Reading: An Afternoon by the Sea

The clouds parted as we reached the shore, and sunlight spilled across the water in bright, broken paths. A brisk breeze tugged at my coat, carrying the sharp tang of salt and the smoky smell of a nearby food stall. Underfoot, the pebbles clicked and rolled with every step. Beyond the groynes, waves gathered, lifted their foamy shoulders and flung themselves onto the beach. Their steady roar was interrupted by gulls calling overhead. A little boy raced after a red bucket while his sister built a lopsided tower of stones. Their excited shouts skipped across the sand. Near the water’s edge, the retreating tide left a shining fringe of pools. In one, a tiny shrimp flickered beneath the surface. A stripe of green seaweed waved from a rock, and a shell lay half-buried in the wet sand. I crouched to look closer; the cold spray dotted my cheeks. Later, we sat behind a striped windbreak and shared warm chips from a paper bag. The sky turned peach-coloured near the horizon. As the waves hushed and hurried back, the busy beach began to feel peaceful. I watched the last light glimmer on the sea and wished the afternoon would last a little longer.