It was a sunny summer afternoon in the quiet coastal village of Beach City. There was a cool breeze keeping the midsummer humidity at bay, and so the families of the small town took advantage of this mild-weathered weekend to enjoy the outdoors. Children splashed and frolicked on the beach, teenagers cruised along the sidewalk on their skateboards, and parents could be spotted chatting idly as their young ones enjoyed a day at the park. Some, however, chose to spend this late afternoon with a glass of iced tea at Beach City's newest attraction: "Maheswaren's", the brand-new book store.

The store manager hummed a soft tune as she stocked the shelves with a new delivery of paperbacks. Her mint-green sundress flowed smoothly down a slender silhouette, contrasting her brownish-olive complexion. Her puffy brown hair, which had become host to a few gray hairs, was tied back into a messy bun, which bounced lightly as she nodded her head to the light melody she continued to hum. Her ears perked upon hearing the *ding* of the front door as somebody entered the shop. The manager promptly set down the box of books and hurried over to the front desk to greet the new customer. She smiled brightly once she saw who it was.

"Oh, hi Sadie!"

"Hey, Connie," the shorter blonde woman greeted warmly. "I see the shop's been doing well. Lars and I are so proud of you!"

"Stop it, I'm blushing!" Connie replied. "Oh! How's the pregnancy going? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

Sadie chuckled and patted the bump under her bright yellow maternity dress. "It's going great, actually. Much easier than when I was pregnant with Rose. Oh man, you wouldn't believe how sick I got! And that sure made Lars a nervous wreck, you know how poorly he functions in stressful situations."

Connie giggled. "Yeah, so I've heard. And, hey, speaking of Lars, where is he today? It's not often I see you two separately."

"Oh, he's taking Rose out to get some ice cream. I told him that I'd meet up with him later on the beach once I've picked up my copy of 'Mystery Amour.' "

"That's right, your romance novel. I completely forgot you called in to reserve a copy! Hang on a second, I'll see if I still have one in the back."

As Connie moved to fetch the book, Sadie lightly placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. The warm smile on her face had been replaced by an uncomfortable, almost forlorn expression, as if there was something on her mind she was struggling to make into words.

"Sadie? What's wrong?" Connie inquired nervously.

Sadie's eyes were glued to her sandals. "Look, Connie, the book isn't the real reason I came here. Can you step outside with me for a moment?"

"Oh, uhm, okay…" Connie replied. Something was definitely up, and she could tell it was something bad. Connie took a seat on the entryway steps and stared up at Sadie, giving her friend her full attention. After a brief moment of awkward silence, Sadie drew in a deep breath.

"Amethyst came over last night. She, uh, had some news about Garnet."

Connie felt her stomach sink. Garnet was like the grandmother she never had. A few years prior, Garnet had fallen ill. She had been living under the care of the local nursing home up to the present day. Her condition slowly worsened as time passed, and her loved ones were expecting bad news any day. Connie's mind went blank, and she was only able to pick up bits and pieces of what Sadie was saying. But the point was received.

"According to Amethyst, she passed peacefully in her sleep," Sadie continued. "She never felt any pain. I suppose it was just her time, really. She was nearly ninety, after all." There was an agonizing silence. Connie slowly sat down on the front steps of the shop. Sadie placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you gonna be okay, Connie?"

For a second, Connie couldn't speak. There was a heavy lump in her throat that kept her jaw sealed shut. Finally, she found her voice. "Has anyone told Pearl?"

Sadie scratched at the back of her neck. "No, not yet. Not that it'll do any good. Pearl's mind is… fading. Amethyst has been caring for her just as much as she had Garnet. God knows how poor Amethyst has managed to keep up her own health."

"Well… what about Steven?"

Another silence. Sadie cleared her throat.

"Connie," Sadie began, "You know just as well as I do that nobody's even heard from Steven in nearly two decades now. Not even Amethyst knows how to get ahold of him."

"But he's Garnet's nephew!" Connie protested. "He needs to know about this. He should be there for the-" Her words became caught in her throat once again. "for the funeral."

Sadie crossed her arms. "Well, if you can find a way to contact him, go ahead and tell him. But it's not like he's cared enough to come around up to this point."

Connie wanted to argue that, but she knew it was true. Steven had left Beach City twenty years before with dreams of making it in the big city. It was understandable, but his departure caused those closest to him plenty of hurt.

Connie remembered a time when her and Steven laughed and ran across the beach. He playing make believe. Together they imagined a world full of magic and mystery, a world of epic battles against beings from beyond the stars.

Steven was the first friend she made in Beach City. As the pair grew older, their friendship quickly developed into a romance. There came a point when Connie very nearly professed her love for her old friend. However, Steven had some news to share first.

Connie shook her head, returning to the present. She rose from her seat and took Sadie by the hands. "Look Sadie, I know that you still harbor hard feelings against Steven. And maybe I do too, but… I mean, come on. it's Steven! He's still one of us. And he should have the right to be here with us, if even for a little while, should he choose to be."

Sadie left her glossy eyes fixed on the ground for a moment. She then lifted her eyes up to meet Connie's and her solemn gaze melted into a melancholy smile. "You know, Connie, you're a pretty smart kid."

Connie laughed. "Hey, I'm thirty-eight! I haven't been a kid for a long time now."

"Oh God, stop making me feel old!"

The two shared a meek laugh. Connie abruptly drew her friend into an embrace. "Thank you for letting me know, Sadie," Connie almost-whispered.

"Hey, no problem, Champ," Sadie replied coolly.

Suddenly, a tall, lanky man with messy ginger hair and neatly trimmed orange stubble walked casually in their direction. He was holding hands with a small, strawberry-blonde girl about six years of age. "Hey Sadie, come on!" the man called. "Rose wants to get in the water and she's getting kind of antsy!" The little girl shuffled impatiently.

"Just a second, Lars!" Sadie called back. Chuckling, she turned back to Connie. "Well, I guess that's my cue to leave. I hate to drop that bomb on you and go, though. If you're off work, you're absolutely welcome to join us."

Connie responded with a forlorn smile. "Nah, that's okay Sadie, you go ahead."

She looked off in the direction of the beach, where the sun had started to set over the waters.

"I have somebody I need to look up, anyway."

Okay folks, let me know how this was, and if I should follow up with more chapters. Your critiques are appreciated.