The next morning, Melina woke up to the smell of coffee and the sound of quiet movement in the kitchen. She stretched under the covers, taking a moment to let it sink in—she was home. No hotel sheets, no early morning interviews, no studio pressure. Just this.

She rolled over, expecting to see Tucker still asleep, but his side of the bed was empty, the blankets messily tossed aside.

Curious, she climbed out of bed, slipping one of his hoodies over her sleep shirt before padding into the kitchen. Tucker was standing at the counter, his hair a complete mess, still in his sweatpants, pouring coffee into two mugs.

"Look who's finally up," he teased, handing her a mug without looking.

Melina took it with a sleepy grin, stepping into his space. "You didn't wake me."

"You needed sleep." He kissed the top of her head, like it was second nature, then went back to fixing his own coffee.

She leaned against the counter, watching him for a second. "Your birthday's in a week."

Tucker groaned dramatically. "Don't remind me."

Melina smirked. "Oh, I'm reminding you."

He shot her a suspicious look over his coffee. "You're not planning anything, right?"

She took a slow sip from her mug. "Why would you think that?"

"Mel."

She shrugged, trying (and failing) to look innocent. "I just think birthdays are a big deal."

Tucker narrowed his eyes. "No surprise party."

"No surprise party," she repeated, biting back a smile.

"No crazy plans."

"Nothing crazy."

Tucker sighed, clearly not buying it but too tired to fight it this early in the morning. "You're gonna do something anyway, aren't you?"

Melina grinned, standing on her toes to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Obviously."

Tucker groaned again, but he was smiling. "I should've known."

Melina just hummed, already making a mental list of everything she needed to do. A week was plenty of time to make sure his birthday was perfect.





Melina had exactly one week to figure out the perfect way to celebrate Tucker's birthday. He swore he didn't want anything big, but that just meant she had to be smart about it. No surprise party, no over-the-top spectacle—just something that would make him feel loved.

By the time Tucker left for a studio session that afternoon, she was already texting Liv.

Melina: How hard is it to rent out a place for the night?

Liv: Depends. Why, what are you planning?

Melina: Something small. Just us. Just him.

Liv responded with a bunch of heart emojis before getting to work, and within an hour, she was sending over options—intimate spots with city views, cozy spaces that felt special without being overwhelming.

Melina scrolled through them, but nothing felt right until she saw the same small house they stayed in months ago. It's tucked by the ocean, just outside the city. It wasn't fancy, but it was them—quiet, warm, removed from everything.

Melina: That's the one.

Liv: You're the best girlfriend ever.

Melina smiled to herself, but before she could respond, she heard the front door open.

Tucker was home.

She quickly locked her phone and turned to see him walking in, hair still messy from wearing a beanie all day, carrying a bag of takeout.

"I figured you didn't feel like cooking," he said, setting the bag on the counter.

Melina raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you bring home food?"

Tucker smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into him. "Since my girlfriend spent two weeks working her ass off in New York, and I'm trying to be romantic."

Melina rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the smile that crept onto her face. "You don't have to try."

Tucker kissed her forehead, lingering for a second before pulling away to unpack the food. "I was thinking..." he started, almost hesitant.

Melina leaned against the counter. "Yeah?"

"I kinda wanna go somewhere for my birthday," he admitted. "Just us."

Melina bit back a grin. "Really?"

He nodded. "No party. No people. Just...away."

She tilted her head, pretending to think. "Huh. I might know a place."

Tucker eyed her suspiciously. "You already planned something, didn't you?"

Melina smirked, stealing a fry from the container. "Maybe."

Tucker groaned, but his smile gave him away. "You're impossible."

She just kissed him in response.



Melina watched as Tucker unpacked the takeout, his brows slightly furrowed in concentration like he was doing something way more important than opening containers. It was a small thing, but she loved it—the way he always put effort into even the simplest things.

"So," he said, grabbing a pair of chopsticks, "where exactly were you thinking for my birthday?"

Melina leaned against the counter, hiding a smirk. "You remember that cabin we stayed at a few months ago?"

Tucker's face lit up instantly. "No way."

She nodded. "I booked it for a couple nights. Just us. No people, no press—just quiet."

Tucker laughed under his breath, shaking his head. "I was literally gonna say we should go back there."

Melina grinned. "Well, it's settled then."

Tucker reached for her hand, pulling her closer. "That means we gotta go full Sally and Tom mode again."

Melina burst out laughing. "Oh my God. You still remember that?"

"Are you kidding?" Tucker smirked. "I am Tom. Tom and Sally, running away from the world."

She shook her head, still smiling. "You're so dumb."

"And yet, you love me," he teased, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before picking up his chopsticks.

Melina just rolled her eyes, stealing another fry. "Yeah, yeah."

But really, she did.