The soft beeping of Omar's alarm broke the gentle rhythm of waves crashing in the background. It was 5:00 AM. He stirred, eyes fluttering open in the dim glow of the early morning. The beach was still cloaked in a soft, silvery mist, and their handmade tent stood quiet under the dying fairy lights.

He reached for his phone to shut the alarm, but paused when he felt his left arm pinned down. Turning his head slowly, he found Aisha fast asleep, curled into a tiny ball with her head resting on his arm. She looked like a cozy burrito, wrapped in the blanket they had shared, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath.