An empty hole in the pit of her stomach, tears in her eyes falling down to warm her face,  a hollow expression personifying the hopelessness in her heart. Drenched from the heavy rain, she walked through the paved path around the park. Harsh weather made her body cold, but her mind was too far gone to feel it. Nothing could make her heart beat again as she felt numb all over.

      On the opposite end, a man walked under his umbrella as he smiled at a dainty golden bracelet. His eyes showed love and admiration, but a melancholic expression also shined through. He placed the bracelet in his pocket and lifted his gaze, seeing the woman at the end of the path walking aimlessly, staring at the sky.  He couldn't make out her face due to her hair being weighed down by the rain, covering her face. 

     She wobbled towards him, her movements slow yet almost rhythmic. The man was so curious about this odd display, that he forgot about his worries for a second, thus he didn't stray from his path. He stayed in her direct path until they finally stood side by side. She didn't talk or even notice there was someone beside her, the man felt like a ghost as she seemed to look right through him. Out of concern, he turned to her and tried to speak out, but a strong gust of wind caused the umbrella to slam into her face. The woman lost her balance, stumbling, and causing the heel of her boot to break. She fell to the ground, the man only being able to catch her arm, the rest of her body hitting the floor with a painful thud. The sound she made conveyed a painful hit to her knees as a bit of red was now visible on her pants. Riddled with guilt, he lifted her up, concerned, "Miss, are you okay", he said as she was brought under his umbrella.

     She slowly looked up, but the rain blurred her vision. Her mind was in a daze but the pain she felt in her legs brought a bit of her sanity back into reality. She saw a man, a brunette with fluffy hair, round glasses, and a beauty mark under his eye.  She slowly came back to her senses as he shared his umbrella with her. Beautiful sparkling eyes sadly looked at him, but she slowly averted her gaze as she apologized "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you wet. Thank you", her words were slow but clear to the ear. As she was about to step away from the umbrella and back into the rain, he held onto her hand. "There is a laundromat near here, let me at least guide you there", he said sweetly, trying to keep her on his plane. Hand in hand, he guided her across the street and a block away until he saw the blaring lights of the sign.

      They entered and he sat her down on a nearby bench. He looked a bit scattered as he saw her completely drenched. She was wearing a long coat, but it was way beyond keeping her warm. If she were to stay in that state for any longer, it might cause a strain on her health. Her pale expression made him feel nervous, but an idea came to mind as he remembered where he was, "I'll be right back", he said excitedly as he swiftly exited the establishment. She saw as he left and a sudden chill engulfed her.  She was indeed soaked from head to toe and the more she adjusted her coat, the more water dripped on the floor, now forming a puddle. Then, for those few moments, she felt her mind come back. She began to question her decisions up until now. How she got to where she was and what was she doing. She was cold and scared, she felt like there was blood on her hands she couldn't wash off, or more accurately, blood that she didn't want to wash off. She felt she was being weighed down by her own body as she looked down, and finally noticed her broken shoe.

      She began to take off her boots and saw blood on the tips. She remembered the previous night and her mind again went into a daze. The pain, the sorrow, the betrayal that she suffered, she wanted to forget it all, but it was still so fresh in her memory along with the emptiness she felt inside. It was all over, she ended it with her own two hands, she preserved what was important, all that would make her whole and complete, so why was it still haunting her? She felt like she was still missing something, but was lost as to what that thing could be. But, before she could spiral further, she saw the man run in. He held a bag with him as he panted, " I'm sorry if these are not the correct size, but it's better than being wet". 

      Inside the bathroom, she began to strip off the clingy clothes, drying herself with napkins from the dispenser. She pulled out grey sweatpants and a sweatshirt from the bag she was provided. She looked in the mirror and she saw the redness in her eyes. She didn't want to cry anymore but she saw the bruise on the corner of her forehead and the blood in her gums, she questioned why this happened, and as involuntary thoughts crawled in her head she felt herself shrinking as she crawled into a ball on the floor. Her anxiety rose as words etched into her head, "I just want to disappear". However, a sudden knocking sound broke her away just in time. It was the man, checking up on her, "Sorry, to interrupt, just wanted to ask if the clothes fit. If they are too big, just tell me and I can get new ones". The woman felt confused, but tried her best to answer, "No, please don't mind me. They are perfect", she said in a shaky voice.

     The man waited on the bench as he thought about the woman. Her hair, the shape of her eyes, the way she walked, the way she was dressed, where was she going in such a state, and why did it look like she had completely given up on everything. It was as if the person disappeared for a second before he talked to her. He had never seen anything like this before and he wasn't really sure what do to in this situation. But, as he contemplated, he heard the bathroom door open, his eyes almost instinctively moving towards the sound. He felt a twinge in his chest as he saw her walking out of the bathroom. The clothing was indeed too big for her, but she looked comfortable, as she came closer he examined her face more closely. He saw a bruise on her head and a bit of blood in the corner of her mouth. He wanted to ask if she was okay, but it felt too soon. He decided on another approach. "Do you need a cab or anything to go home?" She kept her head low and mumbled, " Thank You, but I don't want to waste more of your time. You have already helped me more than enough". His face showed concern as he stood in front of her. He didn't want to leave yet but didn't know what to say. As he contemplated his next words, her voice filled the silence "I'm...grateful for all of your help. Do you mind if I get your number?".

     His eyes went wide and her face quickly became flushed as she heard her own words, " No, I didn't mean...I just wanted to return these clothes. I can't keep them. I can wash them and give them back".  He began to laugh as she stuttered and became frantic. "No, it's okay, here", he wrote his number down and gave it to her, "But, you don't have to give me those clothes back. I'm just glad you have some color on your face again".

     His words felt warm as his smile lifted her spirits, she smiled as she lifted her hand to shake his, "Then, let me make it up to you in another way. My name is Yvette, it's nice to meet you". As she showed him that expression, he felt a surge going through him, he felt a warmth in him that he felt he had missed. He stretched out his hand and reciprocated her smile, " Nice to meet you, I'm Cane".

     As they both said their goodbyes, Yves entered a taxi and went on her way with a final wave. Cane waved back and exited the laundromat. He stayed there until the taxi was completely out of sight. He opened his umbrella and began to walk opposite the taxi. As he went on his way, he couldn't shake off the smile on his face as his mind raced, still feeling her in his hand, " I didn't think I would meet her so soon".