Im snuggled on the couch with a blanket and a book. My hair has dried from the shower and hangs in soft, fresh-smelling curls past my sternum bone. The chapter ends, I tilt my head back and stretch my neck. I notice the light in the room has changed and look out the big window behind me. The sky is a mix of a thousand different grays and the clouds roll. The tops of the trees that line my backyard bow to the east like peasants to their king. I smile and my heart flutters in my chest; this is my favorite weather. I close my book, after taking note of which chapter im on, and throw the blanket off my legs. I run to the back door and open it. A gust of wind pummels into me and a laugh jumps from my throat. I step outside and shut the door with extra effort, then I run. I run to the middle of the yard and stand facing west, my arms stretched out to my sides. The wind whips my hair around and presses my soft-yellow sundress against my body. Im barefoot. I close my eyes and feel: The pressure of the air, tiny rain drops kissing my skin, the delicious smell of a storm, green grass under my feet, fabric against skin. I imagine what I cannot see: Baby birds huddling under their mother's protective wings, a ladybug clinging to a blade of grass to keep from getting blown away, the kittens in the barn snuggled into a mass of soft fur and moist noses, the center of the earth boiling, unaware of the storm on it's surface. The rain starts. Gentle at first, then heavy. It pours down on me like a shower, making the tips of my hair drip with water. I look straight up, my eyes closed and mouth open. The water tastes sweet. My wet dress clings to my body and the rain does not stop. Thunder cracks its whip in the gray ocean above me and my eyes pop open just in time to see the lightening bolt. It lights the entire sky for one fierce moment. Then is gone. The wind picks up and I rock on my heels. Goose bumps wave over my skin. I start back to the house. I run, bare feet on the soaked earth. Inside, it is silent. I go to the window, dripping rain water on the tile floor, and press my palms and forehead on the glass. I close my eyes and smile. What a beautiful day.