In less than two Tempore revolutions, Amsen and her partner would arrive at their Union Ceremony and show their family and friends that they were meant to be together. The party would commence right at the Seren set and her stomach fluttered at the thought of Hallan being there, greeting her, taking her hand and kissing her in public.

At one point she couldn’t imagine ever being excited for this event and she couldn’t imagine wanting a partner. Now as she finished creating the little molded sculptures of a timepiece and a heart intertwined that would be used as favors for their Union Ceremony, she couldn’t imagine not being with him. Strange how life changed. Maybe it all was in good time.

“Amsen.” Hallan joined her at the table. “Time to put that away. We need to start working on our speeches.”

“I worked on mine while I’ve been creating the favors.” She continued her sculpting. “Go ahead and make your notes, I’m just going to finish these up.”

“We are past our schedule for these baubles, in fact they were never on our schedule.” He lifted one, narrowed his eyebrows and put it back down.

Over the last Tempore revolution she noticed Hallan seemed a bit tense, more focused on the time and controlling every detail than in their earlier days. This was something she would always have to work on with him.

After tweaking one last detail, she put her art aside, stood and went to her partner. “Hallan.” She placed herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

A scowl still on his face he glanced up at her.

“Do we need to go spend some time in our bedchambers?” If nothing else, her male could always be calmed down with some joining. They not only took advantage of their designated times, but also managed to slip in a few extra sessions. She especially enjoyed it when she got him to explore. Armed with the book from Eronium on mating rituals, only yesterday he returned the favor she gave him the other day. Then this morning he declared her delectable and repeated his actions. The memory made her squirm.

“What we need to do is finally get on task.” His voice hardened. “We have much to do for the ceremony and if we would have stayed focused we could have more time now.”

“I think this ceremony is making you anxious. Though I can assure you that everything will get done, I promise to remain on task for the rest of the day.” She gave him a kiss at his temple and returned to her seat.

Rather than working on his speech or helping with the favors, he put his elbow on the table, rested his head in his hand and gazed into his time block. “Now we’re late for the speech writing.” He shook his head. “I am trying to balance everything.”

Once again she put her craft to the side. “Why don’t you tell me what we need to be doing right this second and that will put us back on schedule.” His flare-ups about time had to be handled with care.

He paused and stared into the cube. “We need to talk about returning to our places of employment after our Merging Time is complete.”

A smile grew on her face.

“What is it?” His voice softened.

“You know, the day after our pledge I thought about how mundane it would be meeting you for our midday meal like the other couples,” she confessed.

Rather than respond, he wrinkled his nose.

“Now, I quite like the idea of seeing you in the middle of day. Sharing a meal, a kiss, maybe something else.” She widened her eyes.

“Once we return to work, there won’t be enough time for something else during that time.” Though his words were harsh, he reached across the table, and offered her his hand.

Without hesitation she placed her hand in his. “I think we always need to make time for what we want.” She tickled her nails over his palm.

“What would your employer say if you returned to your job with your hair tousled, cheeks flushed, lips swollen with that gorgeous glow you get when you have just climaxed?” Finally, he smiled.

“Let me ask you this.” She laced her fingers in his. Here was the male she had fallen for. “How would those who work for you react if you showed up still semi hard but spent, relaxed from filling me, knowing that when you get home your partner will be waiting in anticipation for our next joining time?” One thing she enjoyed was when they did decide to wait for the right time, but they knew what they wanted. By the time he entered her she would already be wet and ready, they would join twice, once with fervor, the next slow and steady. Of course only yesterday they played beat the clock, climaxing right as their cube vibrated. Some time constraints served a purpose.

They stared at each other her core heated. Why couldn’t all of life be these stolen moments?

He leaned over and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. “As is tradition, I will take you to work when you return in your new capacity as a life partner.”

She looked down at the favors. Maybe they should switch up the tradition and she should escort him to work. “I was thinking maybe in the next few Tempore revolutions after our ceremony, we could host a meal here for your employer.” That should please Hallan.

“I would like that.” He pressed her hand to his cheek.

The time block vibrated.

She took the onus to lift the device and peek inside. “We need to work on the invitations. I know how we can get back on schedule. Why don’t you work on your speech and I’ll get the list together?”

“That’s a good use of time.” He reclined in his chair and lifted his tablet. “By the evening I want to be back on track and want to stay there, now that we will be resuming our normal lives.”

His words made her stomach twist. “And what is our normal lives?” She scrolled through his cube in search of his invitation list. Having never really gotten the handle on these cubes she wrinkled her nose when she spied two files labeled Union Ceremony. Strange. She turned the cube to the side and back again to refresh the data. Both files were still there.

“The Merging Time is designed to be more free, once this ceremony is behind us, we will be on our schedule just like other couples. Work, recreation, joining, offspring. All is planned out,” he said. “I, for one, am looking forward to it.”

Her chest tightened and rather than react to his statement, she opened the first folder. Everything was in there as it should be official documents and to-do list. She leaned in and stared down at pictures of their Pledging Ceremony. There she was in her dress holding on to Hallan, repeating the words that would bind them together, sharing their first kiss. She only wished she remembered it all.

She glanced over at him. He had the memories and she had to carry around the fact that she never wanted or knew about him until the moment she woke and joined with a nameless faceless male.

“Are there any projects you are looking forward to getting back to at your employment?” Hallan continued to plunk away on his tablet. “I’m multi-tasking.”

Tears welling up in her eyes for memories she would never have, she swallowed, and in an effort to distract herself, she opened the second file.

“I want to be able to address your employment properly.” He put the tablet down and looked over at her. “This ceremony needs to come off perfectly.”

Rather than more notes on their pledging, their merging, their union, or their life, suddenly she was presented with a mirror image folder, only instead of her there was another female in her place. Her throat dried out. What was this?

“How many of your co-workers are you inviting? We should follow protocol and have an equal number on both sides.” He continued his chatter. “Let me know if I need to add or delete anyone.”

She stared at the illuminated cube. Her partner, the male she wanted and was getting ready to finally unite with had already gone through these steps with another. This was why the ceremony had to be perfect. This was why he accepted she was a year late. This was why her family unit hid everything from her.

“Amsen.” He waved his hand in front of her face. “How many of your co-workers are you inviting?”

“None.” She set the cube down.

He strummed his fingers on the table. “What does that mean?”

“It means that I don’t have any co-workers to invite, therefore I won’t be inviting any.” Her throat dried out and she took a breath. “I am not employed.” Another disgrace to add to their pile. Did her parents tell him that as well?

He stood from the table. “You are a designer.”

“Was.” She rose as well. “I was a designer until…”

“Until what?” His eyes widened.

She crossed her arms. Apparently, she could tell him some of her own news. “Until I missed deadlines, until I realized I couldn’t force art, until I realized it wasn’t my time to be employed.”

“It is your time to be employed until we have offspring or we discuss it.” He shot back at her.

“I’m not employed.” Again she said the words.

“How many more?” Hallan lifted his arms. “Tell me Amsen, how many more?”

“How many more what?” she yelled.

“Lies!” He pounded his fist into the table. “How many more? Let’s get them out now.”

At his tone and the way he glared at her, heat raged through her. “Why don’t we start with you?” She lifted the cube and tossed it in front of her. “Seems as if I’m not the only one who withheld the truth or was it just not time to tell me.”

“How…what?” He swiped the cube and looked inside.

Neither of them spoke.

“Was the Union Ceremony not perfect? Is that why you didn’t go through with it?” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. The image of Hallan sharing this time with another made her double over.

“I knew it wasn’t forever.” His voice came out accusatory. “She wasn’t for me.”

“When exactly did you figure that out? After your many joining times or when you were completing your tasks to bring you closer together?” She looked up at him. “Was she a good female and waited for the right moment, or was she like me a distraction and you couldn’t wait to be with her until one day you realized you could wait.”

“It wasn’t my time,” he growled.

“Maybe it’s never time.” She turned away. “At least she knew what she did.”

“What do you mean?” He walked over to her. “What else is there?”

“A pairing built on lies isn’t a pairing.” With her words she faced him. “My family, you and even I thought we could build something on half-truths because it was time.”

He reached for her. “I don’t understand.”

She backed away. “I was always the bane of my parent’s existence. I’m an artist, I break blocks, I got fired, I waited a year past my time to choose a partner, and one was arranged for me.”

Hallan didn’t speak, simply stood there with his eyebrows furrowed.

“You only chose an arranged partnership because you felt it was what you needed to do, it wasn’t what you wanted,” she continued. “None of us do what we really want.”

“Amsen.” His voice came out low, an animal ready to pounce.

“I’m no different. I never wanted a partner. I was chosen for you and to be honest I never set eyes on you until the day I woke up with you. My family deemed it my time and didn’t give me a choice.” At letting out the truth, she exhaled and braced herself on the wall. “I was forced into this.”

“What are you saying?” He crossed the room to her, took her by the shoulders and spun her toward him.

“That I’m jealous of your first partner because at least she remembers the ceremony that bound you together.” She reached up and touched his cheek. “That I’m jealous because she also got the Hallan that stood up for himself and broke it off.”

He jutted his jaw out.

When he didn’t say a word she kept going. “Why didn’t it work? Was she another rebel or did she just not fit your time schedule.”

Rather than speak, he simply shook his head.

“You don’t want me. You needed me. We needed each other to fulfill some ideal of perfection.” She pushed him away. “It’s time we face the truth. Being in a forced arrangement has to be worse than whatever happened to you before.”

Still, he said nothing.

She stomped away. The end had come and she would never give her time away blindly again.