They spent the afternoon shopping for new accessories—Lola picked up a silver chain necklace while Mia chose hoop earrings—and discussing their weekend plans. It was an ideal girls' day, filled with laughter and gossip.
As dusk descended, they returned to the shoreline, reaching it right when the horizon blazed with hues of pink and amber. The ebbing tide had already begun to expose the stony trail winding toward the grotto. With cautious steps and flashlights in hand, they advanced slowly and