Twenty years ago…

Samuel smiles gently at me. “You’re right, Clara.” We are silent for a moment when he breaks the silence by asking me a question out of the blue. “Are you excited to find your mate?”

“Are you kidding?” And it’s like a dam has been broken. “Of course, I’m excited. I just can’t wait for my birthday to come. I have dreamed of meeting my mate since I was five years old and could understand what mates were. I imagine how he would look how he would be, how in love we would be, how devoted we would be to each other.” I clasp my hands in...