Some friendships never miss a beat. A weekend with my high school friends in LA meant endless stories, plenty of laughter (and some cringing), cheering on the Dodgers, and long walks along the beach. This blue-and-white striped umbrella caught my eye because the blue seemed to disappear into the ocean behind it. The afternoon was so hot that the air shimmered above the sand, softening the edges until everything looked like a watercolor. One click of the camera, and another memory became a pattern.