They tried to have one final rooftop dinner, but the late-August storm had other plans.
Cassie drove her car into her parents home. She got out and quickly knocked on the front door.
Mum... Dad...
Cassie knew she needed more in her life than to just stay stuck in one position at her workplace. She knew that she needs to study more, that way she gets more advanced and of course more pay.
Her current salary isn't all that bad but how long would she have to survive on that? What happens when she gets married and start having kids? She would want to support her husband financially and she wouldn't be able to do unless she vies for an higher position.
She has submitted her application to her school of choice and has been saving toward it even though she knew her parents would support her as well.
When she got the email that her admission has been accepted, she couldn't be much happier. She had applied for a study leave at work and the day she got the approval, she jumped for joy.
She immediately rushed home two days later to inform her parents. They were so happy for her and helped her in making preparations.
She planned to stay with her parents for two days before leaving and on the night before her departure, her mom suggested they had one final rooftop dinner to celebrate her going.
They made preparations. Her mom prepared her favorite food and they had a table set for three on their rooftop, with lots of food, drinks and a little music.
With the music playing in the background,her dad took her mum and they both started swaying to the music while she giggled like a little girl. She has always appreciated their love for each other and just hopes and prays she get to meet a man like her dad who will adore her.
After some minutes, her dad took her hands as well and she danced with him, resting her head on shoulders while he envelopes her in a warm embrace.
He tried to hold back his tears but she knew he would miss her as much as she would miss both of them.
When it was time to eat they held hands as they said a little prayer before taking turns in adding food to their plates.
They were halfway into their meal when they felt the wind. It started blowing a little bit faster than usual and they all laughed and continued with their meal.
But then the wind picked up its pace and they knew something was up. Their fears was confirmed after the skies began to darken and they saw flashes of lightning strike from afar.
They quickly swung into action. Her dad quickly took the sound system inside while Cassie and her mom quickly took care of the dishes. It was good the stairs which led to the rooftops was built directly inside the house which made it easy for them to collect everything they kept on the rooftop.
They got some weather reports on their phones and the need for everyone to stay safe and indoors before Cassie's dad switched off all electronic devices.
The storm was a little heavy accompanied with thunder and lightning. They were able to move around with the help of a flashlight.
Cassie's mom wasn't happy their dinner was ruined by the storm but Cassie assured them that the little time spent before the whole chaos was enough for her.
The storm delayed her journey but since she was going to arrive 3-days earlier anyways, it didn't affect her much, rather it gave her more days to spend with her parents.