An entitled influencer livestreamed herself kicking my son’s sandcastle into the ocean because it “ruined her aesthetic”—twenty minutes later, the senior lifeguard marched toward her with a megaphone and a golden box. Then the only sound we could her was her scream.

In his other hand, he carried a gleaming golden box, tied with an elegant navy-blue ribbon.

Something about his weathered face stirred a distant memory. Then, it clicked. Years ago, Simon used to wave to that exact tower. Captain Mitchell had been the man on duty during those magical early mornings when Simon and Noah built their empires.

Mitchell didn’t look at me first. He didn’t look at the crowd. As he marched across the sand, his sharp blue eyes locked onto the tiny, frayed flag trembling in Noah’s hand.

He strode purposefully past us, heading straight for Tiffany’s extravagant setup.

Tiffany noticed the uniform and the gleaming golden box. She instantly sat up straighter, fluffing her hair. She grabbed her gimbal, making sure her livestream was perfectly framed to capture this unexpected interaction.

Captain Mitchell stopped right at the edge of her blanket. He raised the megaphone to his lips and clicked the button.

“EXCUSE ME, MA’AM!” The electronic amplification boomed across the beach, echoing off the boardwalk. The remaining background chatter died instantly. Hundreds of people were now watching.

Tiffany jumped slightly but quickly recovered, adjusting her oversized sunglasses. She aimed her camera directly at Mitchell’s face.

“CONGRATULATIONS,” Mitchell’s voice thundered through the megaphone, devoid of any warmth. “YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR TODAY’S SPECIAL BEACH PRESENTATION.”

The crowd pressed in closer. Tiffany looked from the megaphone to the camera, her ego visibly inflating. She thought she was being honored. She thought this was a PR stunt, a reward for being a “high-profile” visitor.

“Oh my gosh, chat, do you see this?” she bubbled excitedly to her viewers. “Thank you so much, officer! What is it?”

Mitchell lowered the megaphone just enough to hand her the box, but kept his finger near the trigger.

She eagerly snatched the golden box with one hand, keeping her camera focused on it with the other. “Unboxing time, live on stream!” she squealed. She yanked the navy ribbon. It slid free. She lifted the golden lid.