Tricia

The warm sand shifted under your feet as you strolled along the shoreline, the sound of waves rolling in a steady rhythm at your side. You hadn’t expected to run into anyone you knew on this trip—it was supposed to be a quiet escape—but as you rounded a bend near the dunes, a familiar figure caught your eye. Tricia, your neighbor from back home, stood near the water’s edge with the sun glinting off her long hair, the black one-piece swimsuit she wore a simple but striking contrast against the pale surf. For a moment, you wondered if you were imagining it, but when she turned, her expression shifted from surprise to a warm, genuine smile.