Trenchant | 200 Word Story

Today's word of the day for February 27 is trenchant.

This was supposed to be a 99 word story but my plot just refused fit into that, so I decided to make it a 200 word story instead.

The rule is quite simple. All you need to do is write a story of 99 words using the Merriam-Webster's word of the day. The story could be any kind but you'll have to use the word in the story. It's a prompt a day kinda thing.

Here's what I came up with.

---

---

He's humming to himself as he lock the door of his hotel room. There are tears in his eyes. He wipes them with shaky fingers and continues to hum. Today is a good day. Why on earth is he crying? He has a business appointment in fifteen minutes. He hates meetings but it doesn't matter. Not today. He was feeling so light before he fell asleep the night before and he woke lighter and happy. He intends to retain it.

He's always been a focused person. A workaholic with a trenchant way of handling situations. One thing eluded him all his life. He didn't recognise it at first but it became clearer as he got older. He buries himself in his work to get away but it's always there. All help he seeks points to one direction, his childhood. He needs to revisit to find himself again. He needs to remember.

One phone call last night has changed everything. He's never been one for alcohol but he'll buy a bottle of champagne. The man who abused him as a child and protected by his family has stage four prostate cancer. He's going to drink on it. He'll finally get closure.

---

_{image source}