To the beach

Helotes appears quietly, the way small towns do on this stretch — Stone Churches on either side, the country dance store where concerts are often held. The Helotes gas station is on the right: white stone, country rustic appearance with clean lines, the kind of place that has been kept up and shows it. A couple of vehicles are parked at the pumps. Some customers are entering and exiting the store.

Gracie pulls in, cuts the engine, and swings her door open into a wave of still air. Even hotter without the highway moving under her. The air thick and stuffy, barely breathable. She releases a sigh.

Gunner looks over at her from the passenger seat, assessing the surroundings, and watching her with loving whiskey eyes; almost like a dark amber marble, softened, melting with love and admiration.

I know, she told him, without saying it. We’ll get there. The woman gazes at her dog, pouring her green eyes like sparkling emeralds into his as her long curly golden brown hair flies about in the late summer breeze.

She is filling the tank, standing casually against the side of the van, watching the numbers climb, when she notices two men near a truck at the far pump. Black Fishing bibs, both of them. One of them —she glances at, captivates her attention. Tall. Standing easy against the truck bed in a way that didn't seem practiced — just the natural lean of someone comfortable in their own body. She didn't mean to look at him. She wasn't even sure she had, exactly, until she felt something shift in her chest. A low, unhurried pull. The kind that arrives before your brain does. A magnetic pull, a spark circulating through your nervous system. His short hair glistens red in the sun, with a brown undertone, along with his beard trimmed close to his face. Blue framed sunglasses cover his eyes, a somewhat aquiline nose is sprinkled with freckles, whilst an enigmatic smile reveals white spotless teeth.

The other one, slightly taller than Gracie— snags something in her memory that she doesn't desire to get hold of. Middle school, Social Media, Stalking, Obsessing. “Ugh, not that guy.” He glances in her direction but she looks away, quickly. His negative energy penetrates her mind, like a heavy weight, pressuring somber, inner destruction, escalated aggression, and hate.

She replaces the nozzle then walks inside to grab snacks and drinks for the drive down to the beach. Gracie emerges from the artic convenience store out into the heat.

Gracie gives Gunner a moment to walk, stretch his legs and sprint some in a grassy area. The two men are talking to each other, not looking at her. She and Gunner return to the white high roof sprinter van. Gracie starts the engine.

She guides the van onto Bandera Road heading towards 1604 and soaks in the view of Helotes. Old buildings, she recalls from childhood mixed with new stone and stucco architecture. The various restaurants and shops appear busy, as the parking lots are packed. She drives on to the highway taking the route which leads to the beach.

Coastal Air, breezes, water, ocean, salty-air, and sand. Is all she thinks. Gracie is living in the moment, cruising with Gunner by her side, her best friend.

A couple of hours later, Gracie takes a break at a truck stop to let Gunner play in the dog park for a little while.

Gracie skims over the dating app some more to scope out the available men, she hits the like button on a few. “Gunner, we will see what happens with this. Maybe I will find me a nice man, and maybe I won’t.”

The break is short lived since the temperature is about eighty-eight degrees. Gracie takes Gunner back in the van as they are almost there. She turns the ignition key; it clicks. “Oh no, Gunner the van does not want to start. I will have to see if I can jumpstart it. It is way too hot to be stuck right now.” Gracie pulls out her jumpstart machine and it starts back up. “Gunner we will need to have the battery checked before we go to the beach, just to ensure this will not happen again. I do not want to get stuck at the beach.” Soon thereafter, Gracie pulls up to an auto part store to have the battery assessed. It seems it is low on charge and should be replaced. So, Gracie has a new battery installed by a worker at the auto parts store. They are back on the road heading towards the beach.

Gracie drives to her favorite part of the beaches and carefully navigates down the beach road to find a parking spot. It seems crowded. The beach allows parking on the sand right up to the shore, as long as the vehicle displays a parking permit. There are numerous families and groups of people in the water or along the shore. Gracie finds a spot with space surrounding her, people are parked further away. She places Gunner on the tie out so he can roam around and play in the water. The German Shepard runs into the water, splashing about, swimming against the waves. Gracie observes him before joining him.