Alex Finch stood on the balcony of his villa in Como. His hair was grey now. Not just at the temples, but all over.
"Distinguished," Maya called it.
"Old," Mark called it.
He was 50.
It seemed impossible. Had it really been twenty years since he retired?
He looked at the lake. It was the same. The mountains were the same.
But his life was different.
Year 1 after retirement: Alex opened the "Finch Academy". A school for football and science. Mark was the head of P.E. (and the cafeteria). Rico taught dance and dribbling.
Year 5: Leo made his debut for Arsenal. He scored. He did the "Professor" celebration (tapping his head). Alex cried in the stands.
Year 10: Leo won the Ballon d'Or. He dedicated it to "The man who taught me how to calculate dreams." Alex cried again.
Year 15: Milo accidentally bought a small island in the Pacific. He named it "Milo-land" and declared himself King. He tried to start a national football team but only had seagulls to play with.
Alex smiled.
