"Brazil in mourning after deadly fire."

I suppose that the whole world must have read that phrase in newspapers and magazines. I'm not the kind of person who cries easily, but I must confess that I'm sad.

PRAY FOR SANTA MARIA. The victims really need our attention, care and compassion.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Once again: sorry for my English.

The sea seemed angry. It was raining and very windy. The lightning seemed increasingly brighter and the thunder was very loud.

Toby saw a flash and then he heard a strong and loud thunder. The boy hugged his pillow. He never cared much about thunderstorms, but this was the strongest he had ever seen, so, he was scared.

Fortunately, today was the last day that he and his adoptive parents would be there, in that house by the sea. Toby liked the sea, but he didn't want to face another thunderstorm like that.

He buried his head in the pillow, hearing the wind beating on the window of his room. He hated that noise, he hated feeling so helpless, so scared. Men should not feel scared.

When he heard another thunder, he jumped from his bed, determined not to stay there anymore. But where could he go? He didn't want to wake his mum, he didn't want to bother her or the barber who was lying by her side. Okay, the barber was his father now, but Toby didn't felt free to call him "dad" despite wanting to do so much.

However, he was very scared. Then the boy took his pillow and walked toward his adoptive parents' bedroom.

He knocked on the door twice until someone finally opened it.

- Toby? - He heard the barber's voice.

Toby closed his eyes, shaking a bit when he heard another thunder. Soon, tears began to run down his cheeks.

- Are you okay? - Sweeney asked worried, but Toby came running into the room, jumping on the bed and covering himself with a blanket. Eleanor woke immediately, feeling someone hugging her waist. When she saw that Sweeney was standing near the door, she quickly deduced that it was her son who was hugging her.

The baker sighed and pulled the blanket from the boy, stroking his hair. Sweeney lay in bed soon after, covering them with a blanket.

- What happened? - She looked at her husband.

Sweeney sighed.

- I think he is afraid of the thunderstorm.

Eleanor felt her heart hurt and then she began stroking the boy's hair, wiping the tears from his face, trying to calm him. Toby cried for a few minutes, but then, feeling that his mum would protect him, the boy buried his head in her belly. Eleanor took his face, feeling how cold his skin was... The baker saw a flash and then she heard a very, very loud thunder, so loud that made the glass of the windows shake and then Toby jumped, his heart pounding.

His mum didn't seem frightened. Eleanor actually loved thunderstorms. It was something incredible, powerful, and very beautiful, lightnings across the sky...

After the storm had subsided somewhat, the baker whispered against the boy's hair:

- Don't need to be afraid. I'm here.

- I'm sorry, Mum. I know I should not be scared. - The boy cried. - Signor Pirelli said that a man should not be scared. He said it was a sign of weakness. I don't want to be weak. I'm not a coward.

The barber and the baker looked at each other. They sighed.

- We all fear something, dear. You, me, all of us... - She said. - Fear is part of our life. Some people don't know how to face it, others learn to live with it and regard it not as a negative thing, but as a way to protect themselves... You think that thunderstorms can hurt you, and how you don't want to get hurt, you're afraid of thunderstorms. This is very normal, dear.

Toby frowned for a moment, wiping the tears from his face. - We all fear something? - Eleanor nodded. After a second, Toby looked at the barber. – Even you?

Eleanor looked at her husband, who remained quiet. She knew he was not the type of person who likes to talk, at least not anymore, but she believed he would help her with Toby, then he should say something, he should try to do something. Then he said:

- Even me.

But before Toby could say anything, they heard another thunder.

- Why thunderstorms have to be so noisy? - The boy asked, hugging his mum. - Is God angry at us?

- Why do you think that? - Eleanor asked, making the boy look at her.

- I don't know... Some people are so evil to each other... - The boy sighed. - God may have been angry...

Eleanor didn't answer him immediately. God had always been something undetermined in her life. She didn't come from a very religious family; her father was almost an atheist. Her mother, on the other hand, was a devoted Christian. Eleanor didn't have an exact position about it, but she knew that there was a God who watched her every day, knowing everything she did.

The baker regretted what she had done in the past, the human meat pies, you know the story. And she hoped with all her heart that her soul had been forgiven for her sins. She did not want to go to hell or something like.

However, Toby's words intrigued her. Is God mad at her? After a few seconds, she heard Toby say:

- Even if He is angry, I thank Him anyway.

Eleanor frowned, not understanding his words. The boy said:

- God answered my prayers. He gave me a family and I'm happy. I would not ask for anything more in my life. I have a mum and... – He looked at Sweeney. – And I have a father who doesn't like to talk much.

Sweeney raised an eyebrow at that, but he smiled a bit. Again, they heard thunder.

- Can I sleep here tonight, Mum? Just for tonight. I don't want to sleep alone. - He asked.

- Of course you can, dear. You will always be welcome here. Nothing's gonna harm you. I promise. - She hugged the boy. - Now sleep.

Toby nodded and closed his eyes, feeling his mum's arms around him, and then he heard her singing an old lullaby:

Sleep my child and peace attend thee,

All through the night

Guardian angels God will send thee,

All through the night

Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,

Hill and dale in slumber sleeping,

I my loved ones' watch am keeping,

All through the night

Angels watching, e'er around thee,

All through the night

Midnight slumber close surround thee,

All through the night

Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,

Hill and dale in slumber sleeping

I my loved ones' watch am keeping,

All through the night

And in a few minutes, the boy was completely asleep.

- Where did you learn this lullaby? - Sweeney whispered.

Eleanor smiled a bit.

- My mother used to sing to me when I had nightmares. - Eleanor sighed. - When I grew up, she taught me to sing so one day I could sing for my own children. - She looked at the boy. - Unfortunately, I had to wait almost twenty years to finally do it... - She sighed again. - I'm not complaining, I just... I didn't want to have lost so much time.

Sweeney frowned at her words, feeling extremely guilty. Eleanor noticed this quickly, regretting having said that. She reached out a hand, touching his cold face.

- Don't think that I'm not happy with you. I'm very, very happy. - She whispered. - God also answered my prayers and now I have the family I always dreamed of...

Sweeney kissed her hand and closed his eyes. Suddenly, they heard that Toby began to snore slightly. Both could not help but smile.

- You did a good job. - The barber whispered. - He was so scared and now he sleeps as if nothing had happened.

- Just thought I should sing to him. - She smiled, stroking the boy's head. - I'm glad he is okay now.

Sweeney looked at the boy and then, he kissed the top of his head.

- Sleep well, my son.

So this is it. I have to say: unfortunately, this fic is coming to an end. Maybe until chapter 20 or 21, I still don't know. I'm accepting suggestions.

See you!