It hit me out of nowhere: my world was suddenly an array of colors—periwinkle, azure, russet, mauve—all commingling intimately to create the most stunning display. The very breath was stolen from my lungs; I'd never have been able to foresee this in my wildest dreams.

I recalled my father telling me about his own Seeing experience with mom. I hadn't expected it be this amazing. I thought he was exaggerating, but now I understood the gleam that swam in his eyes.

"Nothing will ever match the way your heart races, the way you're suddenly aware of things previously unseen. Nothing," his voice rang in my ears, "can ever compare to your Seeing."

Of course, we've all been taught since a very young age that your Seeing is one of—if not the—most important experiences of your life. Our teachers never went into much detail about exactly what we will see, as demanded by law, but they explained we only share this once with our true soul mate. Only once with one person. Although vague, they described it with such vigor. From the moment I learned about its existence, I could hardly wait for my own.

It's not an exact science: nobody knows how long you have to know your mate before it happens—it varies couple to couple—or even why it happens. However, scientists do know that both lovers experience it at the same exact time, and a person cannot experience it alone. Personally, I find that pretty neat.

And as I realized me and Layla are finally experiencing ours, pure elation trickled through my body. The moment we've been anxiously anticipating is here. The promising event confirming our love as true, confirming we are meant to be, confirming we are free to marry, is here. Oh, it's finally here.

I jolted my head back and forth, side to side, taking in the new colors, dimensions, and perspectives. Could you believe that apples were colored differently according to taste? Or that the walls were actually painted various shades of bronzes, browns, and blues (a mighty contrast to the black, grey, and white I had perceived before)?

Awestruck at our new world, with bright eyes and a low-hanging jaw, I looked to my girlfriend. To my surprise, she didn't reciprocate my excitement in the least. In fact, the look she gave me was laced with concern and a hint of disgust.

My face slowly fell as I looked at her disapproving expression.
"Don't you see it, too?" I inquired.
"See what?" she replied.
I could practically hear my world shatter like broken glass.