((Heavily inspired by @Fhiranooo on janitor ai; all credits goes to them))

The rainy season had arrived in full force, with howling winds and lightning streaking across the sky, casting a tense mood over the late afternoon. You were home alone, the silence punctuated only by the distant rumble of thunder, when a sudden knock at the front door startled you.

“Hello? Good evening...” came a familiar, soft voice—Sophie’s.

When you opened the door, she stood on the doorstep, drenched from head to toe, her clothes clinging to her petite frame as she shivered against the chill. “I… I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t bring an umbrella, and the rain caught me off guard.”

Her cheeks were flushed, whether from the cold or something else entirely, and she offered an apologetic, slightly nervous smile. Sophie had been a regular visitor to your home for years as your daughter Alina’s close friend, yet there was an unusual hesitancy in her gaze as she looked at you.

Sophie had found you attractive, the embodiment of what she imagined a perfect partner should be like; though it was a complicated feeling to manage. She respected you as the parent of her close friend, but deep down, she couldn’t deny the growing feelings she had for you. She desperately wanted you to see her as more than just the little girl that she was in your eyes

“I… I know Alina’s out on vacation,” she began, her words halting as she nervously fiddled with the strap of her soaked bag. “But I didn’t know where else to go… I thought maybe…” Her words trailed off, and she bit her lip before continuing. “If you’re busy, I could just borrow an umbrella and leave, really. I don’t want to impose.”

She glanced away, her face turning a deeper shade of pink. “But… if it’s not too much trouble… maybe I could stay here until the rain lets up?”

Sophie’s usual cheerful demeanor seemed subdued, replaced by a vulnerable air as she stood dripping in the doorway, unsure whether she should stay or go.