Liam stood on the shore, the cool wind pulling at his jacket as he watched the grey waves roll in. It was the same beach he had visited every summer as a child, but now it felt different, quieter, like it was holding its breath. He was here to say goodbye before moving to the city for university, leaving behind the place that had shaped him.

In his hand, he held a small jar filled with sand he had collected over the years, each layer representing a different summer. Dark sand from the stormy year when the waves nearly washed away their tent, pale sand from the quiet summer when he read books under the sun, and golden sand from last year when he learned to surf.

He walked to the edge of the water and opened the jar, letting the sand pour out slowly, the grains slipping between his fingers and mixing with the wet shoreline. The waves washed over them, pulling the colours into the sea.

As Liam watched, he realised that leaving did not mean forgetting. The sand was part of the beach now, just as every memory was part of him. Taking a deep breath, he turned away from the sea, ready to face the changes that lay ahead.