A Walk in the Rain

They were walking in the rain, fat drops rolling off the leaves,
rolling onto the umbrellas making gentle thuds. The two of them
avoided the dark puddles on the ground, occasionally hopping
across to get to the curb. The boy and girl held each other's hands
even through the drizzle, walking to their destination. They were
happily chatting away the dreary dusk, paying no attention to
their damp wrists.

Engrossed in their conversation dotted with laughter, they stopped
abruptly on the sidewalk as a car passed by. The boy instinctively
stuck his arm out to block the girl as the two watched the tiny drops
fly away from the tires. They watched until the red taillights became
dots across the road.

"Geez, you're gonna hurt me like that," the girl exclaimed.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't walk into oncoming traffic,"
the boy replied. "But if you think I did, then... I did!" The boy smirked,
grabbed the girl's arm and pretended to push her into the street.

She squealed at the surprise move and hit him on the shoulder
as he laughed loudly. "You're so mean," she replied, and again
they continued to walk across the street.

"But I love you," he said. Nonchalantly. Just like that as if it was
part of the ongoing conversation.

The girl was stunned. Did she hear correctly? She felt blood rush
to her face, heat eminating from the collar of her shirt. Suddenly
she couldn't face him. She felt sheepish for her prior remark and
fell silent. The boy continued walking, oblivious to her newfound
shyness, confidently reiterating his previous statement.

Finally, they reached their destination, shaking off the wetness.
The two settled in to watch the feature, the glow of the television
drew them to another place. The boy and girl leaned against
each other and settled in as evening turned to night.