Early on, before the waves came, I loved to sit on the pier and watch the gulls dive bomb the water. They took such risks, ramming their bodies into the surf, but the longer I watched the more I realized, they were actually quite calculated in what they were doing.
Most of the time they came up with empty beaks, but when they came up with a fresh fish drooping from their mouths, I couldn't help but cheer for them. That's how I met Sarah. She heard me cheering and stood behind the dunes listening to me carry on like an idiot. After a few days, she popped over the dune and said, "Hey, bird guy, look over here!"
I turned and she squawked just like a gull. We were inseparable after that day. Until the waves separated us I guess I should say. The waves. The waves changed everything.