It was cold and raining as Chantal Peterson looked at her tired reflection in her vanity mirror. Tears slowly made their way down her splotchy face as she remembered how her grandfather – the person she loved more than anyone else in the world – had passed away. Despite the sorrow that threatened to consume her, she had to try her best to make herself look presentable for the funeral. After all, all her relatives from New York would be there.

You see, Chantal and Lucas had come to their small town to live after an accident had left Lucas mute. What happened was that Lucas and Chantal's parents had been in one of the twin towers when they had collapsed. He had, unlike Chantal's parents, miraculously survived, but a piece of glass embedded itself into his throat, rendering him speechless.

So Lucas and his orphaned grand daughter went to live in a diminutive, constantly rainy town named Crossroads. They had both fallen in love with the drizzling town, because despite its rainy atmosphere, the people there were bright and loving.

It had been a normal Saturday morning, and Chantal and her grandfather, were going to town to buy what they needed for the next week. They had chosen that Saturday specifically because there was to be a Manchester United football game against Arsenal, and Lucas was the biggest fan Manchester United had ever had.

Chantal and Lucas walked into the grocery store with the intentions of buying whatever they needed for the next couple of weeks. Passing by a display of ribbons, Chantal decided to try one on. She tied the ribbon around her silky honey colored hair, and examined her reflection in a shop window with her stunning green eyes. Ribbons, she thought, they don't do a girl justice.

So she continued with her shopping, pausing only to check with her grandfather if she should buy a certain brand of something or not. They walked up, hand in hand, to the cashier, a frail, wise old man with a cane.

"Well, hey there Lucas, nice seeing you, how you been?" he asked

A smile and a nod was Lucas's reply.

It was common knowledge in their town that ever since the cashier's wife passed away, his way of dealing with the grief was to occasionally whack people with his cane. Chantal had to admit; sometimes watching the young town boys getting hit with the cane provided some humor – if any- in her dull life.

After they left the store, they crossed the street to go to the Robinsons' house. Lucas was a friend of the ageing Mr. Robinson, and Chantal found she was having a growing attraction to Mr. Robinsons youngest son, Tristan. They let themselves in and Mr. Robinson and Lucas immediately disappeared into the dining room to watch the game while Tristan and Chantal were left alone, blushing and awkward.

"So," Tristan drawled nonchalantly, "you look really pretty today, how are you?"

"Fine thanks," she blushed, "how about you?"

"Good, listen, how about we go watch the game with my dad and your grandfather??"

"Sure," she replied, not completely knowing why a blush was making its way onto her neck and cheeks.

They watched the game in silence, erupting into loud cheers whenever Manchester United scored a goal, and wailed in despair when Arsenal did.

It was when Arsenal scored the winning goal that Lucas was unable to breath.

"Grandpa? Are you ok?" asked a concerned Chantal, all moments of previous shyness long-forgotten.

"Call-an-ambulance" was his wheezed reply

"Sure, sure thing grandpa, just hang in there"

Mr. Robinson left the house in order to find some immediate medical help as Tristan called 9-1-1. Meanwhile, Chantal remained at her grandfather's side incase anything happened to him.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, an ambulance arrived. They put a now unconscious Lucas on a stretcher and carted him into the back of the ambulance.

2 days later

It was with a heavy heart that Chantal woke up. News had just reached her about her grandfather's death due to a heart attack, and she was inconsolable. Tears began to subconsciously make their way down her cheek, and she found herself unable to concentrate on anything other than the stabbing hurt she felt every time she thought about her grandfather.

Finally, after hours of mourning and hundreds of tears, after relatives hugging her and breaking down in front of her, Chantal Peterson found herself a moment alone.

She was sitting on the swings in her garden, the drizzling rain matching her glum, dreary mood. She couldn't take it anymore, she just couldn't. She couldn't take the pain of losing another loved one. Not again. Not after her parents. The one string that gave her any close semblance to love, to care, was gone. Her string had snapped. And so had she.

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Tristan Robinson was taking a walk in the countryside when he spotted a hunched up figure on the swings. He at first thought it was a runaway child, but as he got closer, he realized it was his current crush, Chantal Peterson. He had heard of her grandfather's untimely death, and the whole town – including him – knew of how her parents had passed away.

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Chantal heard the squeak of rusting metal being moved as yet another tear slid down her angelic face. Looking up from the risky position she had situated herself in, she saw none other than Tristan sitting down on the swing beside her, looking into the horizon.

"Hey," she whispered

"Hey yourself," he murmured back, "how are you after…" he trailed off…

"I-I'm fine thank you," her voice shaking while they both knew she was lying.

He inclined his head to look at her disbelievingly. And as their gaze met, the invisible wall between them broke as she let herself sob away all the pain she kept in her heart.

"No!" she sobbed, "no I'm not fine! Grandpa's dead, I have no one left in this world but myself." Her voice broke as she continued, "mom's not here, dad's not here, and now grandpa's not here either," she paused to wipe away a tear from her beautiful face, "no one's left for me in this world Tristan, not even myself.

"I don’t know what to do with myself now that grandpa's not here. He was the one thing that kept me alive, he's not here anymore. I should be dead with him! I-I just don't know what to do anymo-" her voice broke as she realized that she couldn't speak anymore due to the lump that was in her throat.

Tristan didn't know what to do except hold her in his arms and let her cry against her shoulder.

"Shh, c'mon Chantal, I'm here for you, rain or shine, no matter what. I'm here for you whether you like it or not" he soothed.

Chantal had no reply except to hug him closer and cry harder. Except now it wasn't only tears of grief she was shedding, it was also tears of relief, tears of liberation in knowing she wasn't facing this alone.

Maybe, she thought, maybe there is some good in the world after all.

And she hugged Tristan closer.