She sat frozen for a moment, watching the sand sink into the amber liquid, tiny flecks swirling like grit in a snow globe. When she finally moved, it was slow and deliberate. She closed the thermos lid, brushed herself off, and glanced at her clothes.
The light fabric of her cover-up clung awkwardly where the sweat and sand mixed, and she could feel a fine layer scratching against her skin. A hollow laugh almost escaped her. She’d come here for serenity, and now she couldn’t even take a sip of her own drink without tasting the beach itself.