Don't Wait for the Rain to Clear
"Nat... did you and Winston get into a fight?"
I stood inside the emergency stairwell, leaning my back heavily against the concrete wall, my throat aching so intensely it physically hurt to breathe.
"Mom, I quit."
Clara fell silent for a long time before she finally answered. "Then come back home. Your father and I can take care of you."
I covered my eyes with my hand, and the tears finally broke through.
At that exact same moment, a text message from Winston flashed across my screen.
【Take two days to cool your head. Once this all blows over, I'll take you to the beach.】