We lie down in the sand, feeling the velvety softness below caress our limbs as the shimmering waters nip at our toes. She is on my left, and I am on her right. The ocean’s roar is faint and hypnotic, its vast expanse picturesquely extending towards the golden, setting sun. Above us, whispers of clouds are streaked with pink and orange, mirroring the painted sky. Behind us, a thousand birds sing out into the evening, each with its own sweet melody. The trees hide the birds, but not their voices, and so their chatter joins with the sounds of the rhythmic tide.

As my eyes gaze towards the right, I see a lone sand castle stand, proud and tall, against the waters. It is well-made; a moat diverts most of the water away, and so the sculpted facades last a little while longer. Finally, the ocean surges forward, lapping at our ankles and claiming the castle’s western wall. The moat has disappeared, and the castle begins to crumble. For a moment, I think I can hear a bird’s mournful wail break through the cacophony of its brethren.

I can feel her looking at me. She breathes a sigh of contentment, and then I hear sharp intake of breath. Did she see the sand castle? No; her attention was on the last glimmer of the sun, which has almost passed below the distant horizon. I hear her breathe in again.

“Say something,” she begs me. “Say something beautiful.”

I turn my head to gaze at her. Her face seems flush with the radiance of the natural beauty around us; her chocolate brown eyes gleam with rapture. I reach out and clasp her hand, so slender and delicate in mine, and she squeezes my hand back in anticipation. As the sun dips below the horizon, with the golden sky above and soft sand below, I gaze into her eyes and say:

“I’m breaking up with you.”