The rain pounded on the windows as Russell slept in his bed. Carl rocked in the chair out in the living room watching the rain fall. He remembered how he used to watch the storms with Ellie. When they were kids he was the one who was afraid. Although he always told Ellie he wasn't afraid she never believed him.
The thunder scared Russell awake. On nights like these he'd spend the night in his mother's arms until the storm was over.
Suddenly there was a blast of lightning and the lights went out.
Another thing Russell was afraid of was being alone in the dark.
He slowly found the door and walked out to the dark hallway. There he saw Carl looking out the window watching the rain.
"Mr. Fredricksen?"
"I thought you were asleep." Carl said to him, finally looking at the clock to see how late it was.
"I'm scared of the thunder. Usually on nights like these I'd spend them with Mama until the storm ended."
Carl smiled, knowing what he was getting at. "Come here."
Russell jumped into Carl's lap and hugged him tightly, both watching the storm. "You shouldn't be scared Russell. As long as we're inside the storm won't hurt us." Carl said to his little boy.
"The noise and the flashes always scared me. When I was little I always thought that the lightning may break our house and swoop us all away." Russell said. Carl began chuckling. "I remember what Ellie told me when we were kids. Just count to ten each time you see the lightning flash and each time the storm will slowly go away. Want to try it?"
"Okay."
The lightning flashed. "1-2-3-4-5-"
The thunder boomed.
The lightning flashed again. "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-"
The thunder boomed quieter this time.
A small flicker of lightning flashed. "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-"
The thunder barely boomed and then just rain fell from the sky.
"See Russell, wasn't that fun?"
Russell was fast asleep in Carl's arms.
Carl smiled and kissed the little boy and closed his eyes.
Told you I wasn't scared Ellie, Carl said as he drifted off to sleep.