Terri waited outside the gymnasium, happy as the chill wind blows around her, comforting in its late year breath. She pulls the yellow scarf tighter around her neck and checks that her matching hat hasn't slipped off in the tendrils of the gust.


Can't be too careful when Autumn exhales, it gets everywhere.


The young man emerges from the door, all smiles despite the black eye and mishapen nose. Catching the red head hovering outside, he sidles up beside her and drops the holdall onto the floor beside her. Terri turns and touches his face gingerly, concern etched upon it.


“Alex, you really should take up another profession,” she offers. “Either that or learn to duck.”


Alex Slater, the pro-boxer she had been training laughs but grimaces and touches his abs, obviously hurting from the body shot he received. When he got his breath back, he spoke.


“Yeah, well, I'll remember that next time.” He looks down to the small framed woman who had worked on his conditioning and his confidence these last couple of months. “Coach tells me you're leaving?” he asks, sounding a little sad about it. Terri cocks her head before nodding.


“He's right, but I'm not leaving for good, Alex. I've taught you all I can, its up to you now champ. That was the deal. When you're ready to be left on your own, then I shall leave. Remember? That first 60 minutes on the treadmill?”


How could he not. It was Alex's first session with Terri and one he would never forget. “Yeah, but what if I start to give up again?”


“You won't,” she replies, perhaps a little too stern. Softening her voice, she cups his chin. “Alex, you will make a fine boxer, champion material. More than that, you now have the determination to be more than you were. You now have the drive to succeed. No-one can take that away.”


Terri lets go of his chin and slaps him lightly when his eyes drop. “Hey, eyes up. Never look down. You can't see where you're going if you stare at your feet.” Terri grins and turns to leave. Alex waits a few seconds and picks up his training bag. He wipes his eyes before walking the other way.

The Autumn wind gets into everything.