The thunder was rumbling and crashing as if there was a giant bar fight in the stormy, slate grey clouds. Lighting flashed at intervals of pure white energy and heat. Cold rain kept pouring down in sheets and crackled on rooftops.
One of these rooftops was the Murphy household as a young girl cried, barely heard against the raging storm.
Zoe Murphy was just 5 years old at the time. The thunder was so loud it kept her awake. The lightning was so bright it blinded the poor girls tear filled eyes. Zoe never liked storms in the first place, but this was one of the worst.
As Zoe sobbed and sobbed, she couldn't see the footsteps padding down to her door. She didn't notice the small figure creeping in her room until she felt the comforting arms around her.
Zoe looked up at the figure holding her. It was her older brothers Connor.
Connor could hear his sister crying during the storm. He knew how much she disliked them. Connor didn't really mind them as much. They calmed him down. But every storm, he always went to his little sisters room to comfort her.
Zoe gave him a small, tear filled smile as he held her. Connor smiled back.
"It's all right. My teacher tells me that after every storm there's a rainbow, because of the light passing through the raindrops. When this is all over we can go outside and splash in puddles and look at the rainbow!"
"A wainbow?" Zoe had a few speak difficulties and stumbled over her R's sometimes. Especially when she was upset. Connor smiled and hugged his sister.
"Yeah. A rainbow."
Connor ended up staying with Zoe until the two ended up falling asleep.
And the next morning, it turned out Connor was right. There above the trees, was a glorious rainbow. Connor and Zoe laughed and smiled in delight at seeing it. The rest of the day the two spent splashing in puddles. Cynthia smiled as she saw the two a took a picture.
It was a perfect day. Like a rainbow after a storm.
12 years later things are different.
18 year old Zoe is sitting alone in her bedroom as the storm rages. It's even worse than the first one. The whole world is shrouded in grey as the miserable storm goes on. This time Zoe's eyes are dry as she sorts through old things as she packs for college.
Zoe was over her fear of storms. Of course she was. She was 18 and going for college, not some little kid. Zoe was sorting through old books and childhood toys when she noticed a photo slip out. She went over to pick it up, frowning as she turned to see what it was.
It was an old photo of her and Connor. They were out playing in the aftermath of a storm. They were both jumping in puddles and throwing mud at eachother. They were both absolutely filthy but grinning up at eachother in pure childhood mirth.
Before Connor got mood swings. Before their dad started drifting away. Before Connor went to drugs as a coping mechanism. Before he was found dead and covered in his own puke at the orchard.
Back when Connor didn't hate them all. Back when Connor didn't hate her. When he loved them. When he comforted her. When he was her brother.
After every storm there's a rainbow.
But as Zoe cried over forgotten memories and a boy who was gone before he even died, it didn't feel like it.
***
It was a hot August day. The sun was beating down on the city of New Jersey mercilessly.
"Daaaaaaadd! It's hoooooooot! Can we go inside now?" A 7 year old Connor Murphy complained. Connor and his father Larry were outside in the sweltering heat playing baseball.
