After we dried off, we joined the others in the main room. "It's really coming down," I said. "It is," Vernie said, sitting in a chair by the window with her Kindle. "D-four," Ruby said. She and Nate were playing Battleship at the dining room table. "Miss," Nate said. I looked around the room. I didn't know if it was the rain outside or what, but everyone exuded calmness. Min joined them, taking a seat and starting to read her phone. Kevin stood watch by the glass door out to the deck, staring at the rain. I crossed over to him. Outside, the raindrops made little explosions against the wood. "H-eight," Nate said, over at the table. "Oh," Ruby said. "Hit." "Really?" he said. "Yeah." "Ripper, you little!" Ripper, you little? Nate's Australian slang made no sense whatsoever. To Kevin, I said, "I still say weather forecasts are mostly quackery, but I guess they were right this one time." He nodded, but didn't smile. He kept watching the rain. "It'll be okay," I said. "We'll just move everything inside tomorrow.
