The storm rolled in faster than expected, and by the time Alex and his younger sister, Lily, reached the old family cabin, rain was pouring down in sheets. Thunder rumbled in the distance as Alex fiddled with the keys.

“Come on, come on,” he muttered, finally unlocking the door. They both rushed inside, dripping wet.

“Great. Now we’re stuck here,” Lily said, plopping onto the couch. “I knew we should’ve left earlier, but no, you had to stop for snacks.”

“Hey, don’t start pointing fingers,” Alex replied, dropping the bags by the door. “How was I supposed to know the weather would go south so quickly?”

“Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to check the forecast,” Lily shot back, rolling her eyes.

Before Alex could respond, a loud clap of thunder echoed through the room, making them both jump. The lights flickered and then went out.

“Perfect,” Lily said sarcastically. “Now we’re sitting ducks in the middle of nowhere.”

Alex sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. “Okay, let’s not lose our heads. First things first, let me grab some candles.” He rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a flashlight and a box of candles. “There, problem solved.”

Lily lit one of the candles and watched the flame dance. “You know, Mom always said thunder was the sky trying to tell us something.”

Alex chuckled. “Yeah, and Dad used to say it was nature’s way of telling us to slow down. Guess we’ve got no choice now.”

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the rain pounding against the roof. Then, Lily broke the silence. “Do you think things will ever go back to normal?” Her voice was softer now, uncertain.

Alex hesitated, unsure how to answer. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But sitting around worrying about it won’t do us any good. We’ve just got to roll with the punches.”

Lily raised an eyebrow. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who had to cancel her graduation party or miss out on senior year.”

“True,” Alex said, nodding. “But I’ve had my fair share of disappointments, too. Remember when I didn’t get that internship? I thought the world was ending, but it wasn’t. Life goes on.”

“Yeah, but what if I don’t figure things out?” Lily asked, biting her lip. “I feel like I’m running in circles.”

Alex smiled faintly. “Listen, sometimes you’ve got to weather the storm to see the rainbow. Things might be rough now, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. You just need to keep your chin up.”

Lily gave him a small smile. “You sound like a grandpa.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to keep your spirits up,” Alex said with a laugh. “Besides, you’re tougher than you think. I know you’ll land on your feet.”

Another loud crack of thunder shook the cabin, and the flashlight flickered briefly before stabilizing. Lily’s eyes widened. “Okay, maybe the thunder is trying to tell us something.”

Alex smirked. “Yeah, it’s saying, ‘Stop overthinking and make the best of what you’ve got.’”

Lily laughed. “Alright, alright. Let’s play cards or something while we wait this out.”

“Now you’re talking,” Alex said, pulling a deck of cards from his bag. “Whoever loses has to make hot cocoa.”

As they started the game, the storm outside began to calm. The thunder grew quieter, as if even it agreed they were on the right track.