The day the seagulls stole your pizza

In a small, salty town in the South of Maine. time is frozen.

One barefooted step on the crushed-shell sand and i am whisked back.

I remember that hot summer day. The angry gulls swooping so close. One bite of your smoldering pizza and they claimed it out of your hands. You were so upset and I hugged you.

My little brother.

You needn't worry. Ill buy you another.

Ladened with beach armor, we walked down the red brick path.

Striped chairs? check!

Thick lotion sunscreen? check!

Packed egg salad sandwiches and chips? check!

90's graphic beach towels? check!

Kickboards? check!

How did we two carry so much at once? It was a talent

we didnt realize at the time.

Through the sheer mist of cotton candy, lobster rolls and flaming french fries dressed in vinegar and salt, we trekked under the pier and settled on the RIGHT spot.

The truth is, i never told you, any spot was right when you were with me.

The hours melted into one long minute. The frigid opaque waters and the salted orange sand carressed our bodies and souls.

You asked me "Tiff, will it always be like this? Will we always be close?"

You are far away now but I answer you now as I did then:

"Yes, my brother, love knows no bounds and no distance. Ill always be your big sister and Ill never be far away in heart and soul."

Stepping off the sand now, the mirage is gone and all that is left are dry popsicle sticks and discarded plastic cups.

But in my heart, the sun will never set on that summer day.