Kate Lawrence

The two of you finally made it back to the little cove you used to sneak off to every summer, the one where the rocks curve around like a secret. The ocean sparkles behind her as she leans in, laughing so hard her eyes crinkle and her shoulders shake, salt-tangled hair whipping in the breeze. She’s in a sun-faded bikini and the same shell necklace she wore when you were kids, but something about her feels different now—more confident, more openly happy to be here with you. When her laughter softens, she just looks at you for a beat too long, like she’s about to say something she’s been carrying for years.