He glanced up at the grey sky.  It did not look like it was going to stop raining any time soon.  He let out a disappointed sigh.  A perfect afternoon at the park had turned into a waiting game under a large tree.  If he had known that the weather was going to change dramatically, he would not have walked to the park.  Now all he could do was wait for the rain to stop.

"Daddy," a small voice called out.  "When is it going to stop raining?"

He looked down at the small child beside him.  Rain was not enough to deter him from walking home, but he did not want for the child to get sick.  Judging from the pout on the child's face, he knew that the child was upset because the rain had intervened with his play time.

"Hopefully soon," he answered.

The child's eyes lit up with hope.  "Then can I play again?"

"Even if it stops raining, the playground is too wet to play on," he explained.  "Daddy will be sad if you slip and hurt yourself."

Upon hearing those words, the hopeful look on the child's face turned into a pout.

From the silence that followed, he knew that the child was upset.  He quickly picked the child up in his arms and carried him.  "When we get home, I'll make you some hot chocolate," he said, trying to cheer him up.  "Would you like that?"

"And cookies too?" the child asked.

Seeing the child's reaction, he smiled and nodded.  "And cookies too."

Under the pouring rain, a figure approached their way, shielded by the black umbrella in his hand.  At a glance, the figure noticed the back of a man standing under a large tree.  Perhaps to take shelter from the rain.  He decided to mind his own business and continued on his way.

Several steps later, he heard a small sneeze.  It did not sound like it could be the man but it was from the same direction.  He stopped and turned around, looking back at the man.  It was only then that he noticed a small child in the man's arm.  The man was using his own body to shield the small boy from the rain.

The man grew worried upon hearing the child sneeze.  He touched the child's forehead with the palm of his head and then touched his own.

"Daddy, I'm sleepy," the child said, resting his head on the man's shoulder.  "When can I have my hot chocolate?"

Just when the man wondered how they were going to get home in the pouring rain, a figure approached beside him and held an umbrella over their heads.  The man turned his head and saw a boy, perhaps in his teens, holding onto the umbrella.

"You can use this if you like," said the boy.

The man was reluctant to accept, seeing as there was only one umbrella.  If he took it, what would the boy use?  "What about you?"

"I live close by," the boy assured him.

The man glanced at the unrelenting rain.  No matter how close by the boy lived, he would still be soaked to the skin in this weather.

Seeing the man's reluctance, the boy shoved the umbrella into the man's free hand and headed out under the pouring rain.

"Hey, wait!" the man called out after him but the boy did not turn back.

He arrived at the appointed place and opened the door to the luxurious hotel suite.  He was greeted by the sight of a man waiting on the sofa with a bottle of expensive liquor.  The man looked him up and down.  A wide grin appeared on the man's face, seemingly satisfied with what he saw.  The man beckoned him closer.

He ran a hand through his wet hair and smiled before approaching the man.