The howling wind pushed the rain against our bedroom window. It had been raining nearly all day and the whole evening now. After sundown the storm had intensified.

I didn’t care. It was warm and cosy under the duvet. David was lying next to me, sleeping. I was still between wakefulness and sleep. This floating state of peace and quiet just on the brink of drifting off. No thoughts, the body relaxed, the day to day life and all problems far away.

A sound I could not place made me open my eyes again. Probably the bins outside. Another sound. Footsteps.

David stirred, opened his eyes. There was the sound again, light footsteps in the hall. Someone moving stealthily. The light was being turned on in the hallway.

“What time is it?” David turned around and reached for his phone. He didn’t seem bothered at all. The only other person with keys to our flat was Ryan.

I stretched under the duvet and yawned. “Way to late for a visit” , I murmured and sat up.

We could hear sounds from the bathroom. Steps in the hall. Then Ryan stood in the door, wrapped in one of our bath towels.

“You won’t believe the day I had.”

No ‘hello’ no ‘are you awake’… it must have been a really bad day.

He came closer. His short hair was standing up in all directions, water still dripping from it. “And to top it all off I missed the last bus. It was dry at the time so I thought I walk…. Five minutes later the heavens opened again. I swear at one point the rain came from the ground.