The Struggles Of Waiting ✔

TWO

1984

It was Alexander's twenty-second birthday, the day he would stop aging until he found his soulmate. He would age another ten years once he found his soulmate, but the ability to grow old and die would not be given to him until he completed the Ceremony.

Twenty-second birthdays were always a big thing in his town. He lived in a small area, where everyone knew each other. Such important birthdays were celebrated with the neighbourhood. One of the girls down the road had turned twenty-two the week before and the whole street had come out with food and presents for her. He was expecting the same treatment.

His mother had woken him up early that morning. She had been more excited about his birthday than he was, but he didn't mind, at least he knew he was going to have a good day. He didn't wonder what everyone was going to get him.

He was sitting at the kitchen table, sleepily digging into a plate of bacon and eggs. His father was standing at the stove, bacon sizzling loudly in the fry pan. His mother was standing with the fridge door open, searching for the milk.

"Happy birthday, son," his father muttered from the kitchen, watching him with a sad smile on his face. "You're so old now."

"Says you," Alexander replied, chuckling a little.

"Alex, be nice to your father!" his mother scolded.

"Oh, leave him, Margot," his father laughed. "It's his birthday, let him be." His mother only rolled her eyes, finally pulling the milk out of the fridge.

"So, has anyone caught your eye yet?" Margot asked, excitement lighting up her face.

"Mum, I've been twenty-two for all of eight hours," Alexander said with a laugh. "I haven't even left the house yet. Of course, I haven't found anyone. I doubt people find their soulmates that quickly anyway."

"That's not true," his mother replied. "Robert from work found his soulmate on his birthday, at the little party the neighbourhood threw for him."

"And how long ago was that?"

"Hmm, I think about fifteen years," Margot said.

"Exactly!" Alex replied. "It's rare for stuff like that to happen. It won't happen to me, mum."

His mother fixed him with a look he could only describe as 'shut up, Alex, you don't know what you're talking about'. "You never know, it could happen," she said.

"Try not to get his hopes up too high," his father added, taking the cooked bacon out of the fry pan and putting it on a plate. "If it doesn't happen then he might be really disappointed. You don't want that to happen on his birthday, do you?"

Margot clicked her tongue. "No, of course not," she said. "But I want him to have some hope today. It's his big day."

"I'll be fine, mum," Alexander told her. "It's not a big deal to me. I'll find them eventually, so I don't care if I don't find them today."

"Fine, fine, just eat up and enjoy your food," his mother said, shaking her head with a sigh. "What are you doing before your big dinner party tonight?"

"Sarah is coming over. We're going out for most of the day. I'll be back later in the afternoon though," Alexander explained.

"Alright, kiddo," his dad said. "Have fun."

He scoffed down his food, waiting impatiently for the knock at the door. Sarah was never one to arrive late, but she was not exactly someone who arrived early either. Alex found that he wished she was. He wanted to go out now.

A loud tapping at the door had him jumping out of his seat instantly and rushing to the door. He vaguely heard his mother laughing at him as he moved. He pulled the door open, grinning at Sarah's surprised face.