After years of pressure from sexually frustrated lobbyists, they finally made it illegal for two lovers to be apart. It was fine, of course, for one to go to the corner store or around the block alone. It wouldn't have been too practical otherwise. After a suitable amount of time on love leave, they could even go back to their separate jobs. But a weekend out of town required a signed affidavit from the other partner, and a longer period apart was simply not allowed. The main cause of discontent in the nation had been removed. Everyone, it seemed, was happy.
Of course, there were problems with the law. What could be done about couples who had promising careers in different parts of the country? And how many people would be left in the armed forces, were only singles permitted to join? There were also more instances than you would think of one person being in love with more than one other.
The biggest problem, though, was also the simplest. When asked to interpret the law, the country's highest courts could not decide what should be done when one person was in love, and the other was not.
