The setting and events concerning the flood are true. It was a tragic event that struck our community. The sexual encounters are fictionalized. Why not have a little fun even when life is tough?
*****
The rain beat down on my windshield so hard that I had to guess where the edge of my mom's driveway met the bushes. The screech of the weather warnings on the radio were still imprinted in my mind as I dashed up the front walk and into the house. It was flooding again. Five years ago they'd called the flood a "100 year flood" because it wouldn't happen again in our lifetime, but here it was.
My mom thrust a flashlight into my hand and started pulling on boots.
"Why are we going back out?" I asked, surprised. I thought it would be just the two of us bunkering down here.
"Kathy is on her way. She can't make it to her house, roads are washed out..." my mom trailed off as she ran outside to meet Kathy's Subaru in the drive.
Kathy is my aunt, my dad's youngest sister. We haven't seen much of his side of the family in the years since he passed. I used to be close with Kathy's two children but time and distance had worn our relationship thin. I was especially close with Brad. His younger sister Caroline was always like a tag-along to us big kids growing up.
When I made it out to Kathy's car, I was surprised to find Caroline and Brad in the back seat. Kathy and Cara looked worried but Brad flashed me a toothy smile before dashing into the rainy night.
Once we were inside, I couldn't help but catch up with Brad in more than the usual ways. As we talked about college and careers, I eyed the tattoo peeking out from under his t-shirt. The goatee and cropped black hair made him look like a man. Could this be the same cousin I grew up chasing in our grandma's back yard?
"Blonde, I see." Brad commented quietly while the others chatted. "And boobs to go with it."
I rolled my eyes but I couldn't help but smile. I'd developed into a nice, perky C-cup while I was at college. The freshman 15 had all gone to my tits and I couldn't complain. I usually dressed a bit revealing too; I had a figure I was proud of! But in the rainy chaos of this flood, I'd only managed to pull on athletic shorts and a black t-shirt. Come to think of it, I hadn't remembered to grab a bra before heading out. Glancing down, I noticed my erect nipples and tried to cross my arms in front of my chest but he'd already seen. He smirked. I could feel the heat rising up in my cheeks.
We spent the better part of 2 hours hauling all mom's belongings from the basement to the first floor. Her basement had filled completely with water the last flood and it was starting to stream in already. Brad, Cara, and I did most of the heavy lifting with mom and Kathy directing from the first floor. Just as we moved the last 3 boxes to dry land, the lights flickered and went out.
"Perfect" said my mom sarcastically, although we all expected to lose power sooner or later.