The Sentinels You say...

He enjoyed the silence and the view a moment, content to just share company.  It was a comfortable lull, broken mainly by the waves and the calls of the gulls circling.  He had noticed one thing - the coast was never quiet.  But it was a pleasant chaos and provided backdrop to clear the mind to.

She broke the silence first, and he listened with somewhat piqued interest as she preceded her question with a disclaimer. Usually a sign the question could be difficult to answer. He wasn't sure how any question she would ask could even chance on ruining their friendship. He was completely naive to what it could be about, and he nodded assuredly to encourage her to continue. "Okay."