48: The what-ifs

At exactly 5:45 pm, Joel arrived at the location they had both picked and then texted her.

She had gotten lost in her conversation with her mom, and also with Emily when she returned while downstairs saying goodbye to her mom.

The weather was dry and harsh, but she had been informed by her weather app that it'd rain at 6. She had hoped to be early, so they'd be home before then. But as it turned out, she was the one breaking her own rule.

Reasons she hated being late: she didn't get enough time to decide what to wear, how to wear it, and if she were to use a lip balm, lip gloss, lipstick, or just go plain. What if she needed sandals to match her outfit and not boots? What if an umbrella was necessary because of an expected rain pour? There was a 99.9% chance she'd forget something and would later find out it was very important.

After wearing a black, long-sleeved, ankle-length, floral dress, she quickly slipped on a