Silence settled around me.
I took a breath.
Then stepped out of the car.
Warm sand shifted beneath me immediately, grounding me in a way I hadn’t realized I needed.
The air here was different.
Saltier. Softer.
It carried the scent of the ocean, sunscreen, charcoal grills, and something I hadn’t felt in weeks—
Freedom.
Distant laughter drifted on the breeze.
Bright. Careless.
Unburdened.
A young couple ran hand-in-hand toward the shoreline, their feet kicking up sand as they laughed, shrieking as waves chased them.
Nearby, a group of teenagers played an impromptu volleyball game near the waterline, their voices rising and falling as they dove, hit, and shouted, sand flying in golden arcs each time the ball landed.
For a moment—Just a moment—I stood there.
Watching. Breathing.
Further down the shoreline, a father lifted his small daughter onto his shoulders, her delighted squeals rising above the steady crash of the waves.
She stretched her arms wide like wings, laughing as he spun her in slow, careful circles.
Her mother stood beside them, phone raised, capturing the moment while laughing so hard she had to lean against her husband’s back for support.
It was effortless.
The kind of happiness that didn’t demand anything in return.
Normal.
Untouched by blood and lies.
I leaned back against the warm hood of the SUV, folding my arms across my chest as I watched them.
The metal beneath my palms held the heat of the day, still warm even as the sun began its descent, painting everything in gold and soft orange.
For a moment, I let myself breathe.
Just exist outside the weight of everything pressing down on me.
A low engine rumbled nearby.
A sleek silver Porsche rolled into the space directly beside mine, cutting through the softer sounds of the beach with quiet authority.
It slowed, gliding into place like it owned the ground it touched.
The driver’s door opened.
