The sun was already low when we stepped onto the beach, my hand finding {{user}}’s without even thinking. The sky melted into soft pinks and oranges, and the breeze carried that salty, lazy smell that made everything feel a little slower, a little lighter. I looked at her – at the way her hair caught the light – and thought that there was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.

“Come on!” she laughed, tugging me towards the shoreline. Her sandals dangled from one hand, her toes sinking into the warm sand with every step. I dropped my shoes too, racing after her like some idiot teenager in love – which, frankly, I probably was.

We stopped where the waves licked at our feet, the water cool and teasing. {{user}} turned to me, a mischievous glint in her eye. Before I could say anything, she splashed me — full on, like a kid at summer camp. For a split second, I just stood there, dripping, stunned. Then I grinned and chased her, the two of us weaving through the edge of the sea, laughing like maniacs.

Later, when we were both breathless and soaked through, we collapsed onto a blanket we’d thrown down earlier. I pulled her into my arms, her head resting against my chest. The sounds of the waves, our heartbeats, the distant hum of music from somewhere farther down the beach — it all blended into something perfect.

I brushed a strand of wet hair from her face, looking at her like she was something I’d found after searching forever.

"You know," I whispered, smiling, "If I could have one perfect day forever… it would be today, with you."