Member-only story
It was just an ordinary rainy night in New York. Under the dim streetlamp, a couple huddles under an umbrella, desperately trying to escape the sudden downpour.
Church bells echo in the distance, surprising the woman. She looks at her watch and realizes it’s ten o’clock. She sees a pink neon sign flashing in a window half a block away, making her aware that the dispensary is still open. Then, out of the darkness, a car unexpectedly barrels down the tight street, barely missing the man.
He shouts, “Watch where you’re going!” As the car continues on its way. His wife shakes excess water from her radiant red dress.
The woman waits outside while the man enters the dispensary. She lights up a cigarette and takes a few drags while glancing up and down the street. She says to herself, “Even a rainy night in the city is still beautiful.”
A group of boys run by, in too much of a hurry to even notice the woman standing against the building. She chuckles while watching them try to keep as dry as possible in the soaking rain.
The man reappears in the doorway, and smiles at the woman, acknowledging he got what he needed by holding up the paper bag. The woman nods but seems noncommittal as to whether she’s…
