The first thing Walter noticed was the silence.
Not the silence in his office.
The silence inside his head.
For months, every morning had begun the same way.
A new threat.
A new report.
A new reason to worry.
A new fear waiting around the corner.
Today felt different.
The city stretched beyond the windows of Ford Tower.
Gray skies.
Wet streets.
People hurrying through the rain with coffee cups and umbrellas.
Normal.
Ordinary.
For the first time in a long while, Walter wanted ordinary.
A photograph rested beside his untouched coffee.
Lois sat cross-legged on the floor of Kingston Bookstore.
Three children surrounded her.
A little girl was laughing so hard she nearly tipped over.
Lois looked equally amused.
Paint streaked one cheek.
Her hair was slightly messy.
Walter
