The rain poured on and on for what felt like eons. The drops hit the ground like boulders in an avalanche. The sounds of the rain were almost deafening. Thunder roared in the skies and lightning flickered throughout the clouds. Luckily, Lucas brought an umbrella.
On the West side of Tazmily, Lucas was heading towards the beach to check in on Nana. He was already out and about, he figured he might as well check in. Lucas had never seen Nana leave her cliffside spot. Come to think of it, Lucas wasn't even sure where she lived. Even though he knew there was no way she was still sitting outside with all this rain, he wanted to satisfy the stray thought that seemed to have taken over his head, and make sure she wasn't there.
Lucas arrived to find Nana still in her usual spot, with no form of protection against the rain. He quickly rushed over to her side to provide her some protection with his umbrella. Nana didn't seem to acknowledge his presence, she continued to stare off into the ocean with a melancholic look. Lucas was crouched down next to her to make sure the umbrella covered her, giving Nana a worried glance. He can't stay here all day, but he doesn't want to leave her alone in the rain.
After some deliberation, Lucas spoke up.
"Hey… aren't you cold? I have a fireplace, it's not much but it'll help you warm up at least."
"…"
"You'll catch a fever out here, that wouldn't be good for anyone. Just come with me, let me help you."
"… Okay…"
Nana stood up along with Lucas. He stuck close as he guided her to his home. Neither of them said a word during the journey. As they had to share an umbrella, the rain often dripped off the sides and onto their shoulders. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best Lucas could do to make sure he didn't get soaked as well.
Once they arrived inside, Lucas immediately rushed towards the set of drawers next to the mirror to grab some blankets for Nana. "Here," he said as he draped them around her, "these'll help keep you warm. I'll get the fireplace ready, you can go sit down." Nana sat down in front of the fireplace, as Lucas prepped it to be lit. Once it was, Lucas got up and picked up a small crucible from the table behind Nana. "Want some tea," he said, " I'm gonna make some tea."
Inside the fireplace was a metal rack on which Lucas placed the crucible after filling it with water and tea leaves. Lucas and Nana sat next to each other as they watched the water boil, neither of them said a word. Lucas wasn't sure what he should say, but he found it distressing Nana wasn't as talkative as she usually is. Before he could start a conversation, he noticed the water started boiling over, and grabbed the crucible with a cloth to prevent burning himself. Lucas carefully handed Nana the cup, still wrapped in the cloth. "Drink up," he said, "so you don't get sick." As Nana quietly drank from the cup, Lucas began to deliberate what he should say to her.
"Why were you sitting out in the rain like that?"
"… I was watching the ocean…"
"In that weather? Who knows what would have happened if you stayed there all night. Don't you have a home to go back to?"
"Yes, but… I was waiting for someone…"
"For who?"
"Just forget it…"
Nana turned away from Lucas, hiding her face with the blankets she was given. She seemed like she was on the brink of crying. Lucas was deeply concerned for her, in all the time they had spent talking he had never seen her like this. He had always been there for Nana, when no one else would liste, Lucas made sure he would. He was always there for her, and now was not the time to change that.
"Hey, it's okay. You can tell me. I won't laugh, if that's what you're afraid of. I'm here for you, if you'll let me be."
"… I was waiting for my pa… he left years ago and never came back. It was just supposed to be another fishing trip, but then the weather got real bad a-and we never found his boat, and and-"
Nana struggled to finish her sentence as tears welled up in her eyes. Lucas had never seen her like this before, if she wasn't super chipper she was at least just neutral. Seeing her like this struck a chord with him, all kinds of emotions began to swell up inside him. He hated seeing her like this, the story of her father reminded him of Claus, and already he wasn't in the highest spirits when he found her. With all his emotions swelling up and his uncertainty about how to comfort her, Lucas instinctually pulled Nana into a warm embrace.
Lucas started to fear whether he had made the right move, but was relieved when Nana returned the hug. Despite her damp clothes, she was surprisingly warm. Nana cried into Lucas' shirt as he held her tight, running his hand through her hair in an attempt to comfort her. Eventually, her breathing grew calmer and slower, as the tears ceased to pour out. Despite this, Nana never let go, all she could let out was, "Thank you…"
The two remained this way for the rest of the night, falling to the ground in each other's arms as they drifted off into sleep.
