It was raining.

She snuggled into her black and white striped throw, wrapping it closer around her body, before picking up the mug of hot cocoa on the coffee table before her, holding it with both hands, hoping the heat from the beverage — coupled with the comfortable blanket — would warm her up on that one chilly fall night.

She pulled her legs closer to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, sighing in annoyance.

"Why must it be raining tonight?" she mumbled as the thunder rumbled outside, impatient with the weather.

But then again, she supposed it didn't matter. She wasn't planning on leaving the house anyway. She'd moved on, but that didn't mean she wasn't scarred. She was different, a new version of herself. That experience — her mistake — changed her. And, if she was being honest with herself, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of her forgotten dinner. She took a sip of her now-cold cocoa before setting it back down on the coffee table, getting to her feet, the throw falling to a pile in the middle of the light grey sofa, making a beeline towards the kitchen.

She opened the fridge door, ready to prepare a nice meal for herself, only to find herself staring at the empty glass shelves.

"Damn it," she cursed under her breath.

Of course her fridge would be empty. Now, she had to run to the grocery store in the intense rain. She made a mental note to check the fridge more often in order to avoid situations like this in the future.

She closed the fridge door and headed towards the front door, grabbing her black coat, small umbrella and sling bag from the hook on the wall beside it and throwing on the coat and pulling the hood of her coat over her head, she headed out into the pouring rain.

She opened her umbrella and started trudging down the street, towards the nearby grocery store. The wind was howling loudly in her ears, blowing at her so strongly that she was struggling to keep her umbrella from overturning. Soon, she could barely even keep her hood on or her umbrella opened to shield her from the oncoming downpour, and she'd given up entirely on them.

She picked up her pace, walking as fast as she could to the store, praying she wouldn't trip on the slippery sidewalk.

Despite her efforts, by the time she arrived at the supermarket that was around five minutes away, she was completely drenched. Needless to say, she was not in the best of moods, though she was grateful for the warmth from the heater in the building.

She grabbed a red basket from the stack by the entrance and made a beeline towards the frozen foods section, cutting through the beverage aisle.

"I really have to remember to check the fridge more often," she muttered, angry at herself.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she paced through the store, hoping to get over and done with the grocery shopping, wanting to go home and take a nice, warm bath and a steaming mug of camomile tea.

She turned the corner, feeling the chill from the row of freezers, ready to head towards the frozen dinners section, when she stopped in her tracks, unable to believe her eyes.

No, it couldn't be. Not tonight. Any day but today.

She was just about to turn around and walk the other way, wanting to avoid any contact, when their eyes locked. It was too late to back out now. He saw her.

He approached her, closing the gap between them.

"Hi," he said, a small smile on his face.

"Hey," she replied, eyes glued to the floor, chewing on her bottom lips, her heartbeat accelerating from the nerves.

She didn't know what to say. There were so many thoughts running through her mind. Should she make an excuse and leave? Should she try and carry a conversation with him? What should she do?

"So, how are you?"

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess." She paused. "You?"

She forced herself to look up, not wanting to seem to rude or distant. He still looked the same. Short, ruffled, chocolate brown hair. Olive green eyes. Strong arms. Still as tall as ever.

But, at the same time, something seemed different. He carried himself lighter, more confidently, like the burden he was carrying on his shoulders when she knew him had been lifted. He was glowing, like he'd finally found a reason to appreciate and enjoy life.

"I'm good."

Silence.

Neither of them knew what to say next, after having lost touch for the past three years.

"What a coincidence, huh, meeting here?" he said.

It was.

It was the exact place they'd first met.

"I've missed you," she blurted, instantly regretting the decision.

That was inappropriate and highly unnecessary. Why'd you do that? she scolded herself.

Thankfully, he took it well, merely chuckling at her comment. "I've missed you too." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "How about we start over?"

She nodded, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. "I'd like that," she replied softly, feeling warm from his offer.

Maybe then she could really have the fresh start she's always wanted.

"Hi, I'm Richard," he introduced, extending a hand.

She took it, shaking his hand. "Hi," she answered. "I'm Terri."

___

A/N: Hey guys! This book is finally completed! Thank you so, so much on following me on this incredible journey. The support on 29 Words and 29 Letters have been incredible and it blows me away so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

If you haven't checked out 29 Words (which you probably did before this), you should. They contain the letters Terri received in this book.

On another note, do check out Voices as I'm entering that (and 29 Words) into the Wattys!

Also, I actually have a third installment to this series but I'm debating on whether I should do it. I planned for it to tell the story of Richard and Terri's relationship over the course of those 29 months, with each chapter focusing on the highlight of the month, written in a poetry style thing. Would you guys want to read that?

Anyway, thank you so much once again for reading this. I really hoped you enjoyed it! Love you lots!

Much love,
Angie