Meet me in the rain

Meet Me in the Rain 

He would’ve turned twenty-seven today. And instead of having a party and celebrating, Anette is now heading over to his parents' house to remember how life was when he was alive. It has become an annual tradition for only his family and her to endure.  It wasn’t a tradition that you would count the days for, but it was the only way they could celebrate him. After his death, Anette and his family chose to continue celebrating his birthday, fearing the possibility of forgetting him. And despite her families’ pleas, she never forgot.

 Connor Lathenford. His life was tragically taken by a drunk driver on his way to a date with Anette. They had met at work and fell in love instantly, and they were meant to be celebrating their one-year anniversary. She couldn’t imagine living without him, but now she was living it. The pain of losing him was so heavy, she would do anything to see him again.  

Everyone was worried about her; it was to no surprise that her friends encouraged her to go out again. Anette has tried multiple times to make them let go, but this time they wouldn’t budge. So, to appease them, she agreed to go on a date with one of her best friend’s old college classmates. Anette and the guy agreed to meet at a Tex-Mex restaurant down the street from her house, and she got there very early since she was very nervous. While she waited for the guy, she munched on some chips while she discreetly watched an old couple having lunch on the table in front of her. They were in their own little world, eyes always on each other with a natural smile on them like it was tattooed on their face, it was unwavering. She couldn't help but mimic their expressions, but then she started thinking. She started imagining what Connor and her would look like as old people. Would they be just as in love? Would they crave each other’s presence even when they were around each other? Would it feel like it was only them two in the world? She will never know, and then she felt a tear running down her cheek. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t even realize she was crying. Out of embarrassment she looked away from everyone and tried to wipe her tears away, but just as she finished cleaning herself someone tapped her on the shoulder. 

“Excuse me young lady, could you take a picture of us?” It was the old lady from the table in front of her, so Anette smiled at her reassuringly and nodded.

“Of course.” She followed the older lady to their table, and she naturally took her place next to him. Anette held up the digital camera the old lady had handed to her. And just as Anette pressed the button, they turned to look at each other and smiled. It was perfect. Even nonexistent older Connor and Anette couldn’t beat that. 

“Thank you darling.” The lady took the camera from her. 

“My pleasure, I wish you both the best.” They all smiled at each other, and she turned to walk towards her table. 

By now the guy was very late. Anette decided to give him 15 more minutes and then leave. Unfortunately, the cute couple was already leaving. They passed by her table thanking her again as they smiled, “Have a good day sweetheart!” Anette smiled and couldn’t help but tell them that they were beautiful together, although they probably already knew that. And once again they smiled, “We are only as beautiful as we let ourselves be, but he helps me shine.” The old lady winks and walks away. 

Soon after they left, it started raining. Anette decided to leave before it got worse. But before she left, she turned to look at the table the old couple were in and she noticed their camera was left on the table. She immediately went to it, grabbed it and ran out the door to see if she could catch up to them. Unfortunately, they were long gone, and all she could see in the rain were the sirens of some ambulances passing by. It was too foggy, and the rain was pouring down harder than she imagined, and her glasses weren’t doing her any favors. But despite that, to her it looked serene. The smell of humidity filled her senses, the rain pouring on her was refreshing and only seemed to soothe her. She decided that taking a picture of the scenery wouldn’t hurt, and she had the perfect camera for it. She held up the camera and began looking through it to find the perfect place to take a picture. She was so focused she didn’t realize she had walked a long way until she was blinded by red and white lights. Startled, she put the camera down to see the incident that had occurred. She saw a car smashed into a pole, while there were two bodies on the floor and a frantic guy that looked oddly familiar at the side. She got closer to take a better look at him, and he remembered him clearly. Her best friend Anna had shown her a picture of him before Anette agreed to go out on a date with him. 

“Frank?!” She shouted towards him. 

He turned to look at her, he let out a sigh of relief as if seeing a familiar face made him feel better, even if he had only seen her on his phone. 

“Anette!” She went under the yellow tape lines that said ‘crime scene’ and walked towards him. 

“What happened? Are you okay?” He nodded. 

“I’m okay, but… they aren’t. It was so foggy and the light on the street wasn’t working so I couldn’t see anything, and I couldn’t see them!” She hesitantly turned to look at what he had done. One of the people he hit was completely covered by a white sheet of fabric, while the other was being treated as she tried to shout towards the man that was now gone.

“Austin!” That voice. So familiar, so warm. Anette moved closer to take a look at her. It was her. The old lady from the restaurant. She yelped. A reaction that got the attention of many, especially the old lady’s. 

“You.” Anette took a step back.

“Please, my husband. Tell me how he’s doing, I can’t move, and they won’t let me see him!” Anette fought tears as she knelt down beside the old lady. 

“I’m sorry.” The lady looked away and started sobbing.

“Ma’am you need to calm down so I can help you.” The paramedic pleaded. Up until now Anette didn’t take a look at her injuries, and when she finally did, it didn’t look good. And all of a sudden, the old lady started to convulse. 

“She’s going into shock! We need to get her to the hospital now!” They immediately pushed Annette away and lifted the old lady into the ambulance. She didn’t want to leave her, so she got ready to get up into the ambulance when the paramedic stopped her. “Are you family?” She froze. 

“No, but I know her.” 

“I’m sorry, only family allowed.” 

“But...” 

“I’m sorry.” 

He closes the doors of the ambulance in her face, and she watches as the ambulance leaves. 

It was still raining, maybe even worse than before, but she still walked home. She was soaking wet when she finally arrived, her pup Polly greeted her, but she didn’t have the energy to play with Polly today. So, she sat on the sofa and turned on the tv to leave as background noise. The news was on. And the headline made Anette come back into her senses. 

“Two seniors, Austin and Grace Wilkins were struck by a car this evening and unfortunately did not make it, CNN is asking for a statement from the police as to how this occurred.” She lost her balance, and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. The room was spinning and she felt a deep pain in her chest. She was having a panic attack. In response she took the camera from the counter and ran into the rain again. Once she got to her porch she dropped on her knees. Her tears began to pour down her cheeks endlessly and couldn’t contain her sobs. She was in pain. She couldn’t understand why God kept taking people that are good, that love and have people that love them. Why couldn’t they have at least gone together, in their sleep, in each other's comfort. And why couldn't Connor stay, why couldn’t that driver get someone else to drive when he was drunk?! 

After a while she laid in silence on the floor of her porch, her tears beginning to dry just leaving a heavy feeling of what was once there. She looked down at the camera and began looking at the pictures, the ones she took at the restaurant where they didn’t know what would happen to them in twenty minutes. Comes to show that you can’t ever just appreciate the good moments cause at any time they could be taken away. Finally, she decided she had enough, she was tired, she just wanted to stay in bed forever. But, as she got up she slipped on the wet porch and accidentally took a picture of the rain. This is just what she needed, now she was also physically in pain. As she took a look at her hands to look for any cuts or scrapes, she took a look at the camera. There was a weird outline of a man in the picture she took  as she fell. Warily, she put the camera up in front of her, her hands shaking as she looked into it. She couldn’t believe it. There was someone there, and not just anyone, it was Connor.

“Connor.” She shakily let out.

“You see me...” 

“How?”

He still looks the same, same crooked smile, same blue sparkling eyes and auburn curly hair. It was her Connor. 

“I don’t know how that camera works, but I’ve always been here with you.” He tries to smile. 

The camera can help her see the love of her life?! She can’t contain herself. She feels the ache of her jawbone from the unstoppable smiling she’s been doing. 

“That means, we can be happy together. Even if I can’t touch you, I am satisfied just being able to see you again. I was beginning to forget what you looked like.” 

“We can’t.” He looked down, trying to avoid her gaze.

“What? Why n-” 

“You have to let go of me!” He interrupted; this time he met her eyes. 

“It hurts; it hurts watching you wait for me.” She doesn’t say anything, and he clears his throat. 

“I can’t watch you watch other couples hoping I was there doing the same or having to see you arguing with your friends and family and pushing them away. This isn’t any way to live, Anette.” 

“A life without you isn’t worth living!” she shouts, shakingly trying to hold in her tears.

“All of this, it's nothing! How can I smile? How can I eat? How can I BREATHE without you?!” She takes a deep breath and gets closer to him. 

“If we get to see each other, isn’t it all worth it? It could be just like before.” He shakes his head.

“Don’t you see?” He attempts to grab her hands, but predictably, it is impossible. “I can’t even hold you; we are both standing in the rain and you are the only one getting wet!” She looks at herself. And just like he said, she was soaking wet. She was standing in the middle of the road, under the rain all alone talking into a camera. If anyone saw her now, they would think she was crazy. 

“But-” Why was she still fighting it? He was right. She couldn’t even justify it to the possible hallucination of her dead boyfriend. She couldn’t fight for them anymore. 

“I can’t move on if you don’t.” She looks up as he says this. Was she keeping him here? Was she making him suffer by having him watch her for five years without being able to touch her or talk to her? For five years he had no one to talk to? This time she began sobbing. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m letting you go now.” She continued sobbing uncontrollably. “I’m letting you go.” She looks at him. He’s crying too now. 

“I will love you in all my lifetimes Anette Rodriguez, I’ll love you all of eternity.” And with that, his image began dissipating. His hands, his hair, his lips, until all that was left were his beautiful blue eyes. And then, there was nothing left of him. She promised him she would let go, and she will, but for now she will stand in the rain, cherishing the last moments she had with the love of her life. The man she will love in all her lifetimes and for all of eternity, Connor Lathenford.