Thunderstorm

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He, inspired: "Let's go for a walk."

"What? It's pouring out there." Her face added, "Dumbass." She turned again to her book, a love story, a bestseller.

He stared at the TV again where gleeful children muddied their clothes and an equally gleeful mother cleaned them with Tide. No sound, he muted commercials. He listened to the rain and wondered.

Three years now, they'd become a ritual. She went to work each day, worked late, ate at the office, came home to sit in her chair and read her book. He worked from home, wandered the empty apartment, scanned the paper for fun things to do they never did.

"Movie?"

"I'm too tired, I just want to read this and go to bed," she said.

He listened to the rain and imagined himself going for a walk in it.