The rain had stopped by morning.

The clouds had emptied themselves overnight, leaving the world rinsed and bright. Droplets clung to leaves like tiny crystals, and the pavement still shimmered under the hesitant light of dawn. On the eleventh floor of the coastal hotel, the ocean looked grayer than usual, the waves calmer, as if they too were exhausted from the storm.

Jay and Jack stood side by side on the balcony of their suite, each holding a mug of coffee, steam curling into the cool ...