By morning, the whole town was silvered with rain. The streets shimmered under low clouds, and the steady rhythm of water on the roof filled the quiet hallways of the school.
Hannah paused at the window before class, watching raindrops streak down the glass in crooked trails. The world felt slower, softened at the edges.
Emma arrived a few minutes later, her hair damp, her scarf clinging lightly to her shoulders. "It's coming down in sheets," she said, shaking off her umbrella. "I think I waded here."
Hannah laughed. "You need a better umbrella."
"I need a boat," Emma replied, grinning.
The morning moved at a gentler pace. The kids were quieter too, lulled by the weather, and the sound of rain became a kind of background music to their work.
By lunch, the mural was nearly complete—just a few spaces left unpainted, a few brushstrokes missing.
When the students left, Hannah lingered near the window while Emma cleaned brushes. "You ever notice," Hannah said, "how rain makes everything feel closer? Like the world folds in on itself."
Emma turned, leaning against the counter. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"Not bad," Hannah said softly. "Just… intense."
For a moment, they stood listening to the rain drum against the windows.
Emma stepped closer, careful, not hurried. "Maybe intensity isn't always something to avoid."
Hannah's eyes lifted to hers, something flickering there—recognition, understanding, a quiet pull.
Before either could say more, thunder rolled low and far away. The lights flickered, and both laughed, the spell breaking gently.
"Guess the universe agrees," Emma said.
"Or it's telling us to finish the mural before the power goes out."
They spent the rest of the afternoon painting in that soft half-light, shoulders brushing occasionally, laughter blending with the rain.
When the final color was laid down—a streak of bright gold along the waves—Emma stepped back. "There. Done."
Hannah smiled. "It's beautiful."
"So are days like this," Emma said quietly.
Outside, the rain kept falling, steady and endless. Inside, time seemed to slow around them.