I woke to a stream of light blinding my eyes. I rolled over, my face buried in my satin pillowcase.

Five more minutes.

The events from yesterday trickled into my head: flying on the plane, arriving at Lani's apartment, viewing the beach...

The groggy blockage in my brain faded.

I'm...in the Bahamas!

With sudden clarity, I pushed myself upright. My gaze fell on the distant Caribbean, shimmering in the pastel pink and orange sunlight. Air hitched in my lungs. The waves were so calm, rising and folding over each other in a steady waltz. I longed to step into the cool water, to feel the waves dance around my ankles.

Is this real? Am I finally here?

Waking to such a view and the promise of a beach day was surreal.

Excitement pumped through my veins. I leapt out of bed to see my luggage by the dresser. I felt oddly emotional at the sight, like I might burst with joy.

Aw, Lani!

She truly was the best sister in the world. This was the best day in the world.

I dashed down the iron stairs, cold on my bare feet. The scent of butter and cinnamon greeted me halfway, and I hurried my pace to the kitchen. Lani stood behind the counter, an apron around her neck and spatula in hand.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said.

"Morning?" My eyebrows scrunched together as I slid onto a bar stool. I gazed down at the slowly cooking batter on the stove, bubbles just bursting the surface. A pang of hunger shot through my stomach.

"Yeah, you slept all afternoon and night. It's eight a.m." She nodded to an analog clock on the wall behind her. It was indeed eight in the morning.

"Wow, I wasn't even that tired."

Lani raised an eyebrow. "Traveling has a way of sucking energy from people, even if they don't realize it."

I chuckled. "I guess so."

Lani lifted the pan from the stove and with a flick of her wrist, flipped the pancake in the air.

"Whoa, that's so good!" I exclaimed. "You must have been practicing a lot."

"Thanks, it's lots and lots of YouTube tutorials." She stood up on her toes to glance over the counter at the empty kitchen table. "Hey, these will be done pretty soon. Wanna grab some toppings?"

"Sure."

I opened her fridge to find a giant container of bright red strawberries.

"Oh my gosh, you didn't have to do this," I gushed.

"What?" She glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, are you talking about the strawberries? Of course I did! They're your favorite."

I grinned, washed and sliced the strawberries, and grabbed bananas, chocolate chips, and walnuts from the pantry. I placed them on the table just as Lani set down two plates stacked with three pancakes.

"I see you still remember my favorite toppings," she said.

"Of course," I said, sliding into a wooden chair.

I topped my breakfast with strawberries and chocolate chips and dug in. My fork sliced through the pillowy dough, and when I took a bite, it was more airy than clouds. It was the perfect canvas for the toppings, which provided sweetness with a hint of tart. The chocolate chips melted, forming a sweet syrup that trickled down the sides.

"Wow, Lani, these are incredible!"

"Thanks! I've gotten lots of practice perfecting the recipe while I practiced flipping them in the air."

I took another bite.

"So, did you sleep well?" Lani asked.

"Like a baby. The bed was so soft." I paused, staring down at my plate, then added, "Just like these pancakes!"

Lani laughed. "I know, right? We have a really great furniture store down here. Normally they're $1,500 but I got them for $800 on sale."

"What a bargain."

"Yeah, there are some really awesome stores around here. If you want, we can go shopping together sometime."

"That would be so much fun! I have to bring back at least one souvenir. It's not every day that I get to come to the Bahamas."

Or hang out with Lani.

"You should visit more often," Lani said, twirling her fork on her half-empty plate.

I sighed. "I would, but it's just so far."

"True."

Silence permeated the air between us, though it lacked the poignancy from when I first arrived. Now, we simply shared each other's company, something I had missed desperately in the past year. As far back as I could remember, we had always been there for each other. But Lani's acting career consumed all of her time, stole her presence from my life, and left a void in my heart that only a sister could fill. Our quality time together was long overdue.

"How has it been applying to College?" Lani asked.

"It's great," I said. "The administration has been super friendly."

"I still can't believe my baby sis is going to College." She wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. "You grew up so fast."

"So did you," I said. "Look at you, rolling in cash from just one acting job."

She let out a laugh. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." She stuffed another bite of pancake into her mouth before asking, "have you decided on your major yet?"

I shifted in my seat.

"Yeah, uh, journalism," I mumbled.

"What?" Lani nearly spit out her pancake.

"Journalism."

Lani stared at me, incredulous.

"Whose idea was that?" she finally asked.

"Mom and Dad's."

"Both of them?"

"Well, Mom wanted me to follow in her footsteps and become a lawyer, but Dad thought that being a teacher would suit my 'mild' personality better. The only compromise they could reach was journalism. That way, I'm still getting a job in politics, but I'm teaching people the news."

Lani's jaw went slack. "You've got to be kidding me."

I shook my head, internally cringing. The thought of interviewing people made me nauseous. I didn't even enjoy writing that much.

"Why don't you just follow a career path you're interested in?" Lani said. "It doesn't matter what they think. Just insist on doing what you want."

Like what you did? Lani had been first in line to inherit Mom's law firm, but after many a contentious argument, Lani convinced my parents to let her study interior design, something she always excelled in.

I let out a heavy breath. "That's kind of the problem. Nothing seems to fit me. All the jobs that I have looked at are just too boring. I want something imaginative and exciting, a job that allows me to get out into nature. I don't want to be cooped up in an office, or hospital, or worse yet, a school, for the rest of my life."

Lani pressed her lips together and offered me a small smile. We returned to eating in silence. As understanding as Lani was, I knew this one area she couldn't relate to me in. She was one of those people who knew what she wanted and took active steps to achieve it. She probably could become President of the United States if she set her mind to it.

But me? I was clueless. I just wished I could be like all the other people I knew who entered college with undeclared majors. I needed time to figure out what was right for me.

"You know," Lani said after a while, "I could probably get you a job in the movie studio. Maybe not for this movie, since we're wrapping up, but for sure in the next one. You could come and live with me down here in the Bahamas, or wherever the next film takes us."

Guilt gnawed at my stomach. I longed to accept her invitation, to share a career with her. We had always dreamed of living together when we got older, able to see each other every day, like we used to before Lani went off to college. But the image of cameras and bright lights made my stomach churn. Even working behind the scenes on a movie set would be too much.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but it's just not the right job for me."

"That's totally fine, Kiara. You can study whatever you want."

I forced a smile and nodded. But deep down, I knew she was wrong. Nothing was fine; I really couldn't study whatever I wanted, especially since I couldn't find the right career. I could feel the time ticking down to August, the due date for College registration.

"I was hoping to get away from all of that for these next few weeks," I said. "I just finished finals last week. All I want right now is a relaxing vacation, nothing crazy."

"Okay then," Lani agreed. "Let's go to the beach and forget about all this complicated school stuff."

***

It was a short walk to the beach, just a matter of walking through the garden in front of the apartment building and crossing the street. The morning sun had risen to its full height in the sky and now cast blazing rays around us. Hot air clung to my skin as if I were swimming in steam and the sweat that trickled down my neck. At least the lacy, blue one-piece I wore helped to alleviate the temperature's intensity.

The concrete sidewalk turned to a narrow wooden boardwalk that wound its way downward. We descended the path, the bright blue ocean crystalizing as we drew closer. Excitement swelled in my veins, propelling me forward. I broke into a run, legs pumping faster and faster, my hair caught in the salty sea breeze, until my feet sunk into an expanse of white sand. I kicked my flip-flops off, dropped my beach bag, and hurtled toward the water.

Sand turned to wet sand, wet sand to cool turquoise water. I crouched down just as a wave surged forward and splashed my face, a little forging its way into my mouth. I spit it out with a laugh, relishing the linger of salt on my tongue. The best way to be welcomed by the ocean was to be soaked with a cold hug.

"Hey, wait for me!"

I whirled around as Lani plopped down beside me. I smiled and turned my gaze back to the world in front of me. Waves lapped at my sides, and white foam meandered around me. A gentle breeze tousled my damp hair, carrying the distant caw of seagulls. Everything was tranquil, calming.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" Lani said. "I've been on this beach almost every day for the past year, yet it still astounds me."

"I could stay here the rest of my life," I said. "Right here, planted in the sand."

"I agree."

I turned to face Lani as she stared at the sea. A question bloomed in throat, about to burst out.

"Do...do you ever regret moving here?"

Lani's gaze snapped toward me. "No, of course not." Her hand swept over the water, creating ripples on the surface. "Just look at this place. How could I not love it?"

My cheeks flushed. "I don't know. I guess I was just curious."

"About what?"

"If it was worth the family drama. You know, Mom and Dad getting mad and all."

Lani sighed. "I suppose I just don't think about it or hope that they'll come around, eventually."

"I'm sure they will," I blurted out.

She gave me a tiny smile. I felt her hand clasp mine, and she gave it a squeeze.

We sat in silence for a moment, taking in the scenery. The water's pull seemed to grow stronger. I felt the urge to go for a swim, not just sit on the sidelines while the sea had its fun.

"Let's go in deeper," I said. I leapt up, the wet sand shifting underfoot.

Lani stood, brushing sand from her black ruffled swimsuit. She glanced back at the beach, our stuff strewn across the sand. "Hey, I'm going to set up a little camp and suntan. You can swim as long as you want. I'll come join you later."

Typical Lani. She loved the beach, but wasn't interested in the rough waves.

I waded into the watery thicket. The ocean rushed forward to greet me; the force knocked me from my feet into a swarm of bubbles. A laugh spilled from me, loud and hearty as I enjoyed the sea's banter, though it drowned in the waves' roar. It was so beautiful, so free.

How I've missed this!

The sea was magnetic, drawing me in. I let the current whisk me away until my feet no longer touched the sand. My head bobbed on the surface. I felt my burdens melt into the sea, soon to be carried to a far destination. No stress allowed in the Bahamas—I couldn't pollute the beach with my problems.

At last, I turned around in the water. My eyes zeroed in on the shore, a blonde-haired dot in the distance.

Lani!

I was too far from the beach. My arms hauled my body around, ready to go back to shore.

But the ocean rose from behind and toppled over me. Water surrounded me from all sides. Adrenaline spiked in my blood.

Help! Help!

I fought my way back to the surface just as another wave crashed overhead. I plunged underwater, air knocked from my lungs. My arms flailed, my legs kicked upward, but the current pinned me under. Water squeezed around me as if to bury me alive.

No! This can't be happening. It can't be!

I forced my eyes open to darkness.

This can't be the end.

My lungs screamed for oxygen. The water blurred. A shimmering, golden light appeared right before everything went black.