Chapter 158: Chapter 158

Mia woke to the sound of thunder so close it felt like it was inside the walls. For a second she didn’t remember where she was. Then the dull, steady ache in her lower leg brought everything back the hike, the slip, the boot, the sofa, Sophia sharing the bed for warmth. She turned her head. Sophia was already awake, sitting up against the headboard with the quilt pulled to her chest, staring at the window.

The light outside was wrong. Not morning-bright. A heavy, greenish gray that made the room feel smaller. Rain hammered the glass in sheets. Wind shoved against the side of the house hard enough to make the old window frames creak. Another crack of thunder rolled over them, long and low.

Sophia spoke without looking away from the window. “It’s not stopping.”

Mia pushed herself up carefully, mindful of the elevated leg. “How long has it been like this?”

“I woke up about twenty minutes ago. It’s been getting worse, not better.” Sophia finally glanced at her. “We’re not driving anywhere in this.”

Mia reached for her phone on the nightstand. The screen showed no new messages from Kai. His name still sat with the gray offline circle. She opened the messaging app anyway and typed a short update storm is bad, might not make it back today, leg is okay and sent it. The delivery status stayed pending.

Sophia watched her. “Is he still offline?”

“Yeah.”

“Try calling.”

Mia did but the call went straight to voicemail without ringing. She hung up, tried once more, got the same result, and set the phone down harder than she meant to.

“He’s not reachable.”

Sophia didn’t offer empty comfort. She just nodded once and pushed the covers back.

“I’m going to check the weather properly. And see if your parents are up.”

She helped Mia swing her legs to the side of the bed and supported her while she stood. The boot went back on with slow, careful movements. Every small shift still sent a reminder up her leg, but it was manageable. They made their way into the hallway and down the stairs in the same uneven rhythm they had used the night before.

Laura was already in the kitchen. The stove light was on and a small pot sat on the burner. The whole room smelled like warm milk and chocolate. She looked up when she heard them and took in Mia’s face and the phone still in her hand.

“Bad night?” Laura asked.

“Bad morning,” Mia said. “The storm’s worse and we’re not going to make it back today.”

Laura nodded like she had already reached the same conclusion. “I checked the local alerts. Flash flood warnings for the main roads out of here. Your father is in the living room watching the radar like it’s a personal enemy sit. Both of you.”

Mia lowered herself into a chair at the kitchen table. Sophia took the one beside her. Laura poured the hot chocolate into two mugs and set them down without asking if they wanted any. The first sip was rich and grounding, exactly the same as the night before.

Mark appeared in the doorway a minute later, still in his robe, and hair flattened on one side. “Radar’s a mess. Whole region’s under it. They’re saying it could last most of the day.”

Mia wrapped both hands around her mug. “I need to call Victoria.”

She put the phone on speaker so she wouldn’t have to repeat everything. Victoria answered on the third ring, voice already in work mode even though it was early.

“Mia. I saw the weather alerts for your area. Are you safe?”

“We’re at my parents’ house. The storm turned into something bigger overnight. Thunder, heavy rain, flood warnings on the roads. I’m not going to be able to drive back today. And I had a leg accident, I slipped when hiking with my family.”

Victoria was quiet for a second, clearly checking something on her end. “That matches what I’m seeing alright. We postpone. I’ll move everything that depended on you being back this afternoon. How is the leg?”

“Sore and manageable. The boot is on. I’m keeping it elevated when I can.”

“That”s great. Stay put until the roads are actually safe, not until they look safe. I’ll inform the relevant people. Is Kai aware?”

Mia glanced at the still-offline status on her screen. “I’ve been trying to reach him. He’s offline and calls are going straight to voicemail.”

A shorter pause this time. “I’ll note that. He had an early track session scheduled, but with weather like this it may have been cancelled or moved. I’ll attempt contact on my side as well. For now, focus on staying dry and off that leg and Update me if the situation changes.”

“I will.”

“And Mia …..don’t attempt the drive until local authorities clear the main routes and that’s not a suggestion.”

“Understood.”

Victoria ended the call with a brief goodbye. The kitchen felt quieter afterward. Rain continued to batter the windows. Thunder rolled again, further away but still present.

Laura refilled Mia’s mug without being asked. “You’re staying so that’s settled. Your father will keep watching the radar, I’ll keep making food, and you two will stay off the roads and off that leg. Is that clear?”

Sophia raised her mug in a small salute. “Crystal clear. I’m excellent at staying put when the alternative is drowning in a flood.”

Mark leaned against the doorframe. “I’ll bring the good blankets down to the living room. We can make a nest on the sofa so you don’t have to keep doing the stairs. Storm like this, no one needs the extra exercise.”

Mia looked at her phone one more time. Still offline but no reply to the message. No missed call. The empty status sat there like a small, unanswered question.

Sophia noticed. “He’ll see it when he’s back online. Victoria will reach him if anyone can. You’re not stranded and you’re not alone. That’s the part that matters right now.”

Mia nodded slowly and wrapped her hands tighter around the warm mug. The storm kept throwing itself against the house. Inside, the kitchen stayed lit and steady. Her mother moved between the stove and the table. Her father started gathering pillows and blankets from the hall closet. Sophia stayed in the chair beside her, solid and present.

One more day had already become an extra day. The roads were closed by water and thunder and Kai was unreachable. And for the moment, the only thing any of them could do was wait out the weather together under a roof that didn’t ask anything of her except to stay safe and drink the hot chocolate while it was still hot.