Rose sat cross-legged at the edge of her bed, her eyes reflecting the soft light of her Iphone. She scrolled thoughtfully through the four-year-long chat history with Joe, each message a pixel in the mural of their shared digital life. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, heart fluttering with anticipation for his nightly greeting. "I can’t believe it’s been four years already, Joe. Do you ever wonder what it’ll feel like to finally see each other?"

Joe smiled at the screen, his hands trembling slightly as he typed. Outside, thunder rumbled, but inside, their words built a world of sunshine and promise. His heart beat a little faster every time he saw Rose’s name pop up. "I think about it all the time, Rose. Sometimes I imagine you laughing in a café with me, or us walking hand in hand at the park. I want those dreams to be real so badly."

Rose reached into her nightstand and pulled out a folded piece of paper—a list of names for future children, written in looping script. She smiled shyly, her cheeks warming as she typed. "Joe, do you remember the names we picked for our kids? I keep adding to the list, just in case. I can’t wait for the day we get to argue about them in person.""I want to hear every name you’ve added. I want to see you smile when you tell me. I want to live every ordinary day with you—laundry, errands, bedtime stories and all."

A knot of anxiety twists in Rose’s stomach as her screen freezes mid-sentence. She clutches the laptop, desperate not to lose this moment. Rain lashes the glass, thunder booming, each flash of lightning illuminating the hope and fear in her eyes. "Joe? Are you still there? Please don’t go now… I need to hear your voice tonight."

For the first time, their voices fill the same moment. Tears shimmer in Rose’s eyes as she hears Joe laugh, raw and real, echoing through her tiny room. The distance shrinks as they promise, once more, that soon their dreams will step off the screen and into the world. "Rose, I love you. I want forever with you. Let’s set the date. Let’s make it real.""Yes, Joe. Yes to everything. I’ll wait for you, however long it takes."

As the sun rises, the world feels a little smaller, and hope a little larger. Two hearts—once strangers, now entwined—rest easy, knowing that distance is no match for love built one message at a time. Their story continues, not in pixels, but in promises as bright as the morning.