Will looked through the window at the patterns the raindrops were creating. His coffee cup lay empty next to his hand but he didn't ask for a refill. It would mean looking at the counter, past the happy couple snuggled on their seat and that would hurt too much. He noticed couples now, more than before, as if his eyes had been re-programmed. He didn't get it, why couldn't he make it work, ever? Well, he did, look at his parents... But there were couples that stayed together, he'd met them. Maybe he was broken. He had stopped asking Gabi for explanations. She didn't answer his texts anymore. How could he learn from his mistakes if he wasn't told them? He'd been attentive and romantic and respectful, but she wanted something else, so he had made the effort but it hadn't counted. His eyes followed the passers-by as they walked past the window, under big umbrellas, talking with friends or on the phone. They wore rain coats most of them, except for the handsome man running to catch his bus. Will didn't like to admit it when he thought that about a guy, but frankly, couldn't you just think a guy is good-looking, if it was the truth? He stayed there a little more, lost in his thought, taking a much-needed break for the stress of studies and families obligations. He had found this place and he wouldn't share it for now, even with his sister. She was in her fast-food phase anyway. Being a way bigger brother meant feeling so much love but still being different and disconnected from what she went through, and he felt different enough as it was.

The rain had stopped and his alarm rang for his next class, so he ran outside.

It was later in the day, when it started pouring that he was reminded of something. His umbrella, folded neatly at his side, against the window pane in the coffee place. By the time he got home he was drenched. That's what moping did to you, made you forgetful. He hopped in the shower, freezing.

Two days later, he finally found time and headed to the shop. He didn't have much hope. He should have bought a new umbrella, but this one came from his grandmother and it had value in his heart. He had to try. He walked to the counter and waited. The barista turned to him, grinning. He started describing the object and her smile grew bigger. She walked to the back and came back with it. Will was quite happy and ordered his usual black coffee. He put the umbrella on his lap this time. As he did, he felt a paper under his hands. There was a note.

'This is a great-looking umbrella, I hope the owner gets it back. Ma'am, I'm glad if you did.' Will chuckled. Ma'am, thank you for the compliment. It was a lady's umbrella, true but he still wanted to set things straight, so he fished in his backpack for his notebook and wrote 'Thank you so much. I got it from my grandmother. Not a ma'am myself! Thank you for the note though, glad to know there are nice attentive people around.' He added 'Will.' to emphasize his masculine identity and went back to the barista. "If you come across the person who brought it to you, could you give her that?" "Oh, sure! Although it's a he." "Oh, OK!" looks like they were both wrong. Will walked outside, laughing, which was welcome as he was going to his mom for the weekend and things were rather tense.

He was back on Saturday night, teeth clenched, anger boiling in him so much he almost didn't need to drink something warm. He still ordered, needing comfort from a mundane habit. He had listened to his mother talk for two hours and it had made her eight-year-old daughter look awfully mature in comparison. He had ended the conversation by stating "Mom, if you wanted the right to be jealous of Rafe's new woman, you should have chosen to stay with him. You can't expect every man you've dated to still be thinking about you and have no love life ever. Why can't you be content with the man you're with now?" Her answer had been twisted, with mumbling about how he couldn't understand and "it's the principle". Of course, said by a woman who made a habit of cheating and leaving her companions, it was rich. But no, her ex-husband had to mourn her, apparently and become a monk, while she could have who she wanted, at the moment, and still be worshiped somehow.

He took a calming breath. The barista brought his coffee, then he stood there and asked "Hum, sir, you said your name was Will didn't you?" "Yes." "Are you the one with the umbrella?" Will frowned. What was that man talking about? "It's just that we've got this note a customer gave us and it's written on top of it : for Will and his umbrella." Will's polite smile turned thoughtful and he nodded "Yes, that's for me, I think."

'I am sorry to have shown any prejudice. I actually like that umbrella. I like antiques a lot and this one is a gem. I hesitated I must admit to return it. It would have been great among my furniture. But I have a standard when it comes to ethical behavior even for little things like that. Are you a forgetful person? Or were you distracted? I have never lost an umbrella but my father always does so my mom buys them in bulks at the dollar-store. She can afford expensive one but what's the point? I'm a guy too, my name's Sonny. Thanks for the reply to my note, it brightened my stressful day. Take care.'

Will stared at the paper, then closed his eyes. A few lines had calmed his feverish brain and taken over his obsessing over his mother's words. It was something to be grateful for. He looked for his notebook but couldn't find it. He was about to reluctantly ask for a sheet of paper when he spotted a pile of napkin on the next table. He would have to write very small but it was doable.

'I am thrilled to meet (well, almost meet) with a pillar of morality. It was the first time I came to that shop and I was quite stressed too, hence the forgetting act. My mother is very prone to it, though and I can remember late evening, freezing our asses off, as we waited for someone to bring the key apartment to us, or even the locksmith. Of course you could see this as a giant handkerchief and a way to get your attention if I was female. Unless you're into guys.

I do hope you've been using all your virtues efficiently and are working in a fulfilling job. I'm a student myself, still looking for my path. As it happens, the timing of your second note was perfect and helped me feel a little better at a bad moment. So thanks. Will'

He felt embarrassed to give it to one of the employees. He took another napkin, just wrote 'Sonny' (it was such an unusual name it couldn't reach the wrong person) and went to pay his coffee. There was a napkin dispenser. Will took the makeshift envelope and managed to stick it at the bottom. Chances were few this Sonny guy would see it, or that it would still be there to be found, but it was funny and Will felt equal to go back to him mom's place and not yell in frustration at what she could say next.

It took him a week to be back. It was a dad weekend this time, which meant being questioned about his mom, but thankfully not all day long. Lucas was sending him weird looks, though and Will was wondering how his watching TV could gather those. He grinned at the original barista and waited at the counter, nonchalantly scanning every inch of the flat surface. He felt disappointed, as if a new friend had let him down. In fact the fact that he only had a first name to deal with, meant that he could picture Sonny the way he wanted. It involved a very nice neck and chest, but that was normal, Sonny was basically saying he was perfect, and that could involve how he looked too.

The young woman hand him his coffee and his change and he moved to get to a table when he saw it, staring at him in the most obvious way. He snatched the paper from the menu holder and sneakily walked to a remote corner. It was a good moment, that he wanted to savor...