Lily and Rose were sisters, but sometimes it didn’t feel like it. Lily loved to paint, filling her room with colorful pictures of flowers and fantastical creatures. Rose loved to build, constructing magnificent towers out of wooden blocks and blankets. They both loved their hobbies very much, but they often argued about space. Lily thought Rose’s towers took up too much room, and Rose thought Lily’s paints were messy.
One afternoon, a big storm rolled in. The wind howled, and rain lashed against the windows. Lily was trying to finish a painting of a rainbow, but the light kept flickering. Rose was building a castle for a brave knight, but the wind kept knocking over her towers. They both sighed, frustrated.
“It’s impossible to do anything in this weather!” Lily complained.
“Well, *you* could help me hold the blocks steady,” Rose retorted. “Then maybe my castle wouldn’t keep falling down!”
Lily frowned. “I’m trying to paint! Your blocks are wobbly anyway.”
Suddenly, the lights went out! The whole house was plunged into darkness. Lily gasped, and Rose cried out. They were both a little scared.
“Lily?” Rose called out, her voice trembling.
“I’m here,” Lily replied, equally frightened. Then, Lily had an idea. “I have a little glow-in-the-dark paint! I can paint stars on the ceiling to help us see!”
Rose, forgetting her frustration, quickly gathered some of her blocks and built a small, sturdy platform for Lily to stand on. “Here, this will help you reach!” she said.
Together, they worked in the dark. Lily carefully painted twinkling stars on the ceiling, and Rose held the platform steady. It wasn’t easy, and they bumped into each other a few times, but they giggled instead of arguing.
When Lily was finished, the room was filled with a soft, magical glow. The stars twinkled like real ones, and the darkness didn’t seem so scary anymore. Rose’s castle looked beautiful bathed in the starlight.
“Wow,” Rose breathed. “It’s beautiful, Lily.”
“And your platform is perfect, Rose,” Lily said, smiling. “I couldn’t have reached without it.”
They sat together, admiring their work. They realized that even though they liked different things, they were much better when they worked together. They apologized for their earlier arguments.
“I’m sorry I said your blocks were wobbly,” Lily said.
“And I’m sorry I said your paints were messy,” Rose replied.
They hugged tightly. The storm still raged outside, but inside, their room felt warm and cozy. They learned that night that being sisters meant helping each other, forgiving each other, and loving each other, even when things were difficult. That was the strongest magic of all.
Soon, the lights flickered back on, but Lily and Rose didn’t rush to turn them on. They wanted to enjoy the glow of their star-filled ceiling just a little longer, a reminder of the special bond they shared. They snuggled close, and their mother came in to tuck them in, smiling at the beautiful sight. It was a perfect ending to a stormy day.