Rain still remembers



" Do you remember? It was an evening with little showers and cool breezes when we went to the remote area where we felt like we were the only people in the world." She asked

"We're still in the same kind of place... pure romantic weather, far from the city lights, just you, me, and the endless whisper of the rain," I said.

We are sitting in our car, I watched the raindrops race down the windshield, listening to the soft patter of rain tapping on the roof - a rhythm so calming that it almost lulled me into a dream.

She turned to me with a soft smile, her voice breaking through the haze, "Tell me, babe… what do you want to do?"

I snapped out, pulling myself back from the trance, and glanced at her eyes.

"I just want to enjoy this rain with you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Without hesitation, she grabbed my hand, her touch warm and alive, and pulled me gently toward the door.

The cold rain hit us the moment we stepped out, shocking but thrilling.

I could feel her hand, warm against mine, that contrast of cold rain and her warmth sending shivers through me, the kind that had nothing to do with the weather.

The highway stretched endlessly beside us, cars flying past, headlights blurring into soft streams through the rain.

She pulled out a beer can from her jacket, cracked it open with a crisp psst, and handed it to me.

"Happy birthday, baby," she said, her eyes sparkling under the grey sky.

I didn't think; I just pulled her into my arms. It wasn't just a hug ….. it felt like our souls needed to hold each other in that moment.

"Thank you, baby," I whispered into her ear, feeling the rain sliding down our faces, our breaths mixing warm and cold between us.

The rain started to slow down, and we ran under a nearby tree, laughing breathlessly like kids.

The leaves barely kept us dry, but we didn't care.

I took a sip of the beer - cold, bitter, and grounding. She stood there looking at me with that teasing look she always had.

After a pause, she asked, "Why do you love me, babe?"

I smirked, acting like I had to think hard.

"I don't know… Maybe you're just the kind of crazy I needed," I said.

"Shut up, idiot," she laughed, shoving me lightly. "There must be a real reason."

I laughed too. "Alright, then tell me, why do you love me?"

She squinted her eyes, pretending to think. "Maybe… you're the only idiot who can actually handle me."

We both cracked up laughing, standing there soaked in the rain.

I looked at her, really looked at her, and her smile just… dominated everything. Even the beauty of the rain around us faded next to her. Maybe that's one of the reasons I loved her. She could make the world disappear, make everything better, no matter what.

I smiled at her, feeling my chest swell with pride and love. I was about to tell her how much she meant to me when

I blinked.

And suddenly, I was back.

Back to the lonely sound of rain.

The beer was still cold in my hand, condensation dripping down my fingers.

But she was gone.

No laughter. No warm hand holding mine.

Just me, standing under a tree on the side of an empty highway, the world blurred with rain… and memory.

She had left without a goodbye, without a reason. And here I was, on my birthday, drinking alone in the rain like a madman.

Still lost in her deep black eyes, the warmth of her touch, and the dream of a night that had already slipped through my fingers.

-Malik Aiden