The waves lapped gently against the shore as I walked along the water's edge. It had been decades since that fateful day, but the memory of her still lingered in my mind like a ghost. We'd just graduated high school and were young and in love, our lives stretched out before us like an endless expanse of possibility.

But then, in an instant, it was all taken away. She died on impact in a horrific car accident. It was a time that had stayed with me for decades, haunting my dreams and creeping into my waking thoughts.

I stopped walking and looked out at the sea. The horizon stretched out before me like an endless expanse of uncertainty. That's what my life felt like now - uncertain. I'd grown up, gotten married, had three children, but a part of me had never truly moved on from that day.

As I stood there, the sound of the waves grew louder, and the salty air filled my lungs. It was a familiar sensation, one that we used to share whenever we snuck away to this very beach. We'd hold hands, watch the sunset, and talk about our dreams. It was a simpler time, a more innocent time.

I felt a pang of sadness wash over me as I thought about all the years we'd lost. The quiet evenings spent watching the sunset, the lazy summer days lounging on the beach, the winter nights cuddled up by the fire. We'd never have those moments again, and it still felt like a part of me was missing.

I turned my gaze to the sand at my feet and noticed a small piece of sea glass, worn smooth by the ocean's relentless pounding. I picked it up and examined it, turning it over in my hand. It was a small thing, but it reminded me of her. We used to collect sea glass on this very beach, filling jars with the smooth, colored shards.

I closed my hand around the piece of sea glass and felt a wave of grief wash over me. It wasn't just about losing her; it was about losing all the memories we'd made together. The quiet evenings spent watching the sunset, the lazy summer days lounging on the beach, the winter nights cuddled up by the fire.

As I stood there, the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the water. It was beautiful, but it didn't bring me any joy. I felt numb, disconnected from the world around me. And in that moment, I realized that I wasn't just grieving for her; I was grieving for myself. For all the years we would have spent together, and all the years we'd lost.

I turned and started walking again, my feet sinking into the soft sand. As I walked, I noticed a young couple in the distance, holding hands and laughing together. They looked so carefree, so full of life. It made me sad to think about all the years we would have spent together, and how that did not happen.

As I continued walking, the couple disappeared from view, and I was left alone with my thoughts once more. The sun had now fully set, leaving the sky a deep black. I stopped walking and looked up at the stars, feeling small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

And in that moment, I realized that I wasn't just grieving for her; I was grieving for the life we could have had. For all the memories we could have made, all the dreams we could have shared. And as I stood there, surrounded by the darkness and the sound of the waves, I knew that I would never truly be able to let go of her.

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