Thunder and Lightning
Annabelle knew her twins hated thunderstorms.
Neither of them seemed bothered by rain showers and she couldn't count the number of times they had come home covered in mud or soaking went from playing in puddles.
But the first sign of lightning or a small roar of thunder would send the twins into a panic.
Lying on her back, she listened to the rain as it clicked against the windowpane and a small rumble of thunder filled the darkness. She waited for the sounds of her sons screaming for her, but she didn't hear a sound and she frowned. Getting out of bed, she walked carefully to the bedroom door, opened the door and she headed down the hallway toward her sons' bedroom. She heard another rumble of thunder by the time she opened the door and she could just see her ten-year-old sons sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. They were looking out the window and they had a blanket wrapped around them.
"Was that seven or eight?" Murphy asked his twin.
"I think it was eight," Connor answered and she walked to them.
"What are you doin' up?" Annabelle asked, kneeling behind them.
"We're counting th'time between the'lightnin' an' when we heard thunder."
"Sister Mary Sarah said th'longer you have t'count th'further away th' storm is," Murphy explained and she nodded. Connor lifted the blanket so she could sit between them as she smiled and Annabelle sat down. She wrapped the blanket around them as the twins leaned against her and they sat in silence, watching the rain falling outside the window.