Finding the one

First, "He must be incredibly wealthy," and just like that, the number dropped by half.

"Great with kids and definitely wants them," and the number halved again.

"Must love to travel," she declared, and millions more vanished.

"A gym enthusiast," she added, picturing a partner with whom to share workouts, and the number was in free-fall.

"Food lover, both cooking and eating out," she mused, and the number dwindled to the low thousands.

"Kind, understanding, patient," and the number was now in the hundreds.

Finally, with a heart full of dreams, she whispered, "And my soul mate," envisioning a love so profound, so perfect in its understanding and connection. The number flickered, hesitated, and then settled on zero.