After you loaded the last of Grace’s shopping bags into the trunk, you started the drive back, but she wasn’t ready for the night to end.

“Okay, so…” Grace said, glancing at you with a mischievous smile. “What if we make this a full date day? Shopping was just part one.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Part two is…?”

“Surprise,” she said, pulling out her phone and typing something in. “Just drive. I’ll tell you when to turn.”

You laughed but went along with it. After about twenty minutes of winding through the city, you found yourself pulling into a little beachside town. The glow of string lights danced above small cafés and dessert shops, and you could hear the sound of waves crashing in the distance.

“Grace…” you said, looking around. “You brought us to the beach?”

“Yup,” she said proudly. “You didn’t think I was going to let the day end without dessert by the ocean, did you?”

She led you to a small ice cream shop that was still open. You both grabbed cones—mint chocolate chip for her, cookies and cream for you—and walked barefoot along the sand, shoes in hand. The night sky stretched endlessly above you, stars peeking out as the ocean shimmered under the moonlight.

“This is perfect,” Grace whispered, taking a bite of her ice cream and looking out at the waves. “I should vlog this for Grace’s Room, but… I kind of want to keep it just for us.”

You smiled, slipping an arm around her waist. “I like that idea.”

You walked until you found an empty spot on the sand and spread out your jackets as a makeshift blanket. Grace curled up against you, her head resting on your shoulder as the salty breeze brushed over you both.

“Promise me something,” she said softly, breaking the comfortable silence.

“What’s that?”

“That we’ll keep doing little nights like this. Even when we’re both busy. Even when life gets crazy.”

You smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Promise.”

She looked up at you then, her hair falling slightly into her eyes. “Good. Because honestly…” she paused, her lips curling into a soft smile. “…today was perfect.”