j u d y __ m.c l i f f o r d

t w o

judy kites _ age 23 [ seattle , washington]

[ 6 years before ]

"michael.. you're leaving me?"

"this rainy town can't save me, jude. i have to go, somewhere else."

"b-but you promised me.." she whispered, clutching her arm.

"i can't stay here and risk my future just because one person wants me to stay, judy!" he raised his voice.

"n-no, i didn't mean that-"

"really? because it sounds like you were implying it."

"michael i have to tell you something." she took a deep breath. "im pregnant."

[ the present ]

the thunder struck miles away, but judy saw it perfectly. she twirled her umbrella as she walked through the empty side street, sighing to herself and trying to be occupied with the rain as she had nothing else to do.

her mind was racing about things that happened long ago, but she couldn't ever let it escape her mind. michael clifford was everywhere, she decided. he was on billboards she passed, buildings she worked near, and on buses she rode on. he had left that old rainy town in maine, but so had she. she hadn't realized that she was in the same city as him until she saw his name on one of the biggest buildings in seattle, and she just knew, even if she didn't want to know.

they had both moved from one rainy city to a slightly larger and more well known rainy city.

and she wasn't okay.