Maria in the rain

Danny watched his sister in the rain under the safety of the door's threshold. She laughed as the rain covered her face, ran down her hair, and soaked her clothes. Her happiness was genuine.

He wondered why he hid in the doorway. His own clothes... they would be troublesome if they had gotten wet. Then someone would have to wash them, and worry for the time he spent without clothes on, or perhaps worry that he'd catch his "death" of cold.

When am I going to stop letting worry and fear define my life?

But Maria, at that moment, turned to her brother, and smiled.

"You'll never know how much we love you, Danny, and that's okay," she said. "Let that be your heaven and hell. Heaven in knowing your love for us, and hell in not knowing our love for you. And lay in our arms and let that be okay."

Danny bit his lip a bit. "Why so poetic all of a sudden?" he asked.

But Maria's smile widened.