Vivacious《Cullen's》(Editing)

•《chapter I》•

The breeze swept gently along the shoreline, carrying with it the faint scent of salt and seaweed. Delicate waves rolled in with rhythmic grace, brushing against the sun-warmed sand like a whispered lullaby. Overhead, the sky was set ablaze in hues of deep amber and blood orange as the sun made its slow descent beyond the horizon. Laughter echoed across the beach—children chasing one another with wild abandon, their gleeful shrieks cutting through the evening air as their weary parents called out from beside overstuffed cars. For a fleeting moment, the world seemed to pause. No burdens. No pain. Just the serenity of a perfect, fleeting sunset—an untouched moment of bliss.

Arianna Alexander stood at the water's edge, the surf barely brushing her toes as she watched the last sliver of sun disappear beneath the sea. A quiet sigh slipped from her lips. She reluctantly turned away, her gaze lingering a heartbeat longer on the glowing horizon before she began her walk across the sand, sandals dangling from her fingers. The warm grains gave way beneath her feet until she reached the sidewalk, where she paused to rinse off the salt and sand at the weather-worn faucet. Once her feet were clean, she slid her sandals back on and made her way toward the parking lot.

Her father had asked her to be home before dark, but she had needed this—one last glimpse of the ocean, one final memory forged in the town they were leaving behind. She knew he would understand. He always did.

Daniel Alexander hadn't made the decision to move lightly. It was his dream job, after all—something he had worked toward for years. The new position promised greater stability, financial ease, and the chance to return to the place where he had spent his own childhood. Arianna understood all of that. But understanding didn't make leaving any easier.

A part of her wanted to resent him for pulling her away—from her school, her dance studio, her friends. From everything familiar and comforting. From the only home that held the fading echoes of her mother's laughter and the shadow of her twin brother's mischievous grin. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to be angry with Daniel.

They were all each other had left.

Even if she never said it aloud, she knew the move wasn't easy for him either. She had heard him late at night—when he thought she was asleep—murmuring their names through choked sobs, whispering how much he missed them, how he wished things could have been different.

A single tear slipped down Arianna's cheek as she looked back at the horizon, now swallowed by twilight. In the stillness of that moment, memories returned with painful clarity. She was seven again, hand-in-hand with her brother as their mother, Eleanor, led them along this very beach. Her father had been working late at the store, and Eleanor had promised them a day of swimming and sunshine. She remembered the way her mother's eyes sparkled when she laughed, the feel of the sun on her shoulders, the salt in her hair. The memory was a treasure—and a wound.

She missed them.

But even as the night sky crept in and the stars began to blink into view, Arianna knew one thing with certainty: no matter where life took her, no matter how far she was from this place, she would carry those memories with her. Always.

With one last glance at the darkening sea, she turned, opened the car door, and slid into the driver's seat. The engine hummed to life, but she didn't pull away just yet. She sat there for a moment, letting the weight of the day settle around her, breathing in the familiar scent of salt and sea one last time.