The city lights gleamed upon the wet concrete, streams of luster among a hard sea of darkness. Raindrops continued falling from the black night sky, rippling in puddles and slipping down the window panes of the café in glassy rivulets.

April took a sip of coffee and watched through the window as a woman with a black umbrella slipped an envelope into the blue USPS drop box along the sidewalk. What words were contained within the paper shell of the envelope? Did it take a little piece of her heart with it as it tumbled down into anonymity and fell lost among the mass of envelopes sheltered in the darkness? The memory of the last envelope she mailed radiated vividly in April’s mind. A night like this with the cold Seattle rains falling upon the city in cold, spattering drops.

What was she doing here? She never should have agreed. But she had and now she saw Jeff’s car pulling up along the side of the road. He slipped a coin in the parking meter and hurried in out of the rain.

Jeff brushed the raindrops from his dark hair and scanned the room. He spotted her at the booth and came to sit down across from her.

For a moment they just stared at each other.

Then he spoke. “I got the divorce papers yesterday.”

April inhaled a deep breath and nodded. “Good. We should get it over with as soon as—”

“I don’t want a divorce.”

“What? You’re the one who wanted one in the first place?”

“I know. I’m the whole reason for all of this. But I was a fool. I love you, April. Our love is worth too much to throw away. Our marriage is worth too much not to fight for. I’ve done a little growing up in the past couple months and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this work.”

April stared at him dumbfounded even as tears welled up in her eyes. “So am I.”

He took her hands in his and April knew that somehow…together they would fight through the rainclouds and find the sun again.

 

© Whitney L. Schwartz

 

Written for Thursday 360