The first drops

At the bus stop, Dev felt the first drops on his sleeve. The sky over home was the same dark grey.

His bedsheets were still on the line. Lena was working at the kitchen table, close enough to bring them in, but with her back to the garden.

Their house room had a Quick Ping for exactly this request: “Rain coming — please bring the washing in.” Dev tapped it while moving under the shelter.

Lena noticed the notification, looked through the back door, and saw the first spots on the paving. She took the basket outside and unclipped the sheets before the shower became heavy.

When Dev got home, the basket was sitting on his bed. The pillowcases were a little damp at the corners; the sheets were dry.

He folded them after dinner while Lena cleared a space in the linen cupboard. The empty basket went back beside the door.