Nineteen
Gray
I emerged from the orchard into another world, stepping barefoot onto a sandy shore. No longer nude, I was suddenly dressed in loose cargo shorts and a purple tank top, my hair wrapped in a bandeau. Sunglasses hung from my shirt collar, and a pair of pineapple flip-flops dangled from my fingers.
This f*****g place.
Still. After everything I’d just seen in the orchard, I wasn’t about to complain about a walk on the beach.
A blissful turquoise sea lapped gently at my toes. They’d been painted white with pink polka-dots, reminding me of Sophie. Thankfully, the memory made me smile instead of ache.
It was a postcard-worthy moment, the bright sunshine warm and delicious on my skin, the salty air a perfect balm for my soul.
When I saw the man jogging along the shore toward m
