The rain fell relentlessly, its steady rhythm against the windows of the house the only sound breaking the tense silence that filled the room. Leon and his girlfriend sat on opposite ends of the couch, the space between them seeming as wide as the ocean. The argument they had had earlier, one of those small things that get exaggerated in times of stress, had left a chill in the air that not even the warmth of the fireplace could dispel.

Leon stared at the glow of the city lights through the window, his thoughts tangled between fury and regret. He knew he had been stubborn, but his pride wouldn’t let him take the first step to sort things out.

His girlfriend, on the other end of the couch, was hugging herself, frustration evident in her expression.