Chapter 8
1483 Words
Ava woke to the sound of rain tapping against her bedroom window.
For a moment, she stayed beneath the blankets, listening to the steady rhythm. Rain had always calmed her. As a little girl, she used to sit on the front porch with her father during summer storms, counting the seconds between lightning and thunder while he explained how far away it was.
Some mornings she could still hear his voice.
“Morning, sleepyhead.”
Chloe knocked once before pushing the bedroom door open with two steaming mugs balanced in her hands.
“I come bearing caffeine.”
Ava sat up, pulling the blankets around her shoulders.
“I love you.”
“I know.”
Chloe handed her one of the mugs.
“You’ve got that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where you’re thinking too much.”
Ava smiled into her coffee.
“It’s only seven in the morning.”
“You’ve been overthinking since before sunrise.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Last night had stayed with her.
Mason leaving after only a few minutes.
Denise’s comment.
Never make someone beg for your time.
She hated how much those words had settled into her mind.
“I’m fine,” Ava said.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because I am.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow.
“Okay… you’re functional.”
“I’ll take it.”
⸻
The rain continued throughout the morning, turning campus sidewalks into mirrors that reflected gray skies and colorful umbrellas.
Ava hurried toward the nursing building, her backpack tucked beneath one arm as she tried to avoid puddles.
Halfway across the quad, the heel of her shoe caught on uneven pavement.
She stumbled forward.
The stack of textbooks slipped from her arms.
Books scattered across the wet sidewalk.
“Oh no…”
Before she could kneel, someone was already picking them up.
“I’ve got these.”
A familiar voice.
Ava looked up.
“Ethan.”
He handed her the first textbook before reaching for another lying dangerously close to a puddle.
“I swear,” she said with a laugh, “I usually have better balance.”
“I believe you.”
“I’m beginning to think we only meet when I’m dropping something.”
He smiled.
“That does seem to be our pattern.”
She accepted the final book.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
For a moment, they stood beneath the awning outside the science building, watching rain pour from the roof.
“You headed to class?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Nursing?”
She nodded.
“You?”
“Architecture studio.”
She glanced toward the rain.
“Looks like we’re both waiting.”
“I don’t mind.”
Neither did she.
The silence wasn’t awkward.
It was… peaceful.
After a minute, Ethan spoke again.
“How’s the camera?”
She looked surprised.
“Good.”
“I’ve been taking pictures almost every day.”
His face brightened.
“Really?”
“I forgot how much I missed it.”
“I’m glad.”
Something about the sincerity in his voice made her smile.
He wasn’t making conversation.
He genuinely seemed happy for her.
“I even started editing them again.”
“You should enter the campus photography contest.”
She blinked.
“We have one?”
“Every October.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“The student art department hosts it.”
He shrugged.
“They usually display the winners in the library.”
Ava laughed.
“I’m nowhere near that good.”
“You don’t know unless you try.”
The words sounded strangely familiar.
Then she remembered.
Chloe had said almost the exact same thing.
Before she could answer, the rain began to lighten.
“I should go,” Ethan said.
“So should I.”
He adjusted the strap of his backpack.
“Good luck with classes.”
“You too.”
As he walked away, Ava found herself watching him longer than she meant to.
There was something different about him.
He never seemed to be in a hurry.
He listened more than he talked.
He smiled with his eyes instead of just his mouth.
It was… refreshing.
She shook the thought away.
She had a boyfriend.
A wonderful boyfriend.
She was simply making a new friend.
Nothing more.
⸻
That afternoon, classes ended earlier than expected when Professor Lewis canceled lab to attend a faculty meeting.
Instead of heading straight to work, Ava wandered into the campus library.
The familiar smell of old books instantly relaxed her.
She climbed to the second floor and settled into a chair beside the large windows overlooking campus.
Rain still fell softly outside.
Perfect reading weather.
She opened one of her nursing textbooks but found herself staring out the window instead.
Students hurried below with umbrellas.
Some laughed.
Some complained about the weather.
Others simply walked together in comfortable silence.
She wondered if relationships always changed after three years.
Was this normal?
Did everyone eventually become busier?
More distracted?
Or was she expecting too much?
Her phone vibrated.
A message from Mason.
Sorry about yesterday. Dinner Friday?
She smiled.
I’d like that.
His reply came seconds later.
Love you.
Love you too.
She locked her phone.
See?
Everything was fine.
She really needed to stop borrowing trouble.
A soft voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Mind if I sit here?”
Ava looked up.
An elderly woman stood beside the table carrying three books.
“Of course.”
The woman settled into the chair across from her.
“My favorite spot.”
Ava smiled.
“Mine too.”
They read in silence for nearly twenty minutes.
Eventually, the woman closed her novel.
“You’re a student?”
“Nursing.”
“Wonderful.”
She gathered her books.
“My husband was a nurse.”
“He loved helping people.”
Ava smiled.
“I hope I’m that kind of nurse.”
The woman looked at her for a long moment.
“I think you already are.”
She left before Ava could ask what she meant.
Somehow…
The words stayed with her anyway.
⸻
Work that evening was unusually quiet.
Denise leaned against the espresso machine while Ava cleaned tables.
“You’ve smiled more this week.”
“Have I?”
“You have.”
“I guess things are settling down.”
Denise nodded thoughtfully.
“I hope so.”
The café door opened.
A young mother stepped inside carrying a little girl who couldn’t have been older than five.
The child’s eyes were red from crying.
Ava immediately walked over.
“Hi there.”
The little girl buried her face against her mother’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” the mother said.
“She scraped her knee.”
“Oh.”
Ava crouched to the child’s level.
“Those hurt.”
The little girl nodded.
“You know what always made me feel better?”
“What?”
“Hot chocolate.”
The little girl sniffled.
“Really?”
“Especially with extra marshmallows.”
The mother smiled gratefully.
“I think we can manage that.”
A few minutes later, Ava carried over the steaming mug.
The child looked up at her with watery eyes.
“Thank you.”
“You are very welcome.”
From behind the counter, Denise watched the entire interaction.
When the mother and daughter finally left, she walked over.
“You’d make an incredible pediatric nurse.”
Ava laughed.
“I’ve never even thought about pediatrics.”
“You should.”
“Why?”
Denise smiled.
“Because children know who makes them feel safe.”
The words warmed Ava’s heart in a way she hadn’t expected.
Maybe everyone was right.
Maybe kindness really was her greatest strength.
⸻
Across town, Ethan sat at his apartment kitchen table surrounded by blueprints.
Ben dropped into the chair across from him.
“You’ve got that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where you’re pretending to study.”
“I am studying.”
“You’ve been staring at the same drawing for fifteen minutes.”
Ethan leaned back.
“I ran into Ava today.”
Ben grinned.
“The universe is practically introducing you.”
“It was raining.”
“So romantic.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
Ben laughed.
“What’d you talk about?”
“Photography.”
“That’s it?”
“Mostly.”
Ben shook his head.
“You know, someday she’s going to realize you remember every little thing she says.”
Ethan smiled quietly.
“I hope she realizes someone was listening.”
Outside, rain continued to fall over Willow Creek.
For Ava, it had been an ordinary Tuesday.
For Ethan, it had been another reminder that sometimes the smallest conversations stayed with you the longest.
Neither of them knew how quickly life was about to change.
- Writer
