1 Today

Today.

5 letters, yet infinite possibilities.

As a wise turtle once said, yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery but today is a gift and that is why it called the present.

I started the day off just as any other, waking up to an alarm tone that I hated with passion. Time to hit the gym, I thought to myself. Forcing myself to follow such an uptight schedule wasn't easy at the start, but anything was easier than the pain of dealing with the changes I had to face as far as I was concerned.

47

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48

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49

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50.

Exhausted, I fell to the floor. 50 burpees surely took a lot of effort but well, I was used to pushing my body to painful limits over dealing with any of my emotions.

I walked out into the crowded footpath of the city, and out of habit scanned the faces walking through.

Despite being on the other side of the planet it was always the same face my eyes looked for. She isn't there. I kept telling myself this every day for the past 7 years. However, I also never stopped looking.

Once I got back to my apartment, I took a boiling hot shower, just as my skin was used to. Feeling the hot water course down my body always felt so good. It was almost 7:30 AM. I had to get to work at 8 sharp, and I was never late, well, not until that day at least.

I didn't even really have a reason to go in today. It was Thanksgiving and I had given the day off to the rest of the company. But I always found a certain satisfaction in following my schedule, even on holidays. I say satisfaction, when it was in reality a distraction, but ah well, la vie.

Being a successful entrepreneur in New York City, all my friends though I was living the dream life. I mean, how could they not? Invites to high profile parties, driving fancy cars, living in a penthouse in Manhattan, I see why they thought that. And in a way, I was. It was in a sense, a dream life. But that age old saying, money can't buy happiness resonated so deeply within me.

It was all a show. My image, my reputation, even my name. I had no desire for any of it. I was good at what I did and that helped me amass a small fortune. More than anything, it helped me support my family. They never needed to have a wish unsatisfied. It's the only reason I did anything these days, to keep my family happy. And sometimes that meant pretending to be happy even though I hadn't felt happiness in years.

I was walking into the local Starbucks to have my usual morning coffee at exactly 7:44 as I did everyday, scanning faces as usual.

You haven't seen her in years. You're not going to see her.

I know.

Then why do you keep looking?

"Sir, would you prefer to have your usual?"

"Yes ple-"

Suddenly, something at the window caught my eye. It couldn't be, it can't be-

It's her.