The empty hole in her stomach ached as her hunger grew. Her tears streamed down as they warmed her face,  her hollow expression apparent to those who took a peek. Drenched from the heavy rain, she walked aimlessly through the paved path around the park. Harsh weather made her body cold, yet her mind was too far gone to feel it. She felt nothing could make her heart beat again; thus, a numbness overtook her. 

      On the opposite end of the path, a man walked under his umbrella, smiling at a dainty golden bracelet. His eyes brimmed with love and admiration, but a melancholic expression overtook him in the end. He placed the bracelet in his pocket and lifted his gaze. He saw a woman at the end of the path wandering, her eyes fixed towards the sky.  He couldn't make out her face, yet something felt oddly familiar to him.

     She wobbled towards him, her movements slow yet almost rhythmic. The man walked closer, his eyes now fixated on her, his direction changing to follow her steps.

      He stayed in her direct line of view until they finally stood side by side. The world was blank to her as the woman passed by without a single word, a glance, or a gesture. Her eyes were glazed over, gone from this world and even the next. 

       Out of concern, the man placed his hand on her shoulder,  but before he could speak, a strong gust of wind caused his umbrella to slam into her face. The woman lost her balance, her heel breaking from the sudden shift.

        Through blurry fields, each blink caused her vision to clear. She felt like she had finally awakened from a long sleep cycle, yet her body burned with pain. She looked towards the floor; she was on her knees, and the rain slowly pulled blood from her fresh wounds. She then felt something tug her arm and pull her up from her position.

       The man clearly heard the sound she made as she hit the concrete. There was no doubt in his mind she was hurt. However, now he was riddled with guilt as he helped her stand again. 

     "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 brought her back. Her eyes adjusted bit by bit, trying to make out the face of this strange man.

     She saw a man, a brunette with fluffy hair, round glasses, and a beauty mark under his eye.  She slowly formed an exhausted smile as she nodded, trying to bring comfort to his distraught expression. 

     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.

      As she was about to step back into the rain, he held onto her hand. "There is a laundromat near here; let me take you there at least", he said sweetly, trying to keep her close. 

     Hand in hand, he guided her across the street and a block away until he saw the blaring lights of the laundromat sign. They entered, and he sat her down on a nearby bench. 

     He looked a bit scattered as he saw her completely drenched under the fluorescent lighting. She was wearing a long coat, now heavy and soaked from the rain. 

     "If she were to stay in that state for any longer, it might cause a cold", he thought as he thought about the stores around the street.  Her pale expression made him feel nervous, but an idea came to mind as he mapped out where he was: "I'll be right back", he said excitedly as he exited the establishment. Her eyes followed him, but as she lost sight, she realized how cold it was.  

     She was indeed soaked from head to toe, and the more she adjusted her coat, the more water dripped on the floor, forming a puddle. For those few moments, she felt her mind come back. She began to question the decisions that led her here. 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 part with.

      She felt something weighing down her 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 now that it was over; she figured there would be some closure, so why did she still feel empty? Her mind began to run rapidly. However, before she could spiral further, she saw the man run back in. 

     He held a bag as he panted, "I'm sorry if these are not the right 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. As involuntary thoughts crawled in her head, she felt herself shrinking as she curled into a ball on the floor. 

     Her anxiety rose as words etched into her head, "Please let it be enough". However, a sudden knock 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're perfect", she said in a shaky voice.

     The man waited on the bench as he etched the image of the woman in her head. Her hair, the shape of her eyes, the way she walked, the way she was dressed, and why it looked like she had completely given up on everything. It was as if she completely disappeared until he spoke to her. He'd never seen anything like this, and he wasn't sure what to do in this situation. But as he contemplated, he heard the bathroom door open, his eyes instinctively darting towards the sound. 

     He felt a twinge in his chest as he saw her walk out of the bathroom. The clothes were indeed too big for her, yet she looked comfortable. As she came closer, he examined her face 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 held it back. 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've 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. "No, it's okay, here", he wrote his number down and gave it to her. "But you don't have to return those clothes. I'm just glad you have some color on your face again".

     His words felt warm, his smile lifting her spirits in the moment. She smiled back 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 go through him, a warmth engulfing him that he felt he had missed. He stretched out his hand and reciprocated her smile, " Nice to meet you too, I'm Cane".

     As they both said their goodbyes, Yvette entered a taxi and went on her way with a final wave. Cane waved back as he stood in front of the laundromat. He stayed until the taxi was completely out of sight. He then opened his umbrella and began to walk opposite the cab. 

     As he went on his way, he couldn't shake off the smile on his face as he stared at her written number. His face grew obsessive as he murmured, " I didn't think I would see you so soon. I've waited so long to finally see you again, Yvette".