“We dug a huge circular trench in the sand, sculpting seating around the edges, then built a bonfire in the center. The party was fun, but I was always painfully aware of Elsie, of where she was and what she was doing. When the sun was beginning to set, I noticed that she was missing, so I went looking for her. I found her by the water’s edge, walking alone with a sweater wrapped around her shoulders. “Hey,” I said, approaching her with my hands in my pocket. It was getting cold by then and I on...ly had on a t-shirt. She looked up at me and smiled. “Hey, I have something for you.” “Oh yeah?” I asked, wondering if I was going to get to kiss her for the first time. Spoiler alert: I don’t actually get to kiss her until years later, but at the time, I thought for sure what she was going to give me was a kiss. “Hold out your hand,” she said and placed a damp pebble on it. Damn it. “A wonky rock?” I asked, turning it over and over. “It’s sort of shaped like a star,”MoreLessRead More Read Less
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