Chapter 9 : All or Nothing

*William*

I laced up my shoes and grabbed my earbuds for my 6:00 AM morning run. I saluted Frank, my doorman of twenty years, who was busy finding an umbrella for a guest. It was hard to believe we’d known each other that long. Now nearing seventy, Frank moved quickly to hold the door for a lady and her stroller, then winked at me.

“Watch out for the rain puddles, sir.”

Though he’d lost roughly an inch in height with rounded shoulders, he was still a spry older man with a considerate nature. Frank had been there through all the momentous occasions in my life; my marriage to Victoria, Eva’s birth, my father’s passing, and my divorce. He never forgot my birthday or Eva’s. I thanked him and headed out.

I was a man of rituals. I’d run in rainstorms, icy conditions, and even during the dank, sweltering summer months. Running was my time to unplug from the world and clear my head.