Maxwell ran down the street, the rain pouring on his already soaked hair. He held his hand over his forehead, as if that would help. Once he made it to the cafe, he darted in taking a deep breath, and looked around. He sighed when he noticed every table was taken. Just his luck. Nonetheless, he walked to the counter, and ordered his favorite coffee. As he was waiting for it, a man his age walked up.

“Hi. I’m Richard, but you can call me Dick. I saw you just come in here to get out of the rain, but there aren’t any places for you to sit by yourself. So, if you like, you could sit with me?” the man said. He looked friendly, and his smile was warm.

Maxwell looked taken aback by the sudden courtesy. “Uh, I’m Maxwell… you can call me Max,” he said. “And I accept your offer,” Max gave him his own warm smile.

Soon after, his order came, and he and Dick walked to their table.

“So, why did you ask me to sit with you?” Max asked, sipping his coffee, and looking across the table at the other gentleman.

“Why not?” he replied, sipping his own coffee. Max raised an eyebrow. Dick chuckled. “I just thought it would be a nice thing, considering you did just run out of the rain.”

Max nodded. “Well, thank you,” he said, giving Dick a look of appreciation.

“My pleasure,” Dick said, taking another sip of his hot drink. Like a mirror, Max copied. “So what had you out on a rainy day like this?” he asked.

Max ran his fingers through his still wet hair, moving it from his eyes. “I had to deliver something to my ex,” he said, shaking his head involuntarily.

“She give you a hard time?” Dick asked.

“Not too much. I did just have to give her the Xbox she bought for me while we were together…” Max sighed, tapping his fingers on his coffee cup.

“Awh, I’m sorry,” Dick said, giving him a look like he understood.

“Don’t worry about it. She let me keep the games,” he said, shrugging it off.

Dick downed the rest of his coffee. “Well, at least you have something, right?” he joked.

Maxwell let out a small laugh. “You’re right on that one.”

“Do you still love her?” Dick asked, his face changing to one of sympathy.

Max thought for a moment. “Yes. I do still love her.”

There was silence as Dick looked outside, then back to max.

“I’m done with my coffee, but it is still raining out there, and I don’t want you to walk home by yourself,” Dick stated.

“I’ll be fine. I’m a grown man,” Max scoffed, confused as to what Dick was getting at.

“I am not talking about your safety, Max. I have an umbrella. It might help from getting you anymore wet than you already are. It might also help you not to get a cold,” Dick explained, picking up his compact umbrella and showing it to the man sitting across from him. “How about I walk you home, and then I will be on my way?”

Max looked at the umbrella, thinking. He nodded once. “Alright,” he said finally, looking back at Dick and giving him a smile. He then grabbed his coffee, and stood up, ready for Dick to lead him out the door since he was the one with the umbrella.

“Where do you live, Max?” Dick asked casually, as they exited the cafe, and he opened the umbrella.

“We take a right here, then we take a right at the next intersection, and it’s the third house on the right,” Max said, walking closely to Dick as to stay under the roof like tool.

They walked the entire time in silence, both men enjoying the rain pattern as it hit their shelter. Max ended up finishing his coffee on the way, and he threw the cup away in a public trash bin. Once they made it to Max’s house, Dick turned to him and smiled.

“It was nice meeting you, Max” he said, holding out his hand.

“It was nice meeting you, too, Dick,” Max said, shaking his new friend’s hand firmly, then letting it drop.

The rain stopped. Dick moved the umbrella, and both gentlemen looked up at the sky. The clouds were starting to move from the sun.

“Well, fancy that, Dick said, still looking up. Max nodded, his eyes still on the sky as well.

They both look down and smile. “Well, good-bye, Dick,” Max said, and gave him a little wave and started towards his house. He stopped suddenly when he felt a sharp object being plunged into his back. He couldn’t turn around to see the man, who had just walked him home, holding the knife lodged into his shoulder blade.

“Good-bye, Maxwell,” Dick said, his voice transforming from friendly to mad in a matter of seconds.

The last thing Max saw was the Sun that was finally visible. His last thoughts were of how much he loved the sunshine.

The End.