That morning had exposed the weakness in my reasoning.
My body did not care how many appointments filled my calendar.
An hour later, my assistant, Marcus Hale, arrived.
Marcus had worked with me for eleven years. He was usually composed, organized, and ready with a list of questions requiring my attention. That afternoon, he stood beside my bed without taking out his tablet.
“Ethan,” he said quietly.“Marcus.”
He let out a long breath.
“You frightened me.”
I tried to smile. “I didn’t plan it.”
“This isn’t something to joke about.”
His words surprised me. Marcus had challenged my decisions before, but he rarely spoke so plainly.
He explained that my driver had contacted him when I failed to arrive at the office. My phone had gone unanswered, and no one knew where I was.
“I wanted a walk without a schedule,” I admitted.
“You could have told someone where you were going.”
