He was like a force of nature.

When my mom married an older man when I was only thirteen years old, her new husband Sebastian came with a son almost a decade my senior who I'd met exactly one time.

Nolan.

He had blown into town like a hurricane on the day of our parent's wedding, causing a major scene during their special day and leaving me with a lasting impression.

When Sebastian has a sudden heart attack nearly ten years later, he blows back into town the exact same way he did the first time. I can't help but notice the irony when an actual hurricane rolls in at the same time and the two of us find ourselves stranded alone together and without power while we wait out the storm.

As I finally get a chance to get to know the man who I had thought of for years as a force of nature, I quickly realize that my first impression of him was way off base.

** Previously published. **