Chapter 3: A Sudden Change in Plans

As the evening drew to a close, Liam's family began to wind down, with his mom suggesting they have an early dinner the next day, so they could spend the day outdoors. Liam, still engrossed in his game, grunted in agreement, not looking up from the screen. His siblings, Lily and Emily, were engrossed in their phones, scrolling through social media, while his dad, Mark, was reading a book, occasionally glancing up to smile at the family. Just as they were all settling in for a quiet night, the doorbell rang, shrill and unexpected. Liam's mom got up to answer it, wondering who it could be at this hour. She opened the door to reveal their neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, standing on the porch, looking worried. "Caz, I'm so sorry to disturb you, but I need to speak to Mark," Mrs. Jenkins said, her voice low and urgent. Liam's mom exchanged a curious glance with her husband, who had gotten up to see what the commotion was about. Mark walked over to the door, a questioning look on his face. "Hi, Mrs. Jenkins. What's going on?" he asked, his voice friendly. "It's about your trip to the lake house," Mrs. Jenkins replied, her eyes darting nervously around the room. "I just got a call from my cousin, who lives nearby. There's been a bit of an emergency. The lake is flooding, and the house is in danger of being damaged." Liam's mom, Caz, let out a gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh no! We were planning to go there tomorrow," she exclaimed. Mark's face went serious, his brow furrowing in concern. "What did your cousin say exactly?" he asked Mrs. Jenkins, his voice firm. Mrs. Jenkins hesitated, looking around nervously. "He said the flooding is worse than expected, and the authorities are recommending that everyone in the area evacuate immediately. I know you were planning to spend the day at the lake house, and I thought you should know about the situation." The room fell silent as the family digested the news. Liam, still sitting on the floor, looked up at his parents, a mixture of excitement and concern on his face. "What does this mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Mark's eyes locked onto his son's, a serious expression on his face. "It means we need to cancel our plans and check on the lake house. We can't just leave it unattended, not with the flooding and all." Lily, who had been quietly observing the conversation, suddenly spoke up. "But what about our stuff? We have a lot of stuff stored there." Caz's face set in a determined expression. "We'll figure it out. We'll go there tomorrow and assess the situation. But for now, let's get some rest and plan for the day ahead." As the family began to disperse, Liam couldn't shake off the feeling that their quiet Sunday evening had just been turned upside down. He looked up at his parents, a sense of adventure stirring in his chest. "Can I come with you?" he asked, his voice filled with hope. Mark and Caz exchanged a glance, and then Mark nodded. "Of course, kiddo. We're a team. We'll face whatever comes our way, together."