Prologue

“Negative 6 years, 9 months, 14 days, 3 hours, and 9 minutes!” Sarah exclaims. “These are super accurate! Do you remember, in the coffee shop? When I spilled the French Brew all over you! And you double tipped me! I knew then, we were supposed to be!”

I don’t read mine out loud. 12 days, 8 hours, 29 minutes until I was supposed to meet my soulmate. Sarah, my wife, who I had loved for six years, was not my soulmate.

It all started with the release of Apple’s new product, the iSoulmate. It predicted when you were meant to meet your soulmate. I had bought one for both Sarah and I, just for the heck of it. My wife is not my soulmate. I am supposed to meet my soulmate in 12 days, 8 hours, and 28 minutes.

Sarah is staring up at me with that look on her face I can only describe as pure joy. “Isn’t it great, Danny! They can count away the years for us!”

I smile and nod, too scared to open my mouth and talk to her. The iSoulmate was supposed to prove to us that we were meant to be! And if I was Sarah’s soulmate… then how was I supposed to break her heart?

8 days, 8 hours, 55 minutes

Four days have passed since I first put on my iSoulmate. I search all over for my real soulmate, but I don’t think we are going to meet until the actual time. I haven’t worn my iSoulmate in a few days. But I glance at it from time to time. Sarah asked me why I haven’t worn it, and I blamed it on the watch being faulty. Maybe it is. Perhaps it’s supposed to say “negative six years, 9 months, 10 days, 7 hours, and 33 minutes” like Sarah’s does right now. But I doubt it. Something has been missing since I put on the watch and read it’s numbers. Something has been off in my relationship with Sarah.

4 days, 13 hours, 2 minutes

The day is getting closer. I worry what will happen when I meet this person who is my soulmate. Will I forget Sarah? Will I divorce her? Leaving her to wonder why her soulmate left her? I roll over in bed, which was a mistake, since Sarah now fills my vision. Sarah.

My wife.

2 hours, 17 minutes

I’m driving home from a board meeting the next town over, when I happen to glance down at the watch. I have been wearing it as the days come closer. 2 hours and 17 minutes left.

1 minute

I am three minutes away from meeting my soulmate.

I’m sitting in a coffee shop, drinking a French Brew, when the watch beeps.

30 seconds.

15 seconds.

10 seconds.

5 seconds.

NOW

“Hey you!” Sarah says as she falls into my lap. “How’s the French Brew?”