I opened my eyes in the morning to a bright sun that was just peaking over the ocean’s horizon. It felt early. The sand around me was still a little damp and it clung to anything that it touched. I felt a cool breeze brush over my arms so I pulled the blanket a little closer, forgetting that I was sharing it. I kept my eyes closed even though I was awake and rolled over to put my arm around Ashley. I expected to feel her warm flesh against mine but was surprised when I felt nothing but an empty bed of sand next to me. My eyes shot open, fearing that she’d already left.

She hadn’t though. She was sitting cross-legged only a few feet away with her drawing notebook in her lap, face glowing in the sunrise. The soft rays of the sun illuminated the front her body while she concentrated on her canvas, looking away only when switching pastel colors, or to take a peak out onto the horizon. God did she look beautiful. The pink and orange light seemed to purify her beauty, bringing out every perfect feature in her face. It looked like a painting, and there was an almost surreal feeling about it.

I sat up, not sure if I should say anything to her. I didn’t want to break her focus. If she was anything like me I absolutely hated being distracted when trying to work. I looked around and everything was just as tranquil as it was last night. The only sounds were that of the waves that continually crashed into the shore every few seconds, and no one else seemed to be around but Ashley and I.

I looked out into the ocean and at the sunrise. It was beautiful. The sky wasn’t as clear as it had been the night before, but the thin layer of clouds created an assortment of pink and orange and red colors. The sun was already about three-fourths the way over the horizon and everything reflected off the glassy ocean water. I’d never seen a sunrise exactly like this before. I watched for a few minutes, seeing the colors change while the clouds shifted around slowly.

I was so lost in the moment.

“Hey you.” I heard Ashley say softly from behind me. I turned and she caught me by surprise with a quick peck on the lips. She smiled wide. “Good morning.”


“Good morning to you too.” I said. She knelt down next to me in the sand. Her hair was a little messy and her makeup was a bit smudged but she looked fantastic nonetheless. She looked cute in her large sweatshirt and sweatpants that I hadn’t noticed her wearing last night.


“I just finished up.” She said, reaching over to pick up her notebook.

“How long have you been up?” I asked.

“Oh, about a half an hour. I figured I’d let you sleep a little longer.”

“Do you like how it turned out?”

She glanced down at the cover of her notebook. “Yeah . . . I do. It came together so perfectly and I’m surprised at how quickly I finished.”

“I’m excited to see it.” I said.

“You can’t just yet though.”

I smiled.

For another few minutes we talked lightly with each other until the sun was fully up, and until the tranquility of the moment began to fade with the arrival of a few of the resort’s workers. Everything around us seemed completely normal, the sand, the water, the people, but there was something about the moment that felt almost dreamlike. My body felt great and energetic even though I’d just spent the night on the beach, and I couldn’t help but smile every time I looked over at Ashley. To put it simply, I felt happy.

“Are you up for some breakfast?” I asked her.

“Sure.” She smiled. “My uh—bus leaves for the airport around two so I have to finish something else quickly before we go, is that alright?”

I got up and folded the blanket. “Do you want me to wait with you?”

“No, no it’s fine. It should only take a minute. I’ve just got to get some things in order back at the room. Meet me at the restaurant in about a half an hour okay. Just enough time for me to get cleaned up and stuff.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

I laid the blanket next to her in the sand and after giving her a kiss I made my way back down the beach where I’d come. I couldn’t help but wonder what it was that she needed to get done. I looked back, getting one more glimpse of how gorgeous she looked, and then turned to walk away.