This is the first part of a two-part story I am writing for a very close friend. It is tame in nature, as the focus is on the emotional side of things. Basically, it's a man's life flashing before his eyes, with the focus on how he came to be where he was. I didn't plan to make this a two-parter, but when I needed to take a break, it seemed like the perfect place for a cliff hanger.