They say home is where the heart is, wherever the wind takes you.

Lately though, it felt more like a bittersweet welcome home. Nothing had really changed, the water towers and wind turbines still dominating the landscape, the wide open fields, the old country roads. The distant smell of rain on the wind, the storms that dominated the vast infinate sky during chasing season. She'd missed it all.

I could see home just down the road, the familiar white facade and the faded red barn behind it sparking memories of my childhood. I'd missed Oklahoma, I had been away for far too long. As I pulled into the driveway, I felt a sense of nostalgia wash over me. The outdoor string lights still hung from the trees over the dirt path, casting a faint golden glow down towards the back of the house, the strings connecting to the house and back to the branches. That old rusted truck, which had sat by the barn since I was born was still there, in all it's decayed prime. I'd always wondered if ny father would fix it, like he'd promised many times when I was little.

I suppose that wouldn't happen now.

I parked my truck in front of the barn, turning off the engine with a long and tired sigh. Slumping back in my seat, my eyes stared out of the windshield at the faded red walls of the barn, a distant smile forming on my lips as I sat in silence. The sun had long since set, the sky turning that soft, deep grey colour as the final hours of the day slowly turned to night. It made the colour of the barn look dull, not like it used to.

There was a gentle breeze blowing outside, the leaves of the trees rustling softly, the distant sound of my mother's windchime echoing across the yard. I had always hated the sound of that thing, it never failed to keep me awake during a storm. But now it brought a sense of comfort back to me, something I hadn't felt in a few weeks since...

I was home, that's all that mattered. Grabbing my keys from the ignition, I opened the door of my truck and stepped outside, the wind blowing my hair in front of my face and obscuring my vision slightly. The truck door closed with a soft thud, my hand darting to move the hair from my eyes and mouth as I glared at the sky, though I couldn't help but smile softly at the sight of those dark, rumbling clouds above. It wouldn't come to anything though, the conditions in the atmosphere weren't right.

I could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance, the wind picking up ever so slightly. I felt my heart constrict in my chest, memories I shared with my father watching the storms that passed over the house, analysing them, trying to determine whether it would become a tornado or not. My love for the weather had come from him, its beauty and destructiveness a natural marvel. It all seemed like a distant memory now.

I made my way towards the barn, unlatching the large wooden doors before slipping inside. It was dark, a faint eerie chill in the air as I closed the door behind me, but I could still make out the familiar interior. My hand reached for the light, the barn sudddenly illuminated in a bright yellow glow before the lightbulb flickered out, plunging the room into darkness once more.

A small amused laugh escaped my lips as I shook my head, a pang of sadness coursing through my chest as I cursed under her breath.

"Goddamn, you still didn't fix the light."

I turned the switch on and off, another soft smile forming on my lips as the light flickered back to life, and remained on. In my entire childhood, well into my teens, that light had never worked. The wiring was shot, there was no doubt about it, and in desperate need of repair...but that's how my father liked it. Much like the truck, he said he would fix it, but never did. It was reliable, or so he claimed. The one thing in this barn that he knew worked to some degree, aside from my old weather minotoring equipment.

My eyes stung, tears welling in my eyes as I took a moment to just breathe. Reality began to set in, the silence suddenly unnerving aside from the wind and distant thunder outside. My father's faded blue Chevrolet truck was parked beside his work station, untouched, and slightly dusty from the lack of use in the few days since everything had happened. My weather monitoring equipment I noticed, was at the back of the barn beneath a well-worn canvas sheet, protecting it from the elements.

Smiling fondly, I made my way over to it, my boots crunching on the dirt and dried straw on the ground. My fingertips ghosted over the material, a small pang of longing settling in my chest, refusing to let go. It weaved its way into my heart, a dull ache that I knew wouldn't go away for a long time. I missed him already, and his funeral was only last week. I could still see his kind and happy smile, his laughter echoing through these worn wooden walls. This place was mine now, and it always would be.

The sound of the barn door opening brought me out of my reminscing daze, slowly turning around to meet the eyes of my mother who smiled fondly at me. She looked tired, the dark circles under her eyes prominent as she held her arms closer to her frame. She hugged the sides of her cardigan, crossing them over her body to prevent the wind chill from seeping into her.

"I thought I heard you pull up..." My mother spoke softly, gaze slightly downcast as she walked over to stand by my side, "...I knew you'd be in here."

I smiled, turning to enevlope my mother in a tight, comforting embrace. The last few weeks had been rough for everyone. But I knew that my mother was taking the news the hardest. I tightened my hold around her, sighing softly and tiredly as I responded with a light yet joking tone.

"I figured I'd have a look around, see if he changed anything."

Her mother laughed, pulling away from the embrace as she stared down at me with a faint amused smile. "Y/n, you know he wouldn't have changed a thing. He never did anyway, although I don't understand why. That light is a fire hazard."

A small scoff left my lips as I looked at my mother with a teasing smile, gesturing around the barn with my arms outstretched. "Well, it hasn't burned down yet. And it's survived some of the worst storms Oklahoma has seen in years. I swear this thing can withstand anything."

A moment of silence passed between them, as I watched my mother lift her gaze towards the roof of the barn. It broke my heart to see her like this, the strong, wonderful and kind woman I knew was just a shell of herself, trying to cope with the loss of her husband. I spoke softly, folding my arms over my chest as I watched my mother walk around the barn with a distant look in her eyes. "How are you holding up?"

My mother paused by one of the workbenches, my father's tools still laid out where he had left them. Her eyes lifted to mine, a small, tired smile forming on her face. She looked so much older, as if she'd aged a few years in just a week or so. It felt wrong, all of it did. But we were both grieving in our own way. My mother spoke softly with small shrug of her shoulders as she ran her hand gently along the faded blue paint of the Chevrolet truck, a pained sigh leaving her lips.

"I'm getting there. It's been a lot to deal with, but I'm glad you're finally home."

I smiled, nodding my head as I walked over to stand next to her. I stared at the Chevrolet, eyeing the paint and the faint scratch marks on the metal. "I'm glad to be home, I don't think I'll be leaving for a while."

"I wouldn't let you leave even if you wanted too..." My mother replied jokingly, a soft amused laugh escaping her "...you're stuck here for the forseeable future."

I laughed, rolling my eyes as I walked around to the other side of the truck. I peered through the passenger window to stare at my mother across from me, noticing how she stared at the interior of the truck with a longing, yet distant smile. I spoke lightly, my eyes softening at the sight as I spoke. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving any time soon. I'll stay as long as you want me to."

My mother lifted her gaze, smiling softly at me with a gentle but loving expression. A comfortable silence fell over the barn, before my mother sighed again. I noticed how her shoulders slumped tiredly, the exhaustion that suddenly washed over her as she motioned with her head towards the barn doors. "Come on, it's getting late. I'll help you unpack-"

"No, it's fine. I'll unpack tomorrow, don't stress too much about it mum..." I interrupted quickly, a knowing smile on my face as I moved around the front of the Chevrolet. I watched as my mother sighed, but nodded her head slowly and reluctantly. I wrapped an arm around my mother's shoulder, smiling softly as I sighed.

"Come on, have you had dinner yet? I'll make something-"

"No! No I don't want you to do that, you've been driving all day..."

"Mum...I'm not arguing. I'm making dinner, no questions asked."

I smiled as my mother laughed, shaking her head as that lightness returned to her gaze. We both walked towards the barn doors, turning off the light as the barn descended into darkness. Upon exiting, the cool nightly breeze caressed my skin, a small shiver coursing down my spine as the distant smell of rain lingered in the air. The wind was getting stronger, the wind chime playing it's melody angrily as we approached the back porch.

The wooden steps creaked softly under our shared weight as I approached the door, holding it open for my mother as I allowed her to walk inside first. I cast one last glance towards the barn, the dark storm clouds now hanging overhead, swirling and dominating the sky in a beautiful yet haunting array. A part of me wanted to go out there and chase it, just like I used to. If only to take a photo of it. My camera was sitting in the passenger seat of my truck though...

But I was far too tired to even argue with myself.

I turned away from the storm and headed inside the house, closing the door behind me. I wasn't ready, not right now. I needed time, maybe a few days to get reaquainted with my home town before I decided to get back into the game. But for now, a nice quiet night at home was all I wanted.