Years had passed, but Mara and Eli still remembered the first storm that brought them together. Now, they walked side by side through the streets of the city they loved, umbrellas in hand, the gentle rhythm of rain tapping above them like a familiar song.
Mara laughed as a puddle splashed against her boots. "You always said you'd walk through any storm with me."
"I meant it," Eli replied, squeezing her hand. "And I always will."
They stopped at the park where they had first met, watching the raindrops ripple across the pond. Children ran past, dogs bounded through puddles, and the world felt alive in a way only rain could make it.
"Do you ever think about how far we've come?" Mara asked softly.
"All the time," Eli said. "We've had storms, distance, fear… and yet here we are. Stronger, together."
Mara leaned on his shoulder, feeling the warmth she had known from the beginning, yet deeper now—rooted, steady, and unshakable. "I'm glad we chose each other," she said.
Eli kissed the top of her head, the rain soaking their clothes, the city around them blurred in gray and gold. "Me too. And I'll keep choosing you, every single day."
They stood there, letting the rain fall around them, letting it wash away the past, the fears, the uncertainty. The storm had come and gone, but it had left something behind: a love that was patient, enduring, and real.
Mara closed her eyes, breathing in the smell of wet earth and fresh beginnings. "Forever?" she whispered.
"Forever," Eli echoed, his voice firm, gentle, unwavering.
And in that rain-soaked city, they walked home together, knowing that whatever storms the future might bring, they would face them side by side—always, forever, and completely in love.