First wish
677 Words
The notebook lay open between them.
At the top of the page, written in neat handwriting, were the words:
99 Days of Living
Below it was the first item on the list.
✓ Watch the sunrise at the beach.
Luna smiled as she tapped the page with her pen.
"So... when are we doing it?"
Noah raised an eyebrow.
"You're serious?"
"Completely."
"It means waking up before four in the morning."
"I know."
"It's going to be cold."
"I know."
"We'll probably be exhausted in class."
"I know."
He laughed.
"You've really thought about this."
"I have."
Luna carefully closed the notebook.
"Day One starts this Saturday."
The rest of the week passed surprisingly fast.
For the first time in months, Luna found herself looking forward to the weekend instead of dreading it.
Every afternoon after school, she added new ideas to their list.
✓ Fly a kite.
✓ Eat ice cream before dinner.
✓ Watch a movie under the stars.
✓ Learn to ride a bicycle.
✓ Write letters to our future selves.
Each idea made Noah smile a little wider.
"You've planned my entire life," he joked.
She smiled.
"No."
She looked at him.
"I'm planning your days."
Saturday arrived before sunrise.
At exactly 4:15 a.m., Luna stood outside her house wearing a hoodie and carrying two paper cups of hot chocolate.
A few minutes later, Noah appeared at the end of the street.
He looked sleepy.
His hair was messy, and he yawned as he walked toward her.
"You look terrible," Luna teased.
"You woke me up before the birds."
"You agreed."
"I know."
She handed him one of the paper cups.
His hands wrapped around it immediately.
"Thank you."
"It's payment for waking up."
They laughed.
The beach was almost empty when they arrived.
Only a few fishermen were preparing their boats, while gentle waves rolled onto the shore.
The sky was still dark.
Tiny stars shimmered above the ocean.
Luna slipped off her shoes and stepped onto the cool sand.
"It's beautiful."
Noah nodded.
"I've always wanted to see this."
Together they sat quietly near the water.
Minutes passed.
Then...
The first streak of orange appeared across the horizon.
The ocean reflected the growing light like liquid gold.
Slowly, the sun rose from the sea.
Everything around them glowed.
Neither of them spoke.
Some moments were too beautiful for words.
After several minutes, Noah broke the silence.
"I'm glad you're here."
Luna looked at him.
"So am I."
He smiled softly.
"If I came alone..."
He watched the sunrise.
"...I would've thought it was beautiful."
He turned toward her.
"But because you're here..."
He smiled again.
"...I'll remember it forever."
Luna felt her heart race.
She quickly looked back at the ocean, hoping he wouldn't notice the blush spreading across her cheeks.
As they walked along the shoreline afterward, Noah suddenly stopped.
He bent down and picked up a small white seashell.
"This one's pretty."
He handed it to Luna.
She accepted it carefully.
"Keep it."
"Why?"
"So when you're old..."
He laughed quietly.
"...you'll remember that one stubborn boy forced you to wake up before sunrise."
She smiled.
"I think it was the stubborn girl who forced the boy."
"...Fair point."
They both laughed.
The sound mixed with the crashing waves, filling the quiet morning with warmth.
Luna looked down at the seashell resting in her palm.
It wasn't expensive.
It wasn't perfect.
But somehow...
It became her favorite treasure.
Because it wasn't just a shell.
It was proof that happiness could exist even when time was running out.
As they prepared to leave, Noah quietly reached for the notebook.
With a bright smile, he drew a checkmark beside the first wish.
✓ Watch the sunrise at the beach.
"One down," he said.
Luna nodded, smiling through eyes that had begun to glisten.
"Ninety-eight days to go..."
For the first time, the countdown didn't feel like the end of a story.
It felt like the beginning of memories they would fight to create together—one precious day at a time.
- Writer
