The Wellness Retreat

The palm trees swayed in the Mexican breeze, casting shadows across the padel court where Marcus stood, racquet in hand. At forty-two, he was the youngest partner at his firm, yet somehow the oldest person at this corporate wellness retreat.

"Your serve," called Sarah from the other side of the net. She was thirty-two, brilliant, and recently divorced – Marcus knew this because he'd authorized her three-month sabbatical.

He adjusted his straw hat against the glare and missed the ball entirely. It bounced off the fence with a hollow thud.

"Rough day?" Sarah asked, walking to the net.

Marcus reached into his pocket and withdrew the small container of vitamin D supplements his doctor had prescribed. "Low levels," he explained, even though she hadn't asked. "Probably from sitting in an office for twenty years."

Sarah laughed. "You think vitamins can fix what's broken?"

"What would you know about what's broken?" The words came out sharper than intended.

She held up her left hand – no ring. "My husband left me for his yoga instructor. I spent six months thinking green juice and meditation would fix everything. Then I realized some things can't be supplemented back."

Marcus stared at the vitamin container in his palm. The corporate retreat, the wellness initiatives, the mandatory fun – it was all just expensive bandages.

"My wife," he said quietly, "she says I've been treating our marriage like a quarterly review. Set objectives. Measure outcomes. Optimize performance."

"Has she considered leaving?"

"She hasn't packed yet. But I see it in her eyes. Same way I saw it in yours when you returned from sabbatical."

Sarah tossed him the ball. "Play. Just play. No strategy, no winning. Just hit the ball back."

Marcus served. And missed. And laughed – really laughed – for the first time in years. The palm trees seemed to lean in, as if witnessing something miraculous. The hat slipped off his head. The vitamins remained forgotten in his pocket.

"Again," he said.

And for the first time in two decades, Marcus played without keeping score.