I used to yearn for her, you know? I desired her physically, mentally, spiritually.

I had already learned a lot about her. She would be perfect. Her quirks would be adorable. Her worst days would be a trail that I would never regret to endure.

All of that, I had learned from my parents first, my siblings second, and my friends third.

For it was universally known, that on your 16th birthday, give or take a day, that you would be connected to your soul-mate. The one who was destined to complete you.

I was excited then. For she would complete me, and I would do the same for her. Together we would laugh, cry, and love.

Just as it was for my parents. My grandparents. And so on, and so on.

I stared at the small box of markers before me. My fingers trembled as I took one out. It was black with silver letters. Skin Ink, official soul-mate communication tool. Skink for short.

I stared at my parents, who sat across from me. They held hands on top of the table, my mom leaning onto dad’s shoulder as he grinned at me. No doubt they were recalling their first words.

My sisters giggled as they made eye contact. I was chickening out and they found it hilarious. Jessica and Ryley grinned as their eyes met mine. No matter how I tried to defend myself, they knew the truth.

I took a deep breath and then uncapped the marker. The scent of fruit reached my nose and I blinked. I had grabbed a cherry-scented marker.

Swallowing hard, I carefully drew out my first worlds.

[Hello]

It wasn’t profound, but my writing was neat. Those extra lessons in school suddenly were a lot cooler then I had originally thought. Being able to be legible was truly important.

A minute passed.

As did an hour.

I remember being hugged. My sisters beside me and my parents from my back.

I sighed then. Yet I was only sad. I wouldn’t get to meet her today. Which was alright.

Mom and Dad had to wait almost a full three years before they exchanged their first words.

I smiled back and hugged my family. I was the oldest and I would be the strongest. I would wait twice as long if needed.

A year passed. As did Three. Which turned into five.

It becomes a ritual. Every season I would write a simple [Hello], or [Hi]. It was disheartening. The silence that followed.

I took solace in the joys of my friends. My best friends as they found their own soul-mates. I was there when Jermaine wrote on his arm. Which in turn appeared on our mutual friend’s Alexis’s arm. The two cried in happiness.

They had been dating for a while, but it was nothing serious. Never serious. Yet they couldn’t have been happier as the conviction of their love stayed true and they had almost grown up side by side.

The odds of it happening were quite rare. They actually made local news as the community celebrated the unusual event.

Apparently it had the same odds as being struck by lightning. 1 in 700,000.

The two became more inseparable somehow. Alexis had moved in with Jermaine, which both families had no problems with. They had been together for so long that it was very common to see each other around both houses.

Sunny was Next. Her soul-mate flew in to meet her a year after they started to talk. The man, Adam, was fidgety with his hands, but calm and collected when he spoke.

Their smiles, however, were no less than that of Jermaine, and Alexis. I wondered then, I too could experience the same bliss. The brighter their smile, the more hollow I felt.

I never let it show through. That jealous side I let loose in the privacy of my showers. The water hid my tears, and my silent sobs were luckily few and far between.

My heart did shake though. It was odd when I was there for when Jess met her own soul-mate, Todd. She was definitely the child of our mother.

Jessica and Mom immediately dissolved into tears. Jess then half ran, half limped into the arms of her man. Their first greetings were mumbled, jumbled messes of what was once, for her, a heavily practiced script.

I remembered the days that went into it as Jess and Ryley practiced on what to say and what to do. What those magazines and movies had shown them over and over again.

I made sure to record the encounters so that my responsibilities as the oldest would be fulfilled. Jess was less understanding when I posted those videos onto the family digital albums.

I swore to the heavens that I would show this during their wedding ceremonies. I would do the same when Ryley’s turn came.

I don’t remember when exactly. It just happened one day when their bright smiles stopped prickling into me and only made me smile in return. I didn’t look too deeply, for my family was only getting bigger.

My sister’s crying face as she kissed her true love eased something off me. I shared in their joy and wiped at my own tears. I could fully smile and that was all that mattered.

When Ryley, the youngest found her love. A handsome young man named Jacob. She fared no better. She technically had time to learn from her sister’s folly.

Unfortunately, the mother had strong genetics. An equally blubbering and crying young woman tripped into the strong arms of her would-be husband.

I recorded it all with an even better camera and, had she seen me, a shit-eating grin. I smiled as they hugged each other half to death. Life was good.

The last of my family was essentially hitched and nothing terrible happened to either of my sisters. I felt relaxed that they would never experience the occasional lonely nights that could haunt a person.

I knew that I was simply unlucky. Things happened and I needed to stop clinging to the silence and move on with my life. I stopped writing on that day.

Ten years.

A lot could change in that time frame. I had grown from a child to a man. I was 26 now. I had a good job, my own place, and plenty of hobbies that required me to purchase various geeky goods.

I had graduated from the Half Soul Consoling that all singles in their twenties had to attend. It was mandatory for those who lost, and or lack of an irreplaceable companion.

The government program helped those who needed help. Death was a reality of life. People died in car accidents. War. Disease. Natural disasters.

In a small way, I was lucky as the loss of a soul-mate was devastating. Many succumbed and spiraled from depression and into death. I would never experience something so heart-wrenching.

The career of a traveling tech salesman was helpful. With nothing to really tie me down, I traveled the world. I talked at TED twice. One about the oddity of the singles. And another about finding oneself.

I attended various conventions for my hobbies. Doris, that darling, had a soft spot for my single situation. She had three married children and a dozen grandkids.

When she got to know me, she was horrified to find out I was single. So when I wanted to book off time to attend an event or extend my time in a country, she took care of it.

I was suddenly looking into future prospects, and ensuring good relations with clients. When I was really napping on a beach, or overspending on various toys for myself.

Doris was my work mom and she reveled in ‘soothing’ my single heart.

The only annoyance with Doris was the occasional dates she found for me. She was simply horrible at it.

I loved Doris. I once rushed back home, taking three consecutive flights to do a favor for Doris.

Doris in return gave me the three worst dates I have ever experienced in my life.

I of course knew of Single-Souls. The hottest dating sites for singles all around!

I tried it on and off, but I rarely get anything more than a date out of it.

Apparently Doris browsed it like a shark.

My worst date was a woman, Jane, who complained for an hour on the waiter who forgot to refill her water. An hour, for a young, struggling waitress new on the job.

I wondered if her man had written [Hello], got two essays in return, then a lecture from his lack of immediate response. Then he jumped off a bridge to save himself.

Then she jumped into a lecture about our future. I needed to clean up, shave better to get a good job so that we could settle down and start a proper family. Six kids. Three of each gender.

We also needed to obey the bible, by attending church each Sunday. 7 am. Sharp.

I nodded along. I was not only watching a train wreck. I was living it. The ‘bliss’ of marriage huh?

I wondered if she had a checklist to run down during sex and whatnot. Ugh. She would probably cheat on me anyways. I wasn’t a millionaire and her dream job was a trophy wife.

I was never so happy to end a date and go home.

I had recorded Jane’s long-winded tirade on the waitress’s appalling candor to have a recommended ‘tip’ section on the receipt. I thanked Jane for the night and eagerly went home to build a set of Lego and watch some Netflix to soothe, my battered soul.

Doris listened to the recording and apologized. I held no ill will, Doris was sweet. She just wanted to help. Though she never did stop referring girls.

Thankfully she never insisted that she found the ‘perfect’ one again.

Fifteen years.

It was shortly after my 31st birthday, that a new light shone in my life. It changed my world in an unexpected way as Sarah, a seven-and-a-half-pound girl rocked my world.

Motherhood suited Jess very well. She was mischievous and I knew that Sarah would be no different. Adorable, but fussy, Sarah made sure the world knew of her presence.

Not to be outdone, Ryley also gave birth within that month. Sophie was a full pound heavier. Though she was equally adorable, her clear eyes stared into you if you made eye contact.

The fact that Sophie didn’t wail like a banshee had Jess rage in injustice. Though the few gurgles from the quite girl soothed any and all animosity.

Jermaine and Alexis had two kids. Jonathan and Joanne.

Sunny and Adam however had six. Alex, Bart, Curt, Dennis, Edith, Freya. Each a year apart.

As their honorary uncle, I still forget their names half the time. Who the hell has that many kids!?

I did the best I could. That empty chasm of loneliness was re-purposed! I was a kid at heart, and I played with all of them the best I could. They loved it. I gave out decent gifts, had cool travel stories.

I stopped by zoos to take pictures of exotic animals. I even got a scar from a mean armadillo once. The kids were hooked at seeing that jagged line where it had bitten me.

I was lucky that the hospital was right there as it could have been a lot worse.

I was the super uncle. I traveled a lot. Saw the world, and could even bring them bits and pieces of it.

It was fulfilling, and I was happy to be there to guide them on how big, and small, the world really was.

Twenty-Five years.

I was in my fourth decade. It sounded like a long time, yet somehow felt shorter.

It was odd, to explain it all. The children could never understand properly, but all the adults did.

I had made sure to book time off to hit Sarah’s birthday. She was turning 10 today. It was a big number, which also meant that she was a big girl.

Big girls, got big parties.

Or so her logic had proudly proclaimed.

Jess relented on the condition that the birthday was shared with her almost sister, Sophie. Sarah readily agreed as the two were practically twins.

One of their big demands was that Uncle had to be present. Which was easy enough. I had always tried to make time for all of my nieces and nephews, but work was also work.

In total, I had skipped something like 7 birthdays for all of my nieces and nephews. Not a bad number across a decade.

I was sitting in the cramped kitchen. Sophie was on my lap, coloring in a picture of a Pokémon that made no sense to me. What was ultra moon!? What has happened to my precious childhood!?

Seriously. What the hell was Necrozma? I apparently had said it out loud. I hugged Sophie to me as I struggled with my shattered identity. I was once a boy who prided themselves on their Pokémon knowledge.

“Necrozma is a prism type!” Sophie chirped as she started to shade in the printed out coloring sheet. Sophie loved to draw, and I didn’t help as I found exotic pencils made from god knows what for her. I gave birthday girl B a kiss on the head to answer my question.

“Uncle!” Sarah chimed in as she hopped over to me. I smiled at my birthday girl A. She wore a glittery dress, unlike Sophie who preferred jeans and a sweater. Sarah’s passion was in fashion.

I reached forward, grabbed girl A, and drew her in for a sloppy kiss. The two giggled as I slobbered over the both of them and that immediately set me on edge.

I realized that I was pinned down by Sophie, who I was hugging with my left arm to prevent her from slipping off my lap. Sarah grabbed my right arm in a tight hug while she showed me her crooked smile. She was missing a front tooth.

I looked between the two cretins and realized I had been bamboozled. I looked up for help and made eye contact with the only adult paying any attention to us.

Jess gave me a thumbs up and betrayed me as she adjusted my camera and tripod to record what had to be a fun event. Yeesh, you think that she would have already gotten over that embarrassing speech I gave at her wedding.

Its been what? Fifteen years!?

“Uncle?” Sophie began as she held my left hand with her right. Her tiny hand was soft and gentle as she playfully trapped me. Sarah did the same with my right hand.

Curses, they were abusing my weakness for cute nieces. This was mutiny! I relented with a soft smile. Gawd these two were going to be the death of me.

“Where’s Aunty?” Sarah finished sweetly as she stared into my eyes. I blinked and alternated between the two birthday princesses. They were both curious and waiting for my answer.

I was confused. I looked up and Jess looked back. She was confused as well. There were two in the garage preparing the cake. The other girls were outside corralling the various birthday guests through the birthday games.

Jess looked to her husband, but Todd only popped open a soda can and shrugged in return. True the two were practically twins, but he sure as hell didn’t understand girls.

“Ummm, daddy has mummy,” Sarah began as she pointed to her own parents.

“So where is Uncle’s wife?” Sophie finished smoothly. It was creepy how in sync they were.

[CAH!]

The three of us flinched at the loud sound and we slowly looked up. Todd, who was chugging soda, had choked and now a third of the kitchen was stained with specks of cream soda.

Jess reacted better. She quickly ran to her girls and took a deep breath. Said breath wheezed out as her mind locked up. What did she say? What could she say!?

I laughed.

So this is why they were shy towards me earlier. They had set me up, locked me down, and then popped the question that had been burning at the forefront of their minds.

I lifted my left hand. Sophie went with the ride as I pushed her face towards me and gave her a second sloppy kiss. Sarah however resisted as I slowly overpowered her towards me. I made sure to lick my lips for a super sloppy kiss.

Her squeak was loud and clear, but I knew that truth. She definitely leaned into my lips. She was struggling just for the show.

As a reward, I turn over my left hand. I wiggled my bare ring finger and the two girls stared at it intently.

“Uncle isn’t married, so there is no Aunty. My soul-mate hasn’t said hello yet,” I softly explained to them.

Jess hugged me from behind. My voice was smooth as I had accepted my scars since long ago. I my eyes glazed as I stared at the back of my left hand. I could still remember the wet ink and that cherry scent…

“Well, I am sure that she will say h… hi?” Sarah stammered and I smiled as I gave her a third wet kiss. She didn’t struggle at all which caught my attention. She was looking at Sophie.

I looked over at Sophie, but she was holding my arm up and her head was tilted to the side. In fantastic penmanship was two letters.

{Hi}

My mind barely registered the little heart on the i. I smiled as I realized that Sophie was being sweet and wrote it down. She was always good at writing.

{My name is Elizabeth, what’s yours?}

The writing slowly faded in. My eyes widened. My breathing grew heavy as it was suddenly hard to breathe.

Wait.

That was Jess choking me and I winced as I looked up. Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened up to release a banshee-like shriek that was perfect for any murder mystery settings.

The other adults rushed in. A scream that pierced even the walls of the house must have been something horrible.

Mom was panicked as she ran into the room with her cell phone. The lack of anything horrible had her calm down, and she was ready to lecture Jess on the etiquette of high pitched screaming.

Her eyes however followed everyone else’s and she watched as a third line appeared on my arm.

{How are you today?}

While Jess and Ryley were both mothers now. They were proven that they were not masters of motherhood yet as Mom screamed loud enough to rattle glass.

This proved to be the trigger as everyone huddled in and around my arm. It was a legend at this point that I was single. The fact that there I was now connected was both amazing, and a little worrisome. I would be more than twice their age.

There was going to be a gap in our viewpoints and I would definitely die before her.

Sarah and Sophie asked me something. I mumbled something back. I don’t remember what. I was shell shocked.

Sophie grabbed a nearby skink and gripped the tip with her teeth. She popped the lid and the scent of cherry sent my brain into overdrive. She steadied my arm with her own as she moved the tip of the pen.

With careful precision, Sophie replied.

[Hello.]