The weather was great for surfing today. There was a good, strong wind that brought the tide in. The waves were taller than usually, crashing against the sandbar with a thundering rhythm. Ashton had been at the beach since dawn, riding the waves all day for as long as he could. It was beginning to inch closer to lunch time, so Ashton decided to come in for a bit and make himself a sandwich. If he was going to be surfing all day, he needed to keep up his strength.
Carrying his board, he walked towards his umbrella. Once there, he planted the bird firmly in the sand, careful to make sure the wind wouldn't pick it up and carry it away. Grabbing his towel, he took a moment to dry off most the water. As much as he loved the beach, he hated the sand. It was gritty and got every where.
As he tossed his towel over the back of his beach chair, he looked up to see a woman sitting in the sand, curled up into a tight little ball. At first, he found it odd, but the longer he looked, he realized that he knew the person. Malia had talked of her often, and even mentioned her disappearing for a little while. Had she come back? Even from where he was standing she looked terrible. Thin, sickly, and starting to burn.
He grabbed his sunblock and his cooler and started up the beach towards her. He wasn't that far from her, really. Once he got a little closer, he offered her his charming southern smile. "You look a little worse for wear. Here, have a sandwich. Turkey or ham?" His accent was thick and southern. Most people found it attractive next to his attractive physique. Him in his bright red swim trunks was just about as naked as he had ever been in front of others. While it made him uncomfortable, he was beginning to get to used to the attention.
Without waiting for her answer, he tossed her some sunblock. "Put some of that on. You're going to burn." He offered her a smile as he began to assemble the sandwich. He had it all ready before he looked up at her. "Did you decide on turkey or ham? I regret that no thank you is not a phrase in my vocabulary." He smiled. "It's good to see you back." He had no idea that she was struggling with her memory, that she might not remember who he was. They had only met once or twice when Malia had him over. He just assumed she was being quiet today...not the fact that she was probably trying to sort out which way was up.