A Special Day, by Bruce Levine

It was a cold, windy, bleak, rainy day. The wind howled, making all plans seem irrelevant. He looked at his wife, seated across the work table in their library/study/workroom, and wondered what they should do. They’d started the day as usual, checking email and sorting through work at hand, but today was supposed to be a “special” day, not for work, but for celebrating. He got up from the table and walked to the window to watch as the weather increased its ferocity. No, he thought, not a day for going out. Not a pleasant day to celebrate his birthday.