The Night the Power Went Out
I’m 19 and still living at home while I finish community college. Last month the power went out during a bad storm. My older brother (22) and I were the only ones home. We ended up on the couch with one flashlight between us, talking longer than we had in years. The dark made everything feel closer. At some point our knees touched and neither of us moved. Then his hand rested on my thigh, testing. I didn’t stop him. We ended up in my bed with the flashlight turned off, quiet and careful so the neighbors wouldn’t hear anything through the thin walls. It only lasted that one night, but I still think about the way he looked at me when the lights finally came back on.