Claire rambled on about all the things she still needed to get done and places she needed to go…"then to the grocery store, and the bank," she sighed. Phil nodded his head blankly staring at her. Luke moved his dinner around his plate, barely eating, while the girls came down the steps arguing. Haley huffed, texting away on her phone, while Alex carried her books, setting them down on the table with a thump.
"What are you girls arguing about now?" Claire said. The girls talked and yelled over one another until Claire said "ok….forget I asked." They stopped yelling. Alex asked, "What's wrong?"
"I just have too much to do" Claire said, as she sulked towards the front door.
"Woah, hold your horses there. You can't go out in this." Phil said, looking down at his IPad that was running the weather.
"What now?" Claire said. Phil pointed down to his IPad to the huge storm cell that was headed their way, and soon.
"Maybe if I am quick…." Claire mumbled, not letting it go.
"No, nope, no siree. I am not letting you leave." Phil said. She started scurrying to the door, but Phil sprang up and blocked the door. She moved to the left and he followed, then to the right and he still blocked her.
"Ugh…..c'mon Phil."
"No," he said trying not to laugh at his pouting wife in front of him.
Defeated, she set her purse down and took off her jacket. "Fine" she huffed and Phil grinned triumphantly, until she gave him a look that said don't-even-try-to-hug-me.
Claire walked back into the kitchen and sat down on one of the bar stools.
"I thought you were leaving" Haley said.
"I was until your father stopped me."
"Oh" she said as she looked back at her phone from a text.
Alex studied at the table, as she did every night, but Luke continued to stare at his dinner.
"What's wrong Luke?" Claire said as she took the seat next to Luke at the table.
"Well, um, I hate storms. The last time there was an earthquake the cabinet-"
"Did NOT fall on you." Phil said with a panicked expression on his face.
"Yeah" Luke said as Phil and he exchanged looks.
Claire looked between Phil and Luke with a confused look, but then shook her head and said "Don't worry it's probably just some rain."
"Actually they said thunder and nmghghaaaa-"Claire covered Phil's mouth and gave him a stern look. "I'm trying to make him feel better, not worse." Claire whispered to him. "Good idea" he whispered back. "Your mom's right" Phil said to Luke.
Suddenly they heard rain start hitting the windows. Phil looked at Claire, she rolled her eyes and said "it's just some rain." With that the rain got louder and more powerful. "…..I could have made it home," she said with less confidence. Then a powerful wind gust rattled the windows. Haley and Luke shrieked, but Alex just looked up from her book. Claire looked at Phil and said with some difficulty "You were right." He smiled and put an arm around her to give her a hug.
"Kids, go downstairs," Claire said.
The lights started flickering "Crap" Claire said "Good thing I did not go to the grocery store."
When Phil and Claire got downstairs, the kids were in Haley's downstairs. They were counting the next flicker, clutching their flashlights, and laughing when one of them shrieked. Phil handed Claire a flashlight that was more a lightsaber than a flashlight and laughed. They sat on the bottom steps of the basement stairs. Claire rested her head on Phil's shoulder and said "Thanks for not letting me leave," "Yeah" said Phil.
Then the lights went out completely….