Sarah rushed through the station, her heart pounding. She was already ten minutes late, and she knew the 9:15 train would not wait for her. As she reached platform three, she saw it—the train was moving away. She had missed it.
She stood there, breathless and frustrated. Her important meeting in London was scheduled for 11 o'clock, and now she would arrive at least an hour later. The morning had been chaotic. Her alarm had not gone off, and then she had spent twenty minutes looking for her keys. By the time she left home, she was already behind schedule.
Sarah checked the departure board. The next train would leave at 10:05. She bought a coffee and sat down on a bench, trying to calm herself. As she sipped her drink, she realized something: she could still make the meeting if she took the 10:05 train. She might even be only fifteen minutes late. Perhaps everything would be all right after all.
She pulled out her phone and sent a message to her colleague, explaining the situation. Then she waited, hoping the rest of her day would go more smoothly.