Reading Rainbow Days

The rain pours down, and Roy marks the passage of time only by the pages he’s turned and the number of times he’s stood up to refill his tea. It is, quite possibly, one of the loveliest days he’s spent in recent memory. He’s just closing in on the final chapters when there’s a knock at the door. Roy tips the book against his chest and waits to see if the interruption will go away. He counts to 35, but there’s another knock. He sighs and hauls himself up to answer the door. Jamie is standing on the other side, sopping wet and holding his Richmond duffel bag over one shoulder. However frustrated he’d been a moment ago, it melts away and he feels himself smiling. “Look what the fucking cat dragged in."