The Rain Has Stopped—You Can Put Away Your Umbrella Now

By: Anydinh

It rained the whole afternoon—drop by drop tapping softly on the road.

The water streaked long and blurred like fading memories.

You walked beside me, holding the umbrella,

shielding me from the rain… and also from the invisible distance between us.

I walked quietly beside you.

But I no longer looked at you the way I used to.

I only watched the raindrops gathering on my coat.

The rain dragged on endlessly, just like my feelings—

tangled, complicated.

Wanting to hold on,

yet wanting to let go.

And then… the rain stopped.

You gently folded the umbrella,

your eyes searching mine, as if waiting for something.

But I had nothing to give.

Only a faint smile, tinged with sadness,

I looked up at the sky,

took a soft breath and said to you:

— “The rain has stopped… You can put away your umbrella now.”

My voice was light as mist,

yet the weight in my heart was indescribable.

It wasn’t that I hated the rain,

or that I wanted you to leave.

It’s just… without this rain,

I had no reason left to keep you by my side.

You looked at me—

your eyes flickered with doubt,

then dimmed into silence.

Maybe you understood what I meant.

You knew…

It wasn’t that I no longer loved you,

but that I chose a different way to love—

by letting go.

No clinging, no forcing.

A kind of love that wouldn’t hurt either of us anymore.

A breeze passed.

The street glowed faintly under the post-rain light.

You nodded quietly, said nothing more,

and turned away.

I stood there,

watching your silhouette fade into the distance,

my fingers clutching my coat

to stop the tears from falling.

I didn’t call out to you.

Because I know—

if someone truly wants to stay,

then come rain or shine…

they never would’ve walked away.