[ WP ] A man sits on a bench in the middle of a park . Out of boredom , he imagines a back story for every person who crosses his path . He sees a couple jogging toward him in matching sweatsuits ...

William and Esther Atwood were married for twenty six years. Neither of them had been looking for love as they both led incredibly busy lives. William worked on Wall Street- he made millions. Esther worked in advertising. The two never gave a second thought to marriage. They didn ’ t think they had time for a family. 
 
 William was an only child and his mother left when he was young. He grew up with an alcoholic father who worked seventy hours a week. He was used to being alone in his youth, but he wanted companionship as an adult. He had women. Plenty of women. He slept with women from Europe, Africa, and Asia, traveling the world in the bedroom between their thighs. 
 
 Esther was the same- showing off a new boy toy each weekend at the nicest restaurants. There was Chad, Jimmy, Eric, and Drew. They all looked the same- tall, muscular, with dirty blonde hair. Had they not kept the attention of Esther, they'd be selling underwear on the ads between the pages of magazines that would never sell. 
 
 The two grew tired of these lifestyles and wanted a new routine. William wanted to go home to someone. He was tired of an empty apartment. He tried getting a dog- but he had no time to walk it and his allergies got the best of him. Esther felt the same. She could only have so many glasses of wine for dinner by herself. She wanted conversation. She wanted someone to ask her how her day went, even if she did n't want to talk about it. 
 
 The two met at a wedding of a mutual friend. William went to college with the groom and Esther's cousin was best friends with the bride. They both only went for the sake of appearances. 
 
 William wore a tailored suit that fit him just right. He had his tailor alter each month, especially if he slacked on going to the gym. Esther wore a red cocktail dress that looked more valuable than it was. She had pearls laced around her neck and her hair was up in a tight bun, a single white streak fluttered in her bangs. She had an empty wine glass in her hand, carrying it around like a trophy. 
 
 The two shared a table at the reception. William ordered the steak and Esther ordered the chicken. They both hated the food. Neither ate cake. 
 
 William was immediately drawn to Esther. Her red dress helped her stand out in a crowd of neutral colors. He did n't find her naturally beautiful but he found a comfort in her that he had not experience before. Everyone was intimidated by her, but William had worked with women like her his entire life. He smiled. 
 
 Esther was drunk. She had more alcohol than food in her stomach. Her ulcer was acting up. She excused herself from the table and walked to the restroom. Even drunk, Esther was graceful in heels. She lived five inches off the ground and nothing could drag her down. 
 
 William was curious. He followed her to the restroom and ordered a drink at the bar. It was all a gesture, as he had n't had a drink in years. The ice melted in the glass and watered down the top of the shelf whiskey. He waited. 
 
 Esther emerged from the restroom. She looked around, making sure no one caught her in her weakened moment. Her eyes caught William at the bar. He was a handsome man- with dashes of salt colored hair sprinkled on his temples. He was naturally handsome- like an old movie star, and she thought he would look good in a cigarette commercial. He didn ’ t smoke. 
 
 William brought a glass of water over to Esther. He left his whiskey on the bar with a $ 100 bill. 
 He handed her the glass and she reluctantly accepted it. 
 
 “ Looks like you could use a refreshment.. ”, William murmured. 
 
 She sipped it to be polite. 
 
 He asked her what her name was and how she knew the bride or groom. She replied and returned the question. William smiled. 
 
 The two began to talk. William told her of his life on Wall Street and how trading stocks was nothing like you see in the movies. He was tired. He used the wedding as an excuse to get away. Esther replied with a similar answer. Advertising had been something she stumbled upon. She was good. Real good. She rose in the ranks faster than anyone before her and she ran with it. She never wanted to be an executive. She wanted to be a librarian. She loved books. William also loved to read. 
 
 The two talked all night. The wedding guests had left the party and the bartender was cleaning the counter and tables, letting the few stragglers know it was soon closing time. 
 
 William found comfort in Esther. She lived a similar life to him and he felt she understood him better than anyone ever had. He didn ’ t mind she had a cat or an appetite for wine. He didn ’ t mind she always skipped breakfast but made sure to get her coffee in the morning. He didn ’ t mind she worked eighty hours a week. 
 
 Esther found a similar comfort in William. She was drawn to his presence- powerful and commanding. She loved how he found wealth after growing up so poor. He was a self-made man and she appreciated that. She found it sexy he would not have to rely on her. He was independent. He was intelligent. He was good company. 
 
 The two agreed to meet again. They never called it a date. The two simply led their separate lives and their meetings were just the intersections of their busy day to day routine. They continued this for a year. 
 
 It wasn ’ t long before they became a part of each other ’ s routine. 
 
 William was never comfortable with the idea of marriage. His wealth had made him weary of any woman who got too close to him and a lawyer at the end of bad break up was the last thing he wanted. Esther didn ’ t want kids. She did not want to marry a man who expected her to help carry on the family name. She could never work at home. She would never work at home. 
 
 As time passed, William ’ s hesitations were dismissed the more time he spent with Esther. He, too, did not want to have kids. He wanted a friend. Someone he could share dinner with and not feel a need to impress. Someone he could fall asleep next to in bed, and find comfort in hearing her breathe next to him. He wanted to wake up next to someone for once and not have to worry about an awkward breakfast. He wanted to hold her. 
 
 Esther echoed William ’ s thoughts. He was never too open about his feelings but she could sense he was the one. She would catch him staring at her a bit longer than normal as a sly grin curled out of the side of his mouth. She felt beautiful around him. He ’ d touch her ever so gently- enough to make her want more. He was never pushy or forward. He was just right. 
 
 She even stopped drinking. 
 
 On a summer night, a little over a year after they met. William proposed. There were no theatrics. There was no audience. He simply asked Esther to marry him. He didn ’ t even get a ring. She had enough jewelry. Esther didn ’ t want one. 
 
 She said yes. 
 
 The two married the following Thursday at City Hall. Their witnesses were their assistants. 
 
 They both took long weekends. They needed a break and they figured their marriage was a worthy excuse. They didn ’ t honeymoon or go on vacation. They stayed at home and watched movies they had missed and ate food their doctors told them not to eat. They laughed. They listened to music. They danced. They made love. 
 
 Twenty five years passed. William was still working on Wall Street but now had a much slower paced job. He could take it easy after living so large for so long. He was kept around his firm out of courtesy. He wasn ’ t far from retirement. Esther had quit her advertising job shortly after they were married. She opened up a tiny book store not far from William ’ s work. They would grab lunch together every day. William made a point of it. 
 
 Unfortunately, William was not the healthiest man. He lost control of his weight and it had caused all sorts of problems in his body. His knees were growing weak and his heart beat a little slower than it should. His doctor prescribed all sorts of medicine for him but suggested the best thing he did was take it easy. Eat more vegetables. Exercise. Go on a walk. 
 
 Esther would help him. Through the luck of good genes, she had nothing to worry about but her ulcers that would act up whenever she ate spicy food. She was still beautiful. She was still fit. Long ago were pant suits and pencil skirts. She was comfortable in a sweater and jeans. She was even comfortable in a track suit or gym shorts. She still had nice legs. 
 
 The couple agreed to exercise more. William bought matching track suits for each other- simply thinking it would be funny. It turned out they were more convenient than he thought. They were comfortable and easy to wear. He could walk in them and not feel like his underwear was riding up or his t-shirt was too tight. 
 
 Once William retired, they would walk every day. Esther sold the book store but still worked their part-time. She just wanted to be around the books. William found a hobby in crossword puzzles and model airplanes. He was also a part time financial adviser and ran his business out of his office at home. He only had a handful of clients. But it kept him busy. 
 
 On a particularly beautiful day, William and Esther walked through the park. It was early morning and only the routine joggers and dog walkers were about. It was quiet. William and Esther ’ s breaths danced in the brisk morning air up into the sky in a single cloud. 
 
 A man sat on a park bench ahead of them. His eyes fixed on a particular object in the distance. He was lost in thought, perhaps thinking about what he wanted for lunch or if he had to be somewhere by a certain time. William and Esther passed him, jogging ever so casually. William smiled at the man and nodded his head. 
 
 “ Can we slow down for a second, honey? ”, William asked Esther. His age was catching up with him. 
 
 She stopped in her tracks. She guided him over to the park bench and sat him down next to the man. She pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to him. 
 
 “ Looks like you could use a refreshment ”, Esther smiled. 
 

