11
Isaac walked the beach, taking in the sunset. He couldn’t believe it was October already. The summer had gone by quickly. Small groups lounged on a mixture of chairs and blankets. Not many tourists were left, but each evening, the locals more than made up for it. Children and dogs ran along the beach, inadvertently spraying sand on those they passed. People didn’t mind, though, laughing instead. It was a part of the Starlight Ridge sunset ritual.
“Hey, Isaac, over here,” someone called from his left. He squinted against the sinking sun, bringing up a hand to shade his eyes. Someone stood next to a chair, frantically waving their arms. As Isaac approached, he realized it was Jessie.
“Hi, Jess,” he said, inwardly squirming but giving her a warm smile. Anytime she’d spoken with him late
