I sat down on the sand with our shells, looking them over and deciding whether or not to make memorable necklaces from them, one for Jane and one for me. Jane herself was a few short feet away, having got a call from Lee.

She’d sent some funny photos, some with filters, some just random, and he’d taken it upon himself to do more than just send a text back to her.

When she’d first sent them, having shown some to me, we had a big laugh, only to be splitting our sides open a second later when Lee sent something just as funny back. And then the phone was ringing and she’d answered, putting it on speakerphone and answering with that sing-song we-were-just-laughing voice. Immediately, he’d asked us if we were dying laughing because he could ‘feel that energy from miles away’. So, of course, we were laughing again, still laughing, even as it hurt.

And then after a few more minutes of a conversation between us, Jane and I had gone separate ways, just a little, and the phone back off speakerphone for a more private chat.

I smiled over at her, as she stood there, still laughing at things he was saying.

As I was sitting there, deciding which ones went best together and if I should use two for each necklace, I got a text.

Ding!

I put the shells aside carefully and pulled out my phone. It was a text from Minnie, instructions, mainly.

She told me she’d be coming in the morning tomorrow, with a time and location – a store just on the north side of the pier.

I nodded and sent a message back before wandering over to Jane as she put her phone away with a smile. I updated her with the news and then we headed off to find food, yet again. It was like the second we got there, we were starving animals needing sustenance.

Hours passed and before I knew it we were headed back to the house, the sun starting to set.

The day had been so good, so fun and enjoyable, that I didn’t really want it to end yet. But, Jane had her rules, which meant we needed sleep.

Boo.

Who needs sleep when there’s a romantic lonely walk on the beach at night that could be in my near future?

And so, when Jane headed off to bed after we said goodnight, her phone to her ear as Lee called her, yet again, I decided to make my own choice.

I was going on that walk.

The scenery demanded it.

The beach demanded it.

My heart and instincts demanded it.

I was going to listen.

For once, sneaking out was fun. Though it really never happened at home. It was way too hard not to get caught. Too many people with really good hearing. Some of them being my parents. Others of them being my aunt and uncle, who were not about to let me get away with it either.

Eh.

I didn’t really have a reason to sneak out at home.

But hey, I was here, at a beach house. I was sneaking out.

YOLO, right?

I mean, what could it hurt if I went on a little walk?

And my goodness, it was the best choice I’d made.

The cool night breeze gently caressed my face and body. The moonlight shone down on the ocean. The waves crashing upon themselves in the distance, water lapping up on the shore…

It was perfect.

Peaceful.

It was like a dream.