After a good night's sleep, Zachary woke up feeling better than he had in six long, grueling months. The stiffness in his right ankle, the same ankle that had betrayed him in January, was, of course, long gone. His breathing felt easy. His head was clear. It was finally 4th August, 2019.
It was the long awaited matchday between Liverpool and Manchester City. It was the Community Shield, the unofficial battle of England's finest and the curtain-raiser to the season ahead. Wembley awaited.
But Zachary didn't rush. He didn't let the nerves throw him off balance. There was excitement, yes, but controlled. He stuck to his routine with discipline honed through years of repetition.
A twenty-minute yoga session on the mat in his apartment's sunroom to loosen his joints and settle his thoughts. A cold shower. Then breakfast of protein oats, eggs, a slice of avocado toast, and a green smoothie. Nothing fancy, just fuel.
