Her Love Had a Receipt

The weather in the Houston area was rainy. Warnings of flash flooding kept coming to Adrian's phone. Adrian didn't really care about it. After all, it was a regular occurrence in Houston. He looked at his girlfriend's apartment in Sugar Land. Her window had a light and her car was parked right next to it. Once he confirmed she was at home, he happily, through the rain, started going towards her building. It was not another visit to his girlfriend just to see her like he had done for the past 3 years. He just turned 25 a month ago. He had a job. Although it was just a regular warehouse job, it was stable. He had worked for that company for four years now, and sooner or later, he believed he would become a supervisor. His hands were full. In one hand he carried roses. Mia loved roses and Adrian would always go out of his way on every occasion, be it an anniversary or her birthday, he would always buy them for her. On his other hand, he had a small box. A box filled with his feelings and hopes. A small golden ring laid inside. Adrian saved up just enough for this small thing. He believed what mattered was not the diamond on that ring or its price. What matters is how genuine he is. He got himself together and stood right in front of Mia's door. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and knocked. No answer. He knocked again, but, alas, there was still no answer. He heard muffled sounds from inside, followed by something falling and tumbling across the floor. He feared that something was happening to Mia. He had a spare key to her apartment that she gave him. He never really used it because he didn't want to disturb her too much. So he used it only when it was necessary. Adrian opened the door and right when he was about to call out to Mia. He stopped. He heard a male voice. "Are you scared your lover boy will come to visit?" Then he heard Mia's voice. "Don't worry he won't come. And don't talk about him." "Why? Feeling guilty?" the man asked with an obviously mocking voice. "Stop!" "Then are you with me tonight and not him then?" “With Adrian, I feel safe. With you, I feel alive.” "That works with me!" Adrian just stood there as he heard their voices. Mia called out this guy's name, "Dorian!" with true affection. He just stood there in front of Mia's closed bedroom door. Adrian knew Dorian. He was a son of a wealthy family. Dorian was also a doctor in the hospital where Mia worked as a nurse. Adrian was never the type of guy to yell or start fights. His father had taught him that a man did not need to win every room he entered. Sometimes dignity meant knowing when to leave. He looked at the flowers and that small box full of his love in his hands. He put them on the shelf next to the entrance door and left. He didn't have to confront Mia. He didn't need to shout. He didn't need to scream. His heart clenched so hard he thought it might stop. Somewhere inside him, something was screaming, but his face stayed still. He didn't have a car. It's hard to travel in Houston without a car, but he couldn't do anything, he was too poor to afford one. he didn't take a bus either. He decided to just walk. It didn't matter where he walked at that moment. He just wanted to walk a bit. The rain intensified and the tears on his face were mixed with the water drooping on his face. It felt like the sky was grieving together with him that day. It's as if the sky was trying to hide his tear-stricken eyes in its own way. Thinking that Adrian cracked a smile. Thinking to himself, "At least you are here to comfort me." Rain was bringing back memories of the past three years with Mia. They all felt so distant to Adrian at that moment. The only sound other than rain was the buzzing of his phone. Warnings of flash flooding continued, promising more severe rain possibly for the next couple of days. Adrian chuckled again. For a second he thought, no, he hoped that it was Mia calling. He hoped that she would call and explain to him that it was all a misunderstanding. "How pathetic," he thought to himself. Even the city with all of its corrupt politicians was worried more about him than the one he thought he loved the most. While looking at the warnings on his phone, lost in thought, he gets a call. His younger brother Evan was calling. Adrian answered after hovering over the answer icon for a few seconds. "Hey yo, Adrian! So what's up? What happened? Tell me!" Evan sounded excited and cheerful over the phone. After getting no answer from Adrian, Evan felt like something was wrong. "Bro, are you good?" Evan sounded more serious now. No one knew Adrian better than Evan. They were very close. Their brotherly love for each other was a point of envy for many. No matter what, they always stood by each other. After all, this was the last wish of their dying mother. Adrian didn't need to say anything to Evan. The silence itself was an answer. "I will call you an Uber. Just come home. Tell me where you are at right now." Adrian sent his location to Evan. Evan hung up and immediately called an Uber. Adrian just stood there, in the rain. He did not look for shelter. Rain made him feel at peace after all. After a few minutes, the Uber arrived to take Adrian home. He was looking out of the window at cars passing by. At that moment the only comforting thing, rain, was not there anymore to cover his face from tears. Silent cold tears were sliding through his face. He didn't want to sob. He didn't need to. His heart was already doing it for him. Once he arrived, Adrian looked at this small house in Rosenberg. It was the only thing his grandpa was able to leave for the family before he passed away last summer. He walked towards the door in silence and his brother Evan immediately opened the door. Evan had never seen Adrian like this before. His calm and collected older brother looked completely different from what he remembered. Adrian entered without a single word and sat on a sofa in the small living room. Strange, it felt way bigger before. He looked at the ceiling and saw those patches of water there. He never really saw them too. Were they really that poor? Evan just sat next to Adrian. He didn't say anything, just sat there, his actions, speaking for himself. "I am here whenever you want to talk." After sitting in dead silence for a few moments. Adrian spoke. "I guess I was just a comfort, stability for her." "What happened?" Evan looked at his brother with his brows furrowed. "She was with this guy, Dorian." Adrian felt his voice slowly cracking. He tried to suppress it but no matter how much he tried, it was not working. Then he looked at Evan slowly, all that suppressed anger and pain slowly coming out. "She was f*****g him, Evan!" He screamed. Evan looked at his brother's face. Adrian's eyes were red, tears flowing like a waterfall. Evan felt deep anger rising within him. Nobody gets to do this to my brother, Evan thought. Nobody Evan hugged his brother. All he could do now is support him. "Don't worry, bro. f**k them both! It's her loss!" That support, knowing that the rain was not his only comfort anymore, made Adrian lose control. He sobbed into his brother’s shoulder while Evan held him tightly. For the first time that night, Adrian finally let everything out.