Polaroids and Postcards | ✔️

Chapter 13: Flash-Mobs + Sunsets

"No matter where you go, there you are."

•••

"Was that not the absolute best seafood you've ever had in your life?" Della sighed, patting her belly happily.

We were exiting the restaurant we chose to visit: Crabby Dan's. It was yet another hole-in-the-wall joint, decked out like an old shipwreck. Seriously, there were mossy anchors, old oars, and moldy fishnets all over the place. The tables were even made of old, recycled boat pieces. Not exactly my first choice. But at this point in the game, I trusted Della's choices for food. She never made a mistake on that front. I still caught myself waiting for the moment when we'd both end up with food poisoning, but at least I knew the food would be worth it every time. But in this case, Della was more right than usual in her choice.

"It was definitely decent," I admitted, stretching my arms over my head. I ate way too much and my stomach felt like it would burst if I moved at all. The stretching seemed to help a bit though. A yawn slipped out before I could contain it.

"Yawning already, are we?" Della giggled. I heard a swift click! and a small flash popped.

"Really, Della?" I chuckled, my arms still above my head. I was actually smiling now.

What can I say? The way to a guy's heart is through his stomach. Besides, food can change literally anyone's mood. I was no exception.

Della grinned as she held up the polaroid for me to see. Not my most flattering picture. I was half smiling, half yawning. But it seemed to sum up how I felt inside my stomach at the moment.

"No more yawning, deal?" she checked, shoving the camera and photo back into her bag. "We still have a lot to do before naps are allowed."

"But where are we even going to—?"

She cut me off with a stern look. "Jason, stop worrying about the future. Enjoy the now. We'll find a place to sleep when the time comes."

Bossy...

I rolled my eyes. "Fine."

"Excellent!" her old smile was back. "Now get in the Beetle! Next stop: beach!!"

•••

The beach was crowded to say the least. But it wasn't as crowded as it could've been. At first glance, it looked like it was mostly just college students, a handful of high schoolers, and a few retired couples scattered across the breadth of the sand. Buff guys with boards dashed out to greet the oncoming waves, cute girls in bikinis ran around playing sand volleyball, and starry-eyed couples walked arm-in-arm as their bare feet grazed the edge of the ocean. It wasn't exactly what I imagined the beach looking like. But none of this fazed Della Rae. Not at all.

"It's perfect," she whispered, staring out the window. A moment of silence passed, and I realized that those words were not necessarily directed at me. It appeared that she was just verbalizing her thoughts.

As I silently debated whether or not I was supposed to answer this comment, Della snapped out of her quiet reflection and turned on me. "What are you waiting for, Lovett? We're here! Let's go!"

Upon closer inspection, the beach grew in beauty in my mind. It was late in the afternoon, so the hottest part of the day had passed. A soft breeze blew, carrying the salty scent of the waters until it rolled off my skin. The sun was blooming into the rich, thick colors as it always does near the end of its long stretch, but the clouds screened some of its brilliance. Seashells decorated the edge of the water like some sort of pearl necklace. The white sand slid through my toes, warming my feet with the heat it had captured through the day. My hair was tousled by the wind, but somehow I didn't care.