On a freshly dusted bench, Cole sat in the bright sunshine of another perfect day. The day was not perfect owing entirely to the weather, but to his being in a pleasant state of mind. He watched the occasional car rumble down main street, a quaint shopping quarter, a relic of a simpler and more prosperous time for their town.

His cautious nibble of the almond danish was a rewardingly sweet and novel taste. He’d never bought this type before, though he rarely bought the same thing twice. There’s just something about being predictable he found so urbane and simple. No, Cole was not a man to be pegged.

A contented sigh seeped forth from his vested chest. Soon he would have to return to the scrabbling masses of high school drama students, but for now he could enjoy a thoroughly poetic day. And besides, some of them showed decided promise, tender young buds of possibility, just waiting to be molded, schooled, and nurtured.

And Cole was just the man to do it, at least in his humble estimation.