Alice

As I sat on the beach, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore filled the air, and the warm sand shifted beneath me. A stranger's voice broke the serenity, "The name is Lexi, what about yours?"

I turned to face him, my long hair dancing in the ocean breeze. "Alice," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. I stepped back, my eyes drifting to the sand as I began to play with it, my fingers tracing patterns in the warm grains.

Lexi's voice drew my attention back. "Excuse me, did you say your name is Alice?"

I turned to him, a hint of a smile on...