The One

World turns upside down.

Tom's final week at the advertising agency moved cripplingly slowly. He sat at his desk looking over a spreadsheet on his monitor, reminding himself of what he had left to do both in and out of work before he could take his leap of faith. Often he became distracted, Googling images of the new town in Norway where he would be living.

With the exception of his remaining workdays, everything in Tom's world felt like it was traveling on the speed of light and he buzzed with the thrill of trying to keep up with it all. The most difficult and gut-wrenching parts of it had been dealt with -not for a moment did he doubt his decisions were right- and now he could look forward to the thought of his future with Tord.

Just days after he finalized his separation from Sally, Tom and Tord had consummated their relationship. They had known each other's personality almost as well as they had known their own, but exploring each other's physicality had been a completely different ball game, quite literally. There were awkward fumbles, new tastes and strange maneuvers to discover but there were also incredible sensations to enjoy, while others he wasn't so sure about. And he realized that just because they were the same sex, it didn't necessarily mean they knew how another man's body worked. However, they both agreed it was something that they could and would work on.

It was Tom who had tentatively suggested that he would join Tord on his return home to Norway.  Of course Tord was delighted by the proposal, although he confessed to being daunted by the though of introducing his family to a man called Tom when they were expecting a girl called Mary. But they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Tom's boss agreed to him taking a six month sabbatical. Tom hadn't explained the real purpose behind it, only that since his breakup from Sally, he needed to go traveling and 'find himself'. However, with Tord, he knew exactly where he was.

Tom had broken the next of his split from Sally to his disappointed family, but chose not to reveal that it was because he was matched with a man. Once the half-year trial period he and Tord had set themselves passed, he would tell them the truth.

The most onerous part of Tom's plan had been breaking the news that he was leaving to Sally. She hadn't looked as pained as he thought she might, but he was sure that it must be a front. Of course she would still be grieving their lost relationship.

He was grateful that she hadn't sought to make him feel guilty for his decision; it was as if she knew how it felt to be Matched and was aware that sometimes you have no choice but to follow the path your heart leads.

They had taken a pragmatic approach to dividing up the life they shared together. Their savings were split fifty-fifty and Tom offered her the flat until she was ready for to sell it. All he needed were his clothes, books and the portfolio of his work, everything else he decided could be replaced. He spent the last six weeks temporarily living in Tord's flat and he didn't speak to Sally since.

After the monotonous day at work finally came to an end, he prepared to take the train he booked from Birmingham New Street to London in order to update his travel documents at the Passport Office. He arrived earlier than the train's scheduled departurevdo he passed the time in Starbucks with a hot chocolate and a snack.

He picked at the dome of his blueberry muffin and grinned to himself. In the space of just a few months his whole life had been flipped on its head and he survived it. And he previously had no idea how much joy there was to experience because of it. With a new chapter of his life fast approaching, he couldn't wait to see what was coming next.

The phone in his pocket vibrated and taking it out he saw Sally's name with a text message.

I need to see you, it read.

Tom rolled his black eyes. He didn't wish to be cruel, but he had nothing left to say to her.

I don't think that's a good idea, he replied.

Please.

What's this about?

Her reply came in the form of a picture and the bottom fell out of Tom's world. It was an ultrasound scan.