Taylor was sitting at his kitchen counter that same evening around ninethirty doing a crossword puzzle when he heard the doorbell ring.
"Must be the pizza." He said to himself. He never could have prepared himself for what he saw on his doorstep.
Her red hair was wet and plastered to her head, and she still had on her sweats. The rain was beggingint to freeze on her wet coat, and she was shifting her weight nervously from one foot to the other and biting her lip as tears streamed down her cheeks. Shirley looked at him through red eyes, waiting to see what he would do.
Taylor knew he had been forgiven at the moment. He silently grabbed her hands and pulled her inside. He pulled her into a tight embrace, and Shirley squeezed him back. He nestled his face in her neck, and stroked her hair as she sobbed into his chest.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm so sorry." They stood in the doorway just embracing until Taylor pulled away.
"We have to get you out of these clothes." He said. Her clothes were wet due to the rain and snow.
"I know." She said quietly as he shut his door.
"It's terrible outside." He said, pulling her wet coat off of her.
"I know." She said, wiping some hair out of her eyes. "But I had to see you...I had to tell you..." She trailed off.
Taylor stood in front of her, and his eyes dropped to the floor. "Oh." He said quietly. He went in the nearby bathrom and handed her a towel. She began to dry herself off, and Taylor stood in front of her, not knowing what to say.
Their eyes suddenly met, and the silence was piercing. Taylor looked down at the floor, and put his hands in his pockets. "I never meant to hurt you Shirley." He said quietly.
She looked at him, trying to get him to look her in the eyes. "Taylor, it wasn't your fault. This...this...whole thing was OUR fault. We do this to each other, and play games and carry on....I never made anything clear with you...."
"I don't want to play games any more." He said, looking up at her.
"I don't either." She said.
They stood in silence for a few moments, Shirley absentmindedly toweling herself off. She stopped when she felt Taylor's eyes on her. She looked up to see him intently staring at her, and she found herself lost in the blue seas of emotion.