He whistled a jaunty tune, the sound echoing a little too loudly in the quiet alleyway. A wave of warmth radiated from his chest, a feeling he hadn’t experienced in ages. The crisp hundred-dollar bills felt slick and vibrant as he fanned them between his fingers. This was a stroke of absolute, blessed luck!
He'd been so down on his luck lately, the bills piling up, the landlord’s frown deepening with each missed rent payment. Now, he was practically vibrating with energy. The dull ache of worry, the constant knot of stress, had simply vanished, leaving behind only an expansive sense of possibility.
He pictured the relief on his wife's face, the joy in his children’s eyes. A grin stretched across his face, so wide it hurt a little. He could fix the car, buy his daughter that new bike, maybe even take his family out to dinner, something they hadn't been able to do in months. The world shimmered with promise.
"Well, well, well," he murmured to himself, the words filled with a peculiar, buoyant lightness. He felt as though he could climb any mountain, overcome any obstacle. He tucked the wallet securely into his coat pocket and practically skipped down the alley.