New York City, October 13, 2016

★★ A baby lay in a full quilted cold suit in its carriage in the elevator, but the outdoors was humid and already something approaching mild, in the still low but sparkling light. A tiny dog hunched along in a tiny coat. The north and west went gray, and a thin uneven rain fell on the early afternoon. The grocery store was blasting hot air in front of the exit. Little drops beaded on the cars and on the face of the phone. Having lasted just long enough to count, the shower faded away. The clouds broke and amber reflections bounced around the buildings, while the remains of the overcast in the east turned mauve. One last sheet of cloud was in the west, to catch pink light on its edge and on its ruffled underside.