It was one of those perfect afternoons — not too hot, not too windy — just the kind of golden sunlight that made the waves shimmer like glitter. Jake and Kat finally had a rare moment to themselves. No barking. No leash tugging. No little brown fluffball trying to dig to the center of the Earth through the sand.

Just them.

“I love him,” Jake said as they strolled barefoot along the shoreline, “but I do not miss him trying to fight the waves.”

Kat laughed. “Or drinking seawater like it’s his job. And then throwing it up in your shoe.”

“My shoe every time!” Jake grinned, nudging her gently. “I don’t know how he makes it personal.”

They walked hand in hand, the water lapping at their ankles, toes sinking into the cool, soft sand. Kat wore her favorite flowy sundress that danced with the breeze, and Jake had on a relaxed white tee and shorts — the kind of simple, peaceful day they hadn’t had in a while.

“I forgot how quiet the beach is without him,” Kat said, tilting her head up toward the sun.

Jake looked over at her, smiling. “Yeah, it’s… weird. Peaceful weird.”

They found a little spot by some rocks and laid out a blanket they had packed. Kat sat down, pulled her sunglasses on, and let out a deep, satisfied sigh.

Jake sat beside her and leaned back on his hands. “You know what I’m thinking?”

“That you want tacos?”

“Okay — two things. Tacos and that we should do this more often. Just us.”

Kat smiled softly, turning toward him. “Yeah. It’s easy to forget, with everything going on — work, Oliver’s chaotic energy — that we’re still best friends first.”

Jake looked at her, the way the light played on her face, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Still my favorite person. Even when you hog the blanket at night.”

She gave him a look. “You kick in your sleep!”

“I do not!”

“You literally donkey-kicked me last week.”

They both burst out laughing, the kind of laugh that feels like sunshine inside. For a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had faded away — no phones, no noise, just the rhythm of waves and the comfort of each other.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the horizon. Then Kat leaned her head on Jake’s shoulder.

“Let’s never let the chaos take this away from us,” she whispered.

Jake nodded. “Deal. But also… tacos soon?”

Kat chuckled. “Yes, tacos. You’re impossible.”