The rain was lashing down around them but they didn't mind a bit.
The puddles formed around their feet and they didn't move.
Their hands were tightly intertwined, their bodies pressed closely together, faces hidden from view by the large umbrella which shielded them from scrutiny.
He didn't need to see their faces to know the joy they were experiencing in that random moment. He had been witness to many such moments over the years…moments when the years melted away and they simply enjoyed the bliss of pure abandon. He'd often thought, in later years, that due to their experiences they had learned to treasure each moment and to simply stand together in the rain.
Looking at the photograph now, at the grand old age of seventy eight, Hugo could see the joy in his parent's embrace. But he remembered clearly his eight year old self, distracted for a moment from splashing in the puddles, being completely mortified at his parents antics as his uncle Harry had taken the picture.
He replaced the photo carefully on the wall, hanging it proudly next to the numerous family portraits. There had been moments in the past when he'd almost felt like it was an intrusion to have such a special moment on public display. But, as the years had melted away, he realised what a tribute to their love this simple photo was.
"Grand-dad?"
Hugo felt the small tug on his hand and looked down to see the freckled face of his grandson looking quizzically up at him.
"Tell me a story."
Insatiable curiosity was definitely a trait of many a six year old boy, but Hugo could see the ghosts of his mother and father in this next generation. He lowered himself carefully into the armchair and smiled as the wiry little boy scaled the upholstery and sat beside him. Having been reared on stories and tales of his heroic great grandparents, and his grand-dad's uncle Harry, the boy was ready for another adventure.
But for Hugo, the most special moment was captured forever in the photo where the rain continued to fall and their hands were forever intertwined.