[ WP ] An inbuilt clock resides in everyone 's wrist . It counts down to the moment you meet your soul mate . One day it reaches 0y 0d 0hrs 5mins .

It had been thirty-nine long years of waiting, and my clock finally transmitted the `` five-minute'' warning bell. It was n't as exciting as the informational videos we watched in school said it would be - on the contrary, it was quite an agonizing experience. 
 
 For nearly forty years, I had prepared myself for this big moment. I gained weight. I lost weight. I changed haircuts. I tried on new clothes, new smiles, and new laughs. I read about every subject, from Agriculture to Zoology, so that I could impress my soul mate on the day that I met *her* or *him*. 
 
 That's one thing they never taught us in school - your soul mate can be anyone. The entire process is independent of your sexual preference. As I walked into the coffee shop that morning, I once again thought about what my soul mate might look like. *She* might be petite and pale, with long red hair, or *he* might be tall and brown, with no hair at all. The possibilities were endless, as were my thoughts that morning. 
 
 I approached the counter and ordered my regular - a Colombian and a cruller. The attractive young lady working the register extended *her* arm as *she* handed me my change - I caught a glance of *her* clock, which read, `` 002:165:06:23:57''. Two years, one-hundred and sixty-five days, six hours, twenty-three minutes, and fifty-seven seconds away from *her* big day. 
 
 During the two minutes and thirty-four seconds that I stood at the counter, waiting for my breakfast, I tried to figure out how it was fair that *she* had only two years, one-hundred and sixty five days, six hours, twenty-three minutes, and forty-six seconds until *she* met *her* soul mate. After all, *she* did n't look a day over eighteen - and there I was, more than twice her age, waiting to meet the person with whom I was fated to live the second half of my life. 
 
 There's another thing they never taught us in school - some people have to wait a long time for their match. I've known people to use this `` period of waiting'' to their advantage - I've had friends use their `` time'' to experience the world before settling down on their big days, but all I'd done was prepare myself for that day. 
 
 Another attractive woman at the `` pick-up'' counter handed me my breakfast. I curiously peeked at *her* clock, which read, `` 006:329:03:02:22''. Six years, three-hundred and twenty-nine days, three hours, two minutes, and twenty-two seconds until *her* big day. 
 
 I sat down at the table closest to the front entrance as my clock read, `` 000:000:00:01:03''. One minute and three seconds away from meeting my soul mate. I camped at my booth, sitting as close to the front window as possible, waiting for my partner to arrive. 
 
 At fifty seconds, I watched a red SUV pull into the parking lot, and just as I got excited that it might be my soul mate, I watched the older white man walk into the free clinic next door. 
 
 At thirty-nine seconds, I sneezed and the woman behind me replied with, `` God bless you!''. Her clock read, `` 000:020:59:24:33''. 
 
 At thirteen seconds, I had devoured my cruller and washed it down with my Colombian. 
 
 There was no sign of a new customer, and at nine seconds, I was completely losing my cool. 
 
 I sat in despair as a waitress came over to clear the empty flatware from my table. I looked at *her* to deliver a `` Thank you'', and just as our eyes met, the alarm on my clock sounded. It was time. It was *her*. 
 
 *She* was my height, but nowhere near my age, and *she* had blonde hair and blue eyes. There was a subtle mole on *her* upper lip and a very obvious piercing around *her* bottom one. 
 
 I broke eye contact and glanced at *her* clock, which read, `` -004:199:18:05:26''. Four years, one-hundred and ninety-nine days, eighteen hours, five minutes, and twenty-six seconds ago, *she* met *her* soul mate on *her* big day. 
 
 I guess that's yet another thing they never taught us in school.
