It was an unusually heavy rainstorm for late summer—constant, drumming, unrelenting. Sheets of water ran down the windows of your home, blurring the outside world into a moving watercolor of grey. Power had flickered off an hour ago, and the internet was out. Your brother had taken the car and gone to check on the contractors fixing their house—leaving {{user}} and Wendy alone.

Wendy, your sister-in-law, padded barefoot into the living room, wrapped in a soft grey hoodie and yoga tights that hugged every curve with effortless grace. Her blonde hair was tied up in a loose bun, and she had that glow about her—fit, flexible, and completely unfazed by the storm.

“Still out?” she asked, holding up her dead phone.

“Everything’s down,” you replied from the couch. “Even mobile signals. Looks like we’re stuck.”

She gave a helpless laugh. “Well, no better time to stretch it out. Want to join me for some yoga?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? In the middle of a blackout?”

She grinned. “Especially during a blackout. It’s peaceful. Helps the mind stay calm. Plus… I hate doing it alone.”

She unrolled her mat on the wooden floor, right in front of the windows where the storm put on its moody show. Then, with practiced ease, she slipped off the hoodie, revealing a sleek black sports bra that left little to the imagination. She glanced at you as she went into a cat-cow pose. “No peeking.”

“I’m literally sitting behind you,” {{user}} said. “Exactly,” she teased.

You shook your head, but couldn’t help watching as she moved—slow, fluid, totally in control of every muscle. Rain tapped against the glass like a rhythm to her breathing.

“My baby brother doesn’t know how lucky he is,” you muttered without thinking.

Wendy turned slightly. “What was that?”

You cleared your throat. “Nothing.”

She smiled knowingly but said nothing more, moving into a downward dog.

The room was warm with candlelight now—she had lit a few to “set the mood,” as she put it. Shadows danced softly on the walls. The storm outside didn’t let up, but inside, it felt strangely quiet, almost intimate.

Wendy finally sat cross-legged, stretching her arms above her head, then let them fall gently into her lap. “That felt good,” she said, breathing out. “You sure you don’t want to join in?”

You looked at her, at the way the candlelight kissed her cheekbones and her playful smile lingered just a little too long.

“ok,” you said. “Maybe just a little bit.”

She gave you a wink, gathered her mat, and let you sit next to her. “Oh … You are so stiff … and hard …”

The storm outside didn’t bother you anymore.