you could smell it before it even started. it had been one of those brutal texas summers, but after 87 days with not a drop of rain, the clouds had finally darkened and the wind had shifted direction.

it's the steam from the heated asphalt that emits the odor. that sickly-sweet smell. a mixture of motor oil, gasoline, and something else.

we had only been home from work a few minutes when those first few drops began to fall through the cedar trees outside the balcony.

"it's starting!" she screamed, as she swung around and came running through the sliding glass door. she grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind her, past the futon where we first made love and out the front door. i could feel the temperature drop as we decended the three flights of stairs to the parking lot.

"it feels so wonderful!" she was twirling now, her arms outstretched and palms facing the sky to catch what drops she could. i stood looking upward, following individual drops of water that managed to escape the web of brittle dry branches overhead until they landed on my face. tasting the release of three months of waiting on the tip of my tongue. i removed my t-shirt to feel the cool droplets on my skin as the trickle turned to downpour.

her shirt clung to her skin and her short hair matted against her scalp. she once again grabbed me by the hand. "dance with me!," she said as we conjured up an imaginary 2/3 swing beat to support our movements. one by one, stepping through every step we had learned. we turned, and twirled, and dipped, and twisted until our hearts raced at full speed and the rain beat down at an almost painful rate. puddles began to form at our feet and we jumped and splashed, and turned and twirled.

our laughter rang out in harmony with the cacophony of water hitting the tile roofs and steel hoods. turning and twirling, and laughing, she embraced me hard and pushed her wet lips onto mine, her tongue playing with mine. we collapsed on the wet earth and pressed our enlivened bodies tightly together. i brushed the wet hair from her face and grabbed her cheeks to bring her mouth once again to mine.

just as soon as it had begun, it was finished.

she's still the most memorable rainstorm of my life.