Should I go there right now? Callie adds to her text.
Yeah, go ahead. I'll meet you there.
Alright, just gotta go home and give the groceries to my folks.
Let me know when you get to the church.
The lit sign flickers as Callie stands up and puts the newspaper back where she got it. The sky is murky and dark with light pollution; street lights are few and far in between as the thud of Callie's feet against concrete sidewalk echoes through St. Isidore's Beach. Yellowed leaves on the ground are tattered with footsteps from others in town, and the lights emitting from the houses of her family and their neighbors are tinted similarly.
Callie's father welcomes her and prepares some rice with ketchup and hot dog slices. She thanks him, giving him a hug and hanging the shopping bag on her chair for him to take. Her dinner is quickly finished and she heads upstairs to check that she has everything she needs before meeting Adam.
Callie always holds a worn and loved messenger bag on her shoulder. In it, she neatly places a water bottle, some snacks, and her camera. With quicker steps than on the way home, she greets her family goodbye and sets off to meet Adam.