50The deluge continued, but the storm was not consistent. Hard rain would splash down, then be whipped sideways where it smashed into the picture window with a splat. Abruptly, the clouds would open, revealing a robin's-egg blue—a sight as optimistic as a promise—that would disappear just as quickly as the hue emerged.
Becca sat at the table and marveled at the spectacle, absorbed by the fluctuating beauty and power of the storm. Where before she had only noticed various shades of gray, now she witnessed other colors: especially the bright green of the mesquite and paloverde trees, washed clean of the dusty coats they'd worn since the last downpour. When the sun peeked out momentarily, raindrops glistened, sparkling like tiny drops of silvery mercury. A few of Gaby's potted geraniums had
