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The anticipation for the event was brutal. Jacob fell asleep at the piano more often than his own room as he tried to assuage his nerves through practice, His dad probably would have lectured Jacob if he hadn’t been travelling, another long night of making sleeping plans and discussing healthier habits coupled with a few more appointments with Theresa. He quite liked Theresa, his therapist of a few years at this point. The sessions felt more like two friends shooting the breeze rather than a doctor listening to the word vomit as they trick your insecurities into rearing their ugly mugs. When he had time, Jacob liked to bring her favorite coffee from the little coffee shop that opened in the office building on Twelfth she recommended last year and she’d bring in the thumbprint cookies. He’d been begging for that recipe since he started seeing her but it was a damn [i]family recipe[/i]. He secretly believed she used it to bribe him into talking on bad days―not so secret anymore since he accused her as she took the first sip of coffee and it came out her nose she laughed so hard―and the waiting was bad. She had them nearly every day. He couldn’t bring himself to take off the bracelet that covered his mark, even when he slept. 

But now as he leaned against the cool glass of the bus, the waiting seemed like nothing. His nerves now made every second feel both too quick and too slow as he got closer to the chance to find his soulmate. Even his normal methods, reviewing sheet music or competing with the squad to find the most outrageous memes, didn’t seem to wind him down. He felt like he read the same bars fifty times before the notes  ran together and his phone didn’t get signal this far up. So he was forced to gaze out over the scenery.

It was breathtaking. Even as they hugged a turn a tad too close or an unexpected decline made his stomach drop, he couldn’t quite shake the desire to feel the cold mountain wind against his skin or wander aimlessly among the thick blanket of evergreens. The city had nothing as serene as this; nothing but thick air and steel and concrete as far as the eye can see, either frigid and biting or unrelentingly hot. Out here, even the chill of the cold mountain air soothed rather than bit and the pleasant aroma of nature―real evergreens, not some sickly sweet imitation―beckoned its visitors into its open arms and whispered tales of planting roots.

Jacob startled back to attention as they pulled into the house, his breath catching at the sight. Even his home city struggled to command such majesty and wealth in the manner this mansion did. He stumbled out of the car, legs pricking from sitting in one position too long, and he gently pressed the wrinkles out of his suit. It wasn’t anything special, just the standard tuxedo he’d wear for recitals and competitions. He slipped on his gloves, a habit he learned from a professor of his, and fiddled absently with his necklace as he followed the captivated crowd into the building. He couldn’t possibly believe it was someone’s home. It must be rental space, made specifically for outlandish occasions such as hopefully bringing together soulmates.

The thought brought back the worry as he got a weak mojito from the bar and he ducked out of the group after their hosts’ introduction, getting directions to a restroom from a server. It felt like his pre show nerves but worse. Everything he’d gone through flashed past his mind’s eye as he locked the door to the extravagant restroom, splashing a bit of water on his face after he put down his drink. He stared at himself in the mirror for several long seconds, worrying the clasp on his bracelet. What if he couldn’t find them, what if he was List? What if his mom was right and it turned out exactly as she predicted.

[color=07F169]“You will find your soulmate. You will find your soulmate. You will find your soulmate.”[/color] Jacob repeated to himself. Third times the charm, Christopher always said. He took that advice and ran with it when he started looking for ways to escape his performance nerves. Hopefully, he could apply it here too.[color=07F169] “You will not be Lost. You will not be Lost. You will not be Lost.”[/color] He felt a little better, enough that he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and…

[i]Clink[/i].

The bracelet dropped into the sink. He stared at it for a bit before pocketing the item. He was in a room full of people just like him, with the same hopes and dreams and fears. If they all had the courage to face this, then he could too. He took a long sip of his drink, the extra mint giving him a bit of extra pep, and he swung open the door, an excited shine in his eye and a bounce in his step.