Don’t tell Alex.  David thought as he pushed the last of the snow to the end of the drive way. It was clean now, slow even strokes formed tidy piles at either side of the concrete. David had spent the last hour taking more time than he needed to, but the time before he would actually need to see Alex was a welcome procrastination. 

David stood upright, pushed his back as far as he could and let his shoulder sag while he still clung to the snow shovel. His glasses were fogged, his cheeks rosy with thin veins pressed close to the brink of his skin. He was exhausted and knowing that he wouldn’t have the time to sleep tonight made hims all the more conscious of his lower back.