“Sorry we didn’t come back earlier.”

July warmth, salt, sunshine- flooding into the car that parks in the seam of pavement and beach. Birds laughing distant. Sunscreen uncapping, close. Sand’s likely too hot to walk on barefoot.

“Better late than never, huh?” she says.

The urn beside her says nothing.

Riley Montag is a Colorado-based trickster that’s usually up to Trouble, but not generally up to No Good. Follow Riley at @RileyAMontag.