Opportunities.

He couldn’t really promise anything resembling an opportunity when he might not be able to pay rent next month and might have to let his employees all go.

“I don’t want to bail on you like this. I just have to.”

“You’re not bailing. You’re being responsible. You’ve got a lot going on, Zack.”

“Maybe things will change.”

“The door is always open,” Kevin said. Then he couldn’t resist adding, “If in fact there’s a door to open. Maybe it’ll just be the door to my van. The one my family will be living in down by the river.”

Zack was always one to laugh at his jokes, funny or not.

Life was strange. You could see somebody every day for 95 percent of the year yet suddenly end up like this: sipping coffee, saying good-bye, knowing that you might never see each other again.

Kevin thought of this, then surprised himself when he said, “Don’t let them make you into anything other than who you are, okay? Don’t try to fit into some kind of box. You’re really talented, and I’d hate to see you stop growing, stop using your creativity.”

Zack looked concerned for a moment, like Kevin knew something he didn’t. “Uh, thanks.”

“Don’t worry—they’re probably going to help you be a better designer than I ever could as your boss. You got a crazy amount of talent, Zack. Don’t let anybody keep you from using all of it.”

Perhaps not too long ago, Kevin might have held back with the heartfelt speech simply because he might have thought it was uncool. But it didn’t matter.

He was beginning to understand that life was a series of moments. It wasn’t about thinking on the past or about speculating over the future. It was about the moment he was in right that very second.

“Thanks, man, that really means a lot.”

There was so much more to do. So many more opportunities left to pursue. But for a few more moments Kevin shared one last coffee with Zack, trying to encourage him with his dreams.

He was trying to stay in the moment.

It was hard to do, but he managed.

If only he could do the same with everything else in his life.

The Note

His sister would be proud if she saw him now.

Thomas walked toward the locker where he hoped Vic would be. In his hand he held the most recent and hopefully last joke that Vic would be playing on him. Enough was enough and jokes were jokes. Thomas was done with it all. It was one thing with the stupid Facebook page that he was trying to do something good with. But now, a day later, Vic was still tormenting him. He was mocking him with something that would never happen, that could never happen.

Enough bullying.

Vic was there all right, in his school sweats, looking as if he was ready to start practice.