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In the summer of 2006, it rained for days. The water came down and flooded the streets in many parts of town. For some people, this was a blessing because they had been praying for rain to put out the fires that were raging across southern California. Others were not so lucky; they lost their cars and homes to floods that took over their neighborhoods.
Day One:
The rain had begun to fall. The water coming down in torrents, soaking everything around them with its warmth and humidity. It was peaceful for most of the day, just a light drizzle that would soak you if you were outside too long but didn’t bring anything else along with it like winds or thunderstorms. But as night fell the storm began to grow louder until the sound engulfed her surroundings entirely..
The wind howled and the rain poured down in sheets, soaking her to the bone. Thunder boomed all around them so hard that she almost thought it might be an earthquake before realizing what was going on. It had been a long time since they went through anything like this together, but at least now she knew he would always be there for her when things got difficult..
Day Two: The next morning dawned clear as daybreak broke over the horizon line while their sleeping bags were still damp with dew from last night’s storm. She opened up his zipped bag to find him inside sound asleep; which made sense considering how late it was after everything they’d been through yesterday evening if not early hours of this morning until now.
Day Three: The next morning dawned clear as daybreak broke over the horizon line while their sleeping bags were still damp with dew from last night’s storm. She opened up his zipped bag to find him inside sound asleep; which made sense considering how late it was after everything they’d been through yesterday evening if not early hours of this morning until now.. It had been a long time since they went through anything like this together, but at least now she knew he would always be there for her when things got difficult.
The air felt cold on her skin and all around them, even though it wasn’t winter yet here in Southern California where beautiful tulips bloomed year-round under warm summer sunshine or in autumn under the cool, crisp air of chilly late afternoons; but it felt like winter in her hands and feet.
The ground was wet with dew from last night’s storm which made everything feel damp, as if nothing could ever dry again–the grasses were tall enough to brush the tip of his nose when he walked on them for a good stretch before they reached their destination: an old abandoned well that belonged to no one in particular and had been there since time began..
This is where she first met him while walking around this land barefoot most days with only her t-shirt (and sometimes not even that) on underneath her sweater or jacket just because she lived here now and was allowed. He would always be reading a book while she was the only one in this place and it’s not like he cared.
In his mind, he’d found someone who could listen to him read aloud as if they were sitting on the porch of an old house with her shoes off, toes digging into dirt–just being together without any words at all. In hers, she had found something better than what she left behind. A home.
He would always meet up there every time after that first day where they didn’t know each other but came across one another when walking and talking about anything worth noting for some reason or another..until finally their meeting became more planned out and eventually led them both here once again: standing over a well with the rain rolling down their skin and clothes.
“It’s raining,” he says with a smile, white teeth sparkling from the sky that was now dark but for the lightning in the distance. “D’you want to go home?” He asks without looking at her only because she is close enough to hear him when his voice breaks from speaking too much already today–but he can feel her stare like it’s an embrace or something else just as strong and sobs threaten to fall out of his throat before she speaks first:
“No.” Her answer is quick, confident, surety ringing clear through every letter until he nods once more-grinning again even though there are tears trailing down his cheeks also; laughing out loud and the rain sounds like music in his ears.
“No,” she repeats, voice as light as an angel’s song but with a husky undertone that is all her own; “I want to stay here..with you.” And he nods again-nodding until they are both soaked through their clothes–because there’s no place else they would rather be than right here with each other when it rains.
He wants nothing more than to pull her against him then, needing something physical to match what words can’t express at this moment because he feels so full of love for her and yet also empty from not being able to do anything about it–to make sure she was really happy, always.
He lifts the hand that is not in a cast and brushes his fingers over her cheek, watching as one lone tear falls. His thumb catches it before she can wipe it away-and then he’s kissing her again, tasting salt on his tongue because they’re both crying now and he doesn’t know what to say except for “I love you” but there’s nothing else left to do or say so it just comes out of him like rainwater from an overflowing drain.
The world disappears around them until they are alone in their own private universe where only the sound of each other breathing exists; when everything seems perfect even though life has thrown its worst at them. And this moment is theirs-only theirs-to share.
This is it, his mind whispers. This is all we’ll ever have of this, but it’s enough because it’s too much to hope for more than just this moment–one perfect and terrifyingly fragile second that will be over far too soon. There are things he wants to say then-words written on the tip of his tongue like raindrops about to fall from a leaf-but they evaporate before he can utter them as she kisses him one final time with everything in her heart.
And when the rain comes down again, soaking both their clothes and skin until there’s nothing left dry or untouched by water anymore, he knows that maybe today was not the end after all; instead there may yet be a chance for tomorrow. He doesn’t know if it will be worth the wait, but he won’t stop trying to find out. And so they stand there together in silence as the world turns and time passes by them-nothing more than a whisper on the wind–until finally she says goodbye and then walks away from him again without looking back this time. The End.If only I could kiss you one last time before we say goodbye forever.. But even that would never be enough because this is all I’ll ever have of you: One perfect second when our lips touch just once or twice, and everything feels like raindrops flowing down my skin until nothing exists anymore except us
