SHE fell in love with the morning, when the infant rays of sunlight just started to peek through the gaps in the window blinds, hitting the smooth, unvarnished walls of the bedroom. The moment when she first woke up, her eyes opening to welcome a fresh start to a brand new day, like unpackaging a gift from its box. She liked to feel her bare feet against the solid floor, as she walked to the bathroom. When she flipped the light switch on, her reflection in the mirror greeted her, the first person she saw in the morning. She would rather see herself than anyone else at that moment, but she wondered briefly, before she turned the faucet on and the water started to run, what it would be like to wake up next to someone and have someone else be in her first line of sight at the start of the day. But that thought faded as she turned the shower knob and a stream of hot water poured over her skin, washing away the night before. And as she hugged her dry towel against her damp skin, feeling clean and worry free, she walked to the kitchen and enjoyed the process of boiling water because there was nothing better than boiling water for a cup of tea. And as she poured the hot water into the mug and dropped the bag of tea in, seeing the clear water turn a shade of green, she enjoyed the wait for the tea to cool down, doing other things with her time. She felt no rush.

HE fell in love with the night, with the sound of the crickets chirping as he walked in the darkness, alone yet not alone. He could hear the rumble of the late night bus as he strolled through the streets, feeling the meandering breeze brush against his skin. The half hidden moon followed his shadow as he walked along the shoreline of the beach with the sand springing up between his toes. He remembered briefly a similar moment, years ago, when he walked at midnight with someone special to him, looking up at the starless sky sometimes scattered by the artificial light of airplanes passing by. But at that moment, he wanted to be alone with himself, surrounded by the peace of a calm mind. He looked into the ocean, unable to distinguish between sea and sky since the dark blue melted into each other at the horizon. He heard the waves quietly beat against the rocks, and he felt the night wander away from him. And as he walked down the lane back home, he thought about broken dreams and hopeless endeavors, opportunities that have slipped away only to be found again, and most importantly, the dinner that he had to cook when he got back to his apartment. He felt no rush.