[ WP ] after each decision you make , you 're given a rating on how important that decision was . After choosing between decaf and espresso , you get the highest rating possible .

The cool frosty air hit Nate square in the face as he exited the subway. He felt the cold air slowly creep inside his wool overcoat as he climbed the stairs exiting the station. His mind was still recovering from its 4 AM launch. Sleep was a luxury that his quest for partner had stripped away from him, among other things. As he continued to walk down the city streets, he let his body take over. After 8 long years, he trusted his feet knew where to go. He listened as the heels of his dress shoes struck against the frigid pavement, echoing out in the same repeating tone, over and over again. The continuous sound put him in a meditative state, as it did every morning. 
 
 
 This morning was not just any morning, though. This morning would dictate the rest of his life. 
 
 
 As Nate continued toward his destination he thought back on his journey to this very point. He remembered the day he walked into the Campus Decision Center at his college. Accepted to both law school and med school, Nate wasn ’ t sure what direction he wanted to go with his life. He remembered the anxiety he felt about choosing, fear about taking the best path. He remembered the mahogany desk that he sat down at as he signed the formal documents accepting his admittance to law school. A prompt 5 seconds later, the Decision Output was displayed in front of Nate on a private readout: 602. He was hoping for something higher, but the counselors said that anything higher than a 600 constituted a good long term decision. Still, after law school, years of unforgiving 75 hour work weeks, little sleep, Nate walks through the New York December air and thinks about if that score would have been 3 points lower. 
 
 
 Nate had made it most of the way now, all that was left was his daily stop at the coffee shop that was conveniently situated just inside the entrance to his office building, followed by a lengthy elevator ride to the 54th floor. He looked down at his wrist and watched the glistening of the chrome letters spell out Decision Output Display. What a long way these things have come, he thought. Nate laughed as he recalled the days where you had to walk into a Decision Center to get a DO, not to mention the outrageous cost of them. He had worked overtime for a month to afford his DO for law school. Heck, his dad had even dropped $ 7500 on the DO for his divorce with Nate ’ s mom. A remarkable 634. Just like that, a month later, his parents were officially separated. Oh well, Nate knew that was all in the past now. The days of you being able to get a DO for decisions that carry any real weight were done, the government had seen to that. Now the only thing that remained were the Decision Output Displays, a simple wristwatch that was only a distant shadow of what DO ’ s used to be. 
 
 
 Nate thought about when he got the DOD. It was a gift that his firm sent to all associates who had been with them for 3 years. It aimed to help the associates make the best decisions for their overall wellness in the workplace, as they all would basically be living in the office until they made partner. Nutrition, sleep, and hydration decisions were all it provided values for. After wearing it for a week, the DOD quickly found its way in the back of Nate ’ s nightstand drawer. He didn ’ t care too much for bodily wellness at the time. All he cared about was work. All he cared about was making partner. All he cared about was this meeting. 
 
 
 At this point Nate had entered the coffee shop, and filed in behind the other ambitious people who believed that the work day started at 6:30. Decaf, he thought. Or rather, his watch thought. A few months ago, Nate decided to start wearing the watch again after his hectic lifestyle had started to catch up with him in the way of increasing body mass. His wife had been suggesting him to use the DOD for years, but he never listened until recently. Macie had suggested a lot of things to Nate over the years, some he had listened to, others he hadn ’ t. There was no doubt that the years of constant working had taken a toll on their relationship. Nate chuckled at the time when he forgot their anniversary, and ended up sleeping at the office that night. Macie had told him that if she was ever overlooked like that again, it would be over. Now, as Nate recalled the moment he awoke to her beside him this morning and everything seemed perfect, those memories seemed like a lifetime ago. 
 
 
 Nate, in his jumble of thoughts had failed to realize that he had now reached the front of the line. The barista ’ s request for his order jolted him back from the depths of his mind. Caught in an awkward lull, Nate decided to go for the first thing on the menu his eyes could find, Espresso. He waited to hear the familiar ding of the DOD alerting that it had calculated the score. He was ready for a negative DO, he knew he should have gotten a simple Decaf coffee. But as he looked down, he could n't believe his eyes. 
 
 
 1000 
 
 
 In all of the years of the DO, he had never gotten a 1000. He had never even heard of a 1000. He looked around, puzzled. As he waited for his espresso, Nate convinced himself that there must be something wrong with the watch. No way in hell a damn espresso is going to get a score like that. He got his espresso and started his trek towards the elevator. Before he took his first sip, he peered into the cup. Inside, sat a sunflower, floating on the surface of the espresso. 
 There was something about the flower, the way the lighting caused it to shine, or the way it fluidly moved around the surface of the coffee, Nate couldn ’ t quite put his finger on it, even though he knew there was something. 
 
 As he began his ascent to the 54th floor, he began to focus all his attention towards the meeting. The meeting where the next partner of the firm will be chosen. The elevator dings as it stops at the 32nd floor. A ding identical to that of his DOD. He looks down to see his watch, still displaying the previous DO of 1000. He looks in the cup again to still find the sunflower where he left it. He thinks “ Sunflowers... Flowers….What is it about flowers?... I remember meaning to order some a week or two ago, but why the hell would i need flow- OH SHIT, ITS MY FUCKING WEDDING ANNIVERSARY “ 
 
 

