Later that night, the rain still fell in a way that mirrored Derek’s excitement. Every time he had met with Julia, whatever the magic was, it grew in intensity.

It was dull gray outside, and pattering rain cancelled out the droning elevator music. The woman clicked her pen twice. Dark dress - green lapel.

He arrived at the elevator just in time to see her toss a long black lock away from her brown eyes. Not her.

The wife suggested some Shakespeare instead of the commercial junk I keep bringing to work. I just started it and already there’re these two guys arguing about how love works. What do you think about that?

I squinted through my drunkenness, though that didn’t accomplish much other than obscure my vision. There it was. I ran my clumsy hands over the rough leather, feeling that each little pock had its own story to tell, and I sat down in the old man’s warm chair….

“If decent means getting rid of your life’s troubles,” the hero said, rising and catching the long arms that immediately went out to grab him, “If that’s what you think is decent, then you’ve learned nothing from life. It’s those troubles that shape us, and make us stronger. And it’s up to us to decide what to do with that strength.”