs on my Delorean, as well as pay mine and Frank's monthly salaries for the last ten years. Let's just say this day has been anticipated for a quiete a while now.

The day had indeed arrived! It was finally the moment for mine and Frank's hard work to pay off. Everything was in perfect order for the Delorean baby girl and I to have our first ever time traveling expedition. I was estatic and deadly afraid, both, at the same time.

History was about to become history. I was going back twenty nine years ago. I was 19 years old. April 19, 1989 was the exact date I would be traveling backwards to. I took my first drink of alcohol at my boyfriend's birthday party on April 19, 1989. Let's just say I lost a lot in my life because of alcohol. I was convinced that if I changed my decision to not take that first drink then I wouldn't have failed at being a wife and mother. Not only did alcohol cost me my family, it cost me a career well on its way in the production industry, as well as the reputation that went along with it. You're not very marketable when you pass out drunk on the production set.  That first drink cost me so much, no doubt.  But, today I was going to take it all back.

"Ok, Frank," I said as I buckled my seat belt. I looked over at the date odometer. It was set to April 19, 1989.  I looked under that and checked the time odometer. It was set to 5:30pm Pacific Standard Time.

"Check check," I said, verifying both were accurate. I took a deep breath and looked up at Frank.

"So, I'll see you in a few...unless I don't" said Frank as he pulled the driver's side door down until it latched. He gave me a thumbs up.

I gave Frank a thumbs up as well. I smiled and pulled my shades down over my eyes as he opened the garage door.

My garage was built on a half mile long pier overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I could see the sun setting directly in front of me once the door was fully open. If the Delorean failed to take off into time then she would sink to the ocean floor. Failure was not an option as Frank tested the machine's cast off over 100 times.  Obviously, she never hit the water.

I turned the key. The engine started with a beautiful roar followed by the sexy purrrr of the idle. I loved that sound. She was daring me to push forward. A dare that I gladly accepted.

Without hesitation I plunged the gas pedal to the floor. The tires squealed as she emerged from the garage. Her front end lifted slightly as she raced down the pier. I could see the Pier's end in sight. I got nervous as the tip of the pier was within my reach, so I shut my eyes.

*BOOM* *POP*

I opened my eyes. I was sweating. The car was smoldering hot. I immediately applied the brake and skidded down the familiar street. I came to an abrupt halt right in front of a house. His house.

"Well, how do you like that?"

I whispered to myself. I couldn't believe it. I was right out front of the house belonging to Bishop Haines. Bishop was a very short-lived boyfriend that I had when I was 19 years old. His 21st birthday was taking place right now.

I was drenched in sweat. I climbed out of the car, careful not to burn myself on the hot metal of the car's door.  There was nobody out front of the house. Everyone had congregated to the back yard getting ready to sing Bishop the happy birthday song. I jogged to the white wooden fence surrounding the backyard. I found a hole in the fence in which I peered through.

I gasped. There I was. I was so young at the age of 19. I was standing next to Bishop as we finished singing the birthday song. Bishop blew out the twenty one candles aligned perfectly on the 2-tiered chocolate cake. Sitting right on top of the cake, wouldn't you know, was a small toy replica of the Back to the Future Delorean with a tiny Marty McFly sitting inside. I laughed to myself. I had forgotten that small detail about Bishop's cake. The irony of it, I thought.

I watched Bishop lean over and kiss me on my cheek. He popped off a cap from a Bud Light and handed it to me. He popped off another cap from a second Bud Light. He held it up to cheers with me.

*BOOM* *POP*

"That was freaking awesome!" yelled Frank. "You came up on the pier from nowhere. Literally nowhere!" He exclaimed.

I slowly pulled the Delorean into the garage. The car was frozen solid. I was still in shock. I looked into the rearview mirror. The sun was still setting behind me. I was only gone for a few minutes.

"So what happened?" Frank yelled. He tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge because of the accumulation of ice.

I tried to roll the window down, but it too was stuck. Frank grabbed a pitcher with lukewarm water in it. He was planning on the frozen condition the car was in as he had experienced the same dilemma upon his test runs.

I shrugged at Frank through the window.

"Huh?" He questioned as he finally managed to open the door.

"What happened?" Frank asked again. The suspense was killing him.

"N-nothing," I stammered, " I left it alone."

"You did what?!" Frank said in a raised voice. "What are you saying to me right now, boss?"

"Frank, I was there. I saw my past playing out right before me, but all I could really see was my future." I said.

"Go on." Insisted Frank.

"I was 19 years old when I took that first drink. That's a lot of years left between then and now. Who's to say in all those years I would've never took that drink? Knowing me like I do I would've taken that drink at some point. And then what? That would have set off a new domino effect. What would've come from that later choice?" I looked up at Frank.

"I'm not following you, boss." Said Frank.

I climbed out of the car and stretched my legs. I looked at Frank dead in his eyes,

"Well, stay with me here." I told him.

I climbed out of the car and stretched my legs. I looked at Frank dead in his eyes,

"Well, stay with me here." I told him."I had to remind myself, to change the past is to change the future. As I stood there, looking through a hole in a fence, I only could think of my future, which is my present now. My daughter, for instance, she's so smart. She's starting Yale as a freshman come fall semester. Wow! Yale! And, my little son...he's 15 and is building robots in his robotic group. He's an All American on his high school football team. All kinds of college scouts are going to be scouting him. My brother, he's done a fine job cleaning up after my failures. He wasn't able to have children of his own medically, due to his diabetes. He's been a great dad to my children. I'm forever grateful to him. Who am I to alter their lives? I messed up due to my alcoholism...I messed up bad. But, time heals as it adapts to the choices we make."nly could think of my future, which is my present now. My daughter, for instance, she's so smart. She's starting Yale as a freshman come fall semester. Wow! Yale! And, my little son...he's 15 and is building robots in his robotic group. He's an All American on his high school football team. All kinds of college scouts are going to be scouting him. My brother, he's done a fine job cleaning up after my failures. He wasn't able to have children of his own medically, due to his diabetes. He's been a great dad to my children. I'm forever grateful to him. Who am I to alter their lives? I messed up due to my alcoholism...I messed up bad. But, time heals as it adapts to the choices we make."

I climbed out of the car and stretched my legs. I looked at Frank dead in his eyes,

"Well, stay with me here." I told him. I took a long sigh as Frank remained silent, listening. My eyes began to tear up.  I fought the vapors back and started explaining more, laining more,

"And my ex husband has moved on. He's remarried and holds a very elite position as a professor of business at the University. He has a little boy now and he's doing well. And there's Levi. I have been married to him for almost 14 years now. We both met at rock bottom. Without the other I'm unsure we would ever have climbed out of the rubble. Where would he be without me?" A tear rolled down my face, " I'm not going to fathom me without him." I wiped my tears away.

"So, you didn't change anything?" Asked Frank.

"No, not true." I said "I changed my mind." I smiled as I continued, "All the ones that I failed so long ago are happy at this present moment, myself included. I lost so much because of that first drink, or so I thought. But, more was gained from the mistake than I realized. I learned to forgive myself and accept my failures. Letting go is part of moving forward. Time adapts itself based on our free will." I said.

Frank nodded, " I might not be talking to you right now had you gone through with the mission." Frank said.

"Chances are you wouldn't be here with me right now, Frank." I said as I walked over to the garage that was still open. The sun was almost completely set, putting another day behind us. "Destiny is defined by our free will."

Just then Levi came rushing in and grabbed me up into a playful bear hug.

"Hey sexy." He said. "Did you do it? I'm still here. So, what happened? I don't want us to never have met. See, I was thinking about..." He was running a million miles per minute.

"Shhhh." I placed my finger over his lips so he would quit talking. " I left it alone. The past is in the past and that's where it shall stay."

"Thank God," Levi said letting out a long drawn out breath. He gently set me back down on the pier floor. "I have to have you."

"I have to have you as well." I admitted.

"Well, what about this?" Asked Frank as he tapped the Delorean.

"Not sure about you two, but I have found my conclusion to be that time travel should remain at the box office." I said.

" I couldn't agree more " said Frank walking behind the car.

"The risk definitely outweighs the benefit," said Levi walking to meet Frank behind the car.

I reached inside the car and lunged the shifter into neutral. I turned the key and then the steering wheel slightly to the right, I then stood back outside of the car as I pulled the driver's side door down until it latched.

The two guys pushed the car. I watched as she slowly rolled past me. Once the car was fully out of the garage the guys let go and we all three watched as the Delorean rolled slowly off the pier making a soft splash as she hit the water. A few seconds in we could no longer see the car as she sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. I had a sense of relief come over me as I watched the time machine disappear. Silence filled the night air.

"OH NO!" I screamed. "No no no!"

"What now, boss?" Asked Frank in a worrisome tone.

"My purse!" I said. "My purse was on the passenger seat."

"Well, I'd tell you to go back in time, but...." laughed Levi pointing to the water.

"Ok ok," I said as I kissed Levi's cheek.

Frank, still laughing grabbed the garage door and pulled it down until it shut.

"So, what are we not going to do next, boss?" He asked