ethan & emma: talking with you.

Hands In the Rain

The next day, clouds clustered across the Los Angeles sky, deep and gray and dark. So much for the plan to return to the beach.

After waking up at 12:30 - she had tried to pull an all-nighter to edit a video, but succumbed to sleep as the sun began to rise - Emma looked around at her apartment. Without any sunlight streaming through the massive windows that formed the south wall, her apartment was dim and somewhat dreary, her lamps hardly sufficient to ward off the encroaching darkness.

Emma sat on her couch for a bit... suddenly and intensely lonely. 

Sometimes she missed San Francisco with her whole heart, the security of her mother just one room away, being able to escape to her father's house to grab a coffee and rant about her day. Here, she could temporarily fill that void with a few of her closest friends, but even then, every night when she returned to her apartment, she was alone.

As she looked out at the sky, her phone buzzed in her lap, and she glanced at it. It was her mom, responding to the embarrassingly long admission that she felt kinda down today, saying that she should go out and buy some plants to look after. There was more, too, but that was what stood out to Emma. 

Plants! 

Plants she could take care of, and they required none of the commitment that it would take to adopt a cat or dog, like she was debating if she should impulsively do today. 

That was enough of an excuse to open up her group chat with James, Grayson, Bryant, and Ethan.

[12:47 p.m.] Emma: who is free rn

[12:48 p.m.] Bryant: For what? ¿Que pasó?

[12:48 p.m.] Emma: its a secret

[12:48 p.m.] Emma: jk

[12:49 p.m.] Emma: i really need plants 4 my apartment

[12:49 p.m.] Emma: its whats been missing in my life

[12:53 p.m.] James: I can't, busy all day 🙁

[12:54 p.m.] Bryant: I might be free to come over later.

[12:55 p.m.] Ethan: You going now?

Emma smiled, feeling that weight on her chest lifting slightly.

[12:55 p.m.] Emma: yep wanna come?

[12:55 p.m.] Ethan: I'm already in town I could swing by

[12:55 p.m.] Grayson: Ethan you're supposed to be getting me coffee.

[12:56 p.m.] Ethan: I can still drop it off with you later...

[12:56 p.m.] Grayson: I can't believe you're playing me like this bro.

[12:56 p.m.] Ethan: Just Postmates Starbucks if you're that worried about it

[12:59 p.m.] Grayson: 😐

Emma redid her hair, pulling an oversized hoodie from her closet. It only took Ethan fifteen minutes before he texted her.

[1:16 p.m.] Ethan: Outside

[1:16 p.m.] Emma: come in its unlocked

She heard the door open downstairs.

"Hello?" Ethan's voice carried easily up the stairs.

"Coming!" Emma called, grabbing her phone and turning off the upstairs lights before descending downstairs. Ethan had made himself at home, sprawled in one of the small gray chairs by the windows, wearing a long-sleeved sweater and jeans. He was holding a green drink and a coffee in either hand.