Chapter 3

??Coffee??? she said, holding up a glass carafe while bopping along to the samba CD that was playing.

??Sure,?? I said. ??Thanks.??

??So,?? she said, pouring me a cup, ??what brings you here so early this morning? Shouldn??t you be out running around the Schuylkill???

Olivia knew me well. Running along the Schuylkill River was a ritual for me most days. I enjoyed the solitude of an early morning run to get my mind together before I officially started the day. I??d been a runner since college, a habit that started as a way to lose the extra pounds I??d put on during my high school years that continued now, more than fifteen years later.

??I didn??t feel like running this morning,?? I told her.

??You??re not sick, are you??? she asked, pressing her palm to my forehead. ??You feel a little warm.??

??I??m fine,?? I said, waving her hand away.

She sat down across from me at the table. ??What??s wrong???