The screaming of panic in Javi’s ears was almost as loud as the roar of the pouring rain. He hadn’t been able to beat the rain to the laundromat, and he hadn’t been able to wait out the storm either.

“You need a lift?”

Javi barely noticed the words as the blurred and warped in the falling sheets of water. What was he going to do?

“Hey 5G!” Javi started, suddenly able to focus on the truck idling at the curb. “Hop in,” the driver said. Javi recognized the silver-haired woman as someone who lived down the hall from him, but he still hesitated.

Electric purple radiance.

A breath.

BOOOOM!

It was barely six paces to the door of the waiting vehicle, but he was still soaked by the time he was sitting in the truck.

“Crazy shit, eh?” she said with a squinty smile. And then they were driving.

“Thanks . . . uh . . .”

“Valerie.”

“Valerie. I’m Javi.”

The cab of the truck smelled like cats and cigarettes. Javi held his laundry bag close, feeling intensely uncomfortable. But then he heard the words coming through the stereo:

“My gift is my song, and this one’s for you.”

“My sister loves this song,” he said.

“No shit?” Vallerie answered genially. “And I thought kids these days hated the oldies.”

“Some.”

“This is my wedding playlist,” she explained. “I play it every year on my anniversary.”

“Oh,” Javi said. Then, when he realized what an inadequate response that was, he added, “Congratulations.”

“For what? Oh, you mean the— Well thanks, but the sunovabitch died twenty years ago, so it’s not exactly a confetti and streamers sort of day, you know?”

Rain pounded on the roof of the car. Javi clenched his teeth. Elton John crooned. Javi wanted to be anywhere else in the world.

“I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind . . .”

It was only another minute before they pulled into the apartment lot, splashing through potholes. “Thank you for the ride,” Javi said, hand already on the door handle.

“Of course!” Valerie said brightly. “And listen, I’m always happy to help a neighbor, so feel free to ask anytime you need a lift.”

“Sure,” Javi said, with no intention of ever getting into this truck again.

Valerie eased the car into a parking spot, but just before coming to a stop, she said, “And Javi.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.” He blinked. Valerie flashed another squinty smile at his confusion. “I know I’m just some crazy old lady. And like I said, this is a complicated day for me. But it always helps to talk to folks, remind myself that there are people out there other than me. And here you are! 5G is an actual person, with laundry and a sister and everything.” She looked up at the building they both called home. “There’s a whole lot of life out there. And that really is worth celebrating.”

Radiance.

A breath.

The world shook.

“How wonderful life is, now you’re in the world.”

* * *

Story by Gregory M. Fox