Chapter Text
The coastline here is jagged, worn and broken by years of the ocean beating at it. Today though, the waves are calm, and there’s only the occasional spray of seafoam when one gets a little frisky. Seagulls whirl in the sky above, calling out to each other over the rushing crash of waves against stone, their white plumage stark against the blue of evening and the vivid oranges and reds painted by the setting sun. And at the base of one of the cliffs, where the sharp lines of the rock give just a tiny bit to slope into the water, is a woman.
She stands knee deep in the water, her dark slacks rolled up to keep them dry, while her arms are wrapped around her torso, clutching her thin sweater closed. The wind tugs at her loose hair, tangling through brown locks and flinging them against her face. She doesn’t flinch and makes no move to brush it away.
Her ice blue eyes are fixed on the horizon, the sun’s reflection wavering against her pupils with every breath she takes. When she blinks, slow and far between, tears slip past her lashes, though whether they come from the wind, the light, or her own thoughts is known only to her.
The sun slips below the horizon without a whisper.
The moon hangs silently over the top of the cliffs.
She curls her toes into the worn smooth pebbles beneath her and takes a breath of salt filled air.
And she turns her back on the horizon.
She’s home.
And that should be enough.
By the time she’s climbed the narrow, winding path back to the top of the cliffs, the vivid oranges have bled from the sky, chased away by the dark blue of the night to follow the sun. She doesn’t run, but she does pick up her pace as she heads for her car.
Just as she curls her fingers around the door handle, her phone rings. She fumbles in her pocket for a moment as she opens the door, glances at the caller ID, and answers. “Hi. I’m on my way home.”
She slides into the driver’s seat and shuts the door behind her. It closes with a slam, the sound echoing with a finality that she’s already broken over and over again.