The Rain Finally Stops

The sky looked different now.

The clouds hadn’t left — not completely.
But the rain had stopped.
And sometimes, that was enough.

Studio, early evening

El sat alone, tuning the same guitar he hadn’t touched since before everything broke open.

The strings were still slightly out of tune.

So was he.

The door creaked open softly.

He didn’t look up.

Didn’t need to.

“Still not locking your doors, huh?”
Sofi’s voice — calm, quieter than usual.

“Didn’t want to,” El replied.

She stepped inside.
Dropped her bag by the stool.
Didn’t sit. Just… stood there, looking at the room like it had aged in her absence.

“Sounds different in here.”

“It’s you.”

A small smile tugged at her lips.

They work together again

El opens up a fresh project.
Starts layering chords. No words. No structure. Just sound.

Sofi hums — nothing fancy. Just the way she used to.

The hum doesn’t crack this time.

They don’t talk about the tape.
Or the beach.
Or the photo.

Just… music.

They fall into rhythm.
Like people who used to dance together, slowly finding the beat again.

LATER – Studio, dimly lit, post-recording

They sit on the floor again.

Two drinks. One warm. One cold.

“I thought you weren’t coming back,” El says.

“I wasn’t sure I could.”

A beat.

“Why did you?”

Sofi stares at her drink.

“Because I wanted to finish the song.”

El nods.

“And maybe…” she adds, “because I wanted to see if you’d still be here.”

He doesn’t answer.

Just gently hands her his headphones.

“Listen.”

She puts them on.

It’s the new version. Their version.
A blend of everything — the beach, the piano, her laugh, his chords, the hum.

It’s unfinished. Imperfect.

But it’s theirs.

Sofi walks home alone

Night falls. The village is quiet.

She walks slowly. No umbrella.
Just the sound of the sea in the distance and their song in her head.

She doesn’t cry.

But she smiles — just a little.