LOST IN THE RAIN

THE SECOND MEETING

The storm didn’t stop that night.

Sofia had stayed in the coffee shop until the owner finally closed, sending her back into the cold, wet streets. She couldn’t stop thinking about the man by the window — Ethan. His eyes, his voice, the weight behind his words.

The next day, the blackout was still on. No buses. No trains. Just the sound of rain and the smell of wet earth.

She wrapped herself in a thick sweater and went out for bread.

Halfway down the street, she saw him.

Standing under a shop awning, hands in his pockets, eyes on the gray sky.

Something in her chest shifted.

She walked toward him, raindrops catching in her hair.

“You again,” she said, stopping in front of him.

One corner of his mouth lifted. “You’re still in the rain.”

“And you’re still watching it.”

His eyes moved over her, not in a way that felt heavy, but like he was trying to read something she wasn’t saying. “Where are you going?”

“Bread. My place is out.”

A pause. Then he stepped away from the wall. “Come on. It’s safer to walk together.”

They moved through the wet streets, water rushing along the gutters. Neither spoke much at first. Sofia kept sneaking glances at him, wondering what it would take to make him smile for real.

“You live nearby?” she asked finally.

“Not far.” His voice was quiet, almost like he was talking to himself.

The bakery was crowded, people huddled inside for warmth. They bought what they needed, then stepped back into the rain.

At the corner, she turned toward her street.

“This is me,” she said.

He glanced past her shoulder at the small building. “Lights still out?”

“Yeah. I’ve got candles though.” She hesitated, biting her lip. “You could come in. Just for tea. Unless you’re busy…”

He didn’t answer right away. The rain dripped from the edge of his hair, tracing down his jaw.

“Alright,” he said at last.

Sofia felt a strange mix of nerves and excitement as they walked to her door.

Inside, the candlelight made the room warm. She set the bread on the counter, motioned toward the small table. “Sit anywhere.”

Ethan stood for a moment, taking in the paintings on the walls. “Yours?”

She nodded, lighting another candle. “They keep me from going crazy when the power’s out.”

He looked at one — a city street at sunset. “You see the world differently than most people.”

Sofia met his eyes, holding the gaze longer this time. “Maybe you do too. You just don’t show it.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, and for the first time, she thought she saw the start of a real smile.