The rain continued to fall, cold and relentless, but Elara didn't reach for her car keys. Instead, she started walking. The pavement was slick, reflecting the lights and traffic signs of the city, but her mind was miles away, trapped in a memory of a different rainy night.
'Where are you going?'
'To buy a toothbrush. You don't have one.'
'I'll go get it.'
'Let's go together then.'
The words echoed in her head as the water began to soak through her clothes. She remembered that night perfectly. It was right after they had started living together. She had lied, making an excuse that she only had one umbrella so they would have to walk close, shoulders touching. Back then, she had found it amusing—how easily Lyra reacted to small things.
She remembered how she had tilted the umbrella so far over Lyra's side that her own left shoulder had turned dark from the rain. No matter how much Lyra tried to push the umbrella back, insisting she was fine, Elara had only shaken her head.
