A day hike to view Malibu stole the stress of looming budget cuts and downsizing at work. Clean, lightly salted air fills his lungs with every breath as he's careful not to outpace the East coast hiker in tow around familiar curves. She smiles when blue sea breaks the landscape and memories of traffic out of town fade. Their return plans of taco trucks and a chance to grow on each other vanish at the unfamiliar sound of a battery exhausted. Hood aloft and auto club on the line, he hides his disappointment with humor as she recalls the last time she was stranded like this. Unafraid to admit defeat he solves the problem with help and proves upset plans are an opportunity for patience and roof-top sunsets.
Weeks after their romantic tow truck ride he prepares for a night of dinner and dancing. Teeth brushed and tie bent his easy smile comes arduously. A month spent watching friends pack personals in file boxes left him feeling fortunate but frustrated to adapt to his new normal. The assumption of safety seeing collegues gone and dust since cleared, made today's trial untenable. Determined not to ruin a night anticipated, he forces an irrational positivity she can see through on their walk to the car. A courtesy denial precedes his honest answer as he explains the potential options at his disposal. She asks him to be angry about it. He calmly affirms her reaction to the news but sees his new unemployment as a fresh start.
Today marks the beginning of his new workout routine. With job hunting hours a mere eight per day he sees an increase in muscle mass and social options. The call came as a surprise after seeing how much energy he had at their Christmas dinner. Losing someone so inspiring and full of life feels like a physical impairment to him. She comes with him to the funeral looking modest but beautiful. It reminds him of his own vitality and the way Uncle Jim would expect him to feel after he was gone. His words are short but reminiscent of their conversations at the lake house in the late hours after everyone else had gone to sleep. His wisdom was unparalleled and his cigars were terrible.
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