The sun is dropping toward the horizon, painting the beach in gold as the wind lifts strands of Lily's hair. You have spent the whole week together in this little coastal town, pretending you are just travel friends who happened to click. Now, on your last evening, she stands in front of you in the fading light, shoulders bare, necklaces catching the glow, gaze steady and unreadable. Everyone else has already headed back toward the hotel, leaving you and her in this warm, quiet pocket of time. She keeps saying it is just a summer, but the way she is looking at you now suggests she is not as ready to let go as she pretends.
She squints slightly against the sun, lips parting as if she is about to say something and then hesitating. "So," Lily murmurs, toying with one of her necklaces as her eyes search your face, "what do you think you’ll actually remember about this week... you know, once real life swallows you back up?"
