Walking towards her felt like traversing a battlefield, every step a battle against the elements, every drop of rain a tiny accusation ; I held the umbrella as high as I could, I was even angling it forward slightly as I approached, hoping to shield her from the rain even before I reached the bench.
She hadn't moved.She hadn't even looked up.
Her arms were still tightly wrapped around her knees, and her shoulders trembled like the rain itself had burrowed beneath her skin. She was crying so quietly, but the silence screamed louder than anything.
I moved in closer, the umbrella was barely doing its job because the wind was blowing the rain sideways. Did I care? I would have been willing to stand in a hurricane if she would have just looked at me. Just once. Let me say something. Let me try.
And then headlights cut through the street. I hesitated.
A car drove up.
The passenger side door opened, and—
