Chapter 8: Raindrops
Water trickles down from the shadowed sky. It's early morning, but we're still wide awake, standing here, talking, gazing out over the rest of the world spread out below us, blurred in the gathered mist. It's beautiful, in it's own magical kind of way.
You whisper something that makes me laugh, and I admire how your sparkling green eyes light up in the darkness and your mouth turns up in that crooked smile. Another memory.
I shiver in the cold rain, the piercing wind biting against my bare skin. Noticing, you offer me your sweater, even though you know you'll be the one to end up cold instead. No matter what you say differently. You hand it to me and, grateful, I wrap myself in this small piece of you.
The sweater is still warm when I put it on, and though it offers little protection, and within a few moments I can feel the water droplets on my skin, something about it is still comforting.
It's far too large on my slight frame, but I don't mind too much. I look up, and there's a strange expression on your face I can't quite read. Feeling a bit self-conscious, I try to come up with something light. "It's way too big for me," I joke. "Go on, laugh."
"Ha, ha, ha," you tease, leaning forward against the banister surrounding the balcony's edge. I can't help but laugh with you.
As the sky weeps upon us, though whether in sadness or joy I'll never know, we stand there together, arms barely brushing, and I smile. Because despite the fact that it's our last night here, all of us together; regardless that it will probably be a long time before I ever see you again, I'm happy. Sad and hopeful and happy. And it's all a bit bittersweet.
Nothing about this moment is perfect; the sky is gloomy, it's cold and dark and wet. We'll be leaving soon and we both know it. I like to think you'll miss me. We're such different people, sometimes it's a wonder how we ever became friends. But really, it's the imperfections of it all that make this moment so special. I'm not alone. I know this is real. Just this once.
Because I can feel the raindrops.
