They were married for five years, though most days they felt like newlyweds. No impediment came that they couldn't face. He was her brown sugar, and she was his caramel delight. The two knew that they would always be sweeter together.

The couple celebrated their belated anniversary with a vacation to Hawaii, their tropical homeland. They resided at a beautiful resort where they visited a few beaches, the sandy delights of the world. Giggling while they explored the island, the two ignored the sand between their toes and found the home of the beginning of their story. The surrounding greenery was enchanting, sending this intimate feeling through them. The glistening cerulean water of their special lagoon was alluring.

Splashing eachother with skin touching, lips brushing, and eyes gazing into each other's led to the woman realizing her wedding ring had flown off. The pair plummetted underwater to grasp it, but it had fallen into a fissure. As panic settled into the woman's heart, the young man wrapped his arms around his wife, whispering assuring, cordial words into her ear. They concurred that she would acquire assistance while he remained there.

As she left, the man inhaled deeply, ducked beneath the surface, and thrust his hand into the crevice. He was determined to get that ring. That was their bond, their connection, their declaration to the world that they would never be separated until death.

He reached until he felt the gold band between his fingers. However, air was still a necessity; So with a smile of solace, he attempted to withdraw his arm. It wouldn't budge. His smile dropped, replaced with terror. This sense of urgency rushed through his body as matches were lit behind his chest.

The woman had found some help. Her nausea settled as she day-dreamed of having that ring right back where it belonged, her finger. Leaves crunched under her feet, and the woman looked down at her watch. It'd been 8 minutes, so she hoped that the ring hadn't fallen any deeper.

"Manuia! Manu, they said they can probably-" She rushed over to him, gradually getting curious as to why he wasn't responding.

Then she knew. His eyes were glossed over, but she was too shocked to be frightened, so her hands found his body and shook him furiously until she was torn away by medics.

"We need to perform CPR immediately!"

"1, 2, 3...come on, son."

Silence.

Miss? We lost him...Is this yours?" A gold piece of jewelry sat in his hand.

-

Her eyes snapped open, her body flying upward as if someone had glued a string to her chest and yanked it forward. Her whole body was dampened with sweat and her lungs depleted her strength, heaving for air. She was drowning again, just as he had.

But she secretly enjoyed these nightmares where she drowned alongside her lover. They were her closure.

She knew she couldn't bare losing love twice, and so she stayed loyal to the man of her dreams.