Story shared by Leesa Zayas

Every year, we used to come to Cherry Grove.

We would rent an oceanfront cottage with close friends — two families, four kids, and a whole week of salt air and laughter ahead of us. Those trips became the kind of memories that stick with you long after the sand washes off.

One year, our friend went upstairs to the cottage and was gone for quite a while.

What we didn’t know was that his camera film had stopped advancing. Trying to fix it, he stepped into a closet and shut the door to finish the roll — only to discover something important…

There was no handle on the inside.

He was locked in.

A good while later, I finally came upstairs and heard him yelling. I opened the door and set him free, and to this day we still laugh about it.

Funny how the little moments — the ones you never plan — become the stories that last the longest.

And the best part?

We all live here now.